Cauliflower Ears by Bill Nagelkerke Read Free Book Online

Chapter 1
     
    Getting ready for the big game
     
    All over town, members of
the Green Team, sometimes called the Cauliflower Ears, were getting
ready to play their final game of the season.
    At Number 13 Lucky Street, I was eating
breakfast, wondering if Mum was going to make it back in time for
the kick-off.
    At Number 54 Hoani Street, Sprigs was
inspecting his boots, holding them up by their lucky laces.
    At Number 217 Templeton Drive, Grubber was
wondering if he could get his dad to wake up in time to take him to
the big game. He was also wondering if he could manage, for once,
to get his dad to stay and watch.
    My name, by the way, is Wings. You’ll have
guessed that Wings, Sprigs and Grubber are our rugby nicknames, not
our real names.
    It was Saturday. The Saturday, the day of
the big game, the Grand Final of the Junior Home World
Cup.
    The game in which we, the
Green Team, were playing our arch rival, the Reds, sometimes known
as . . .the Devils.
    ‘ It’s just a game,’ my dad
said as I wolfed down a great big plate of porridge.
    ‘ You
don’t understand,’ I said. ‘It’s not just any game, it’s the game. It’s the Grand
Final. In more ways than one,’ I reminded him.
    You see, Mum had got an important new job in
the capital, in fact she was already working there a few days each
week, and we would soon be moving cities. This was going to be my
last game with the Greens, ever.
    ‘ I know it’s important . .
.’ began Dad, but I didn’t give him a chance to finish.
    ‘ This is
the one game we have to win,’ I said.
    ‘ Well, just remember
this,’ said Dad as he tidied away the breakfast things. ‘You’ve
always given it your best shot, one hundred percent plus. No one
can do more than that.’ He looked at me. ‘And don’t they say that
the most important thing isn’t winning or losing, it’s how you play
the game?’
    ‘ Huh,’ I said. ‘Not when
it comes to the Grand Final of the Junior Home World Cup. No
way.’
     
     
     
     

Chapter 2
     
    Lucky laces
     
    ‘ Mum!’ yelled Sprigs. ‘One
of my lucky boot laces has just snapped.’
    ‘ Snap back at it,’ said
his mother.
    ‘ That’s not funny!’ said
Sprigs.
    ‘ I thought it was,’ his
mother said. ‘Go and find another lace then,’ she
suggested.
    ‘ I’ve looked,’ said Sprigs
frantically. ‘There aren’t any spares.’
    ‘ Take one of the laces out
of your school shoes,’ his mum said.
    ‘ They’re not the right
sort. They’re much too short!’
    Sprigs’ mum sighed and glanced at her watch.
‘I’ll get the car. If we leave straight away we should have time to
stop off at the mall to buy a new pair.’
    Sprigs looked unsure. ‘What if new ones
bring me bad luck?’ he said.
    ‘ Don’t be so
superstitious,’ said his mother.
    ‘ I can't help it,’ said
Sprigs. ‘These laces have taken
    us right to the Grand Final of the Junior
Home World Cup. It could be disastrous for us if they miss the
game.’
    Sprigs’ mum raised her eyebrows. ‘Get real,’
she said.
    Sprigs took no notice. Instead, he poked the
broken lace into the turned-over top of one of his rugby socks.
‘There,’ he told it. ‘Now you’ll still be able to help us win the
game.’
    ‘ My son who talks to
bootlaces,’ sighed Sprigs’ mum.
     
     
     
     

Chapter 3
     
    Butterflies
     
    Grubber felt sickish. He always did before a
game. His stomach had gone swimmy, his head felt light and floaty
like a helium-filled balloon.
    ‘ Maybe you’d better stay
home,’ said his mother.
    ‘ No chance,’ said
Grubber.
    ‘ But if you’re feeling
crook wouldn’t it be more sensible?’
    ‘ It’s not that sort of
crookedness,’ Grubber explained.
    ‘ Crookness,’ his mum
corrected.
    ‘ Whatever. It’s
butterflies I’ve got. I can feel them dancing around.’
    ‘ Are you sure that’s all
it is? If you’re not fit to go, then sit the game out. It’ll keep
your dad happy. ’
    ‘ Course I’m fit!’ said Grubber.