Sleepover Girls on Safari by Angie Bates Read Free Book Online Page A

amazed.
    The ranger pointed out some deer grazing down by the river. “And you might just be able to make out a herd of elephants among those trees,” he grinned.
    “Why aren’t those other elephants with them?” Lyndz asked him.
    “The mum and baby? The littl’un got an infection and the vet wants to keep an eye on her.”
    “Poor thing!” gasped Lyndz. “I hope she’ll be all right.”
    “I’m sure she’ll be fine,” said Mrs Weaver briskly. “So, Kirstin, is this anything like being on a real safari?”
    We rolled our eyes at each other. Why are grown-ups so embarrassing? And how come they never know when they’re in the way?”
    Going downhill in a Landrover is even more uncomfortable than going up. Every time we went over a bump, our heads literally whacked the roof!
    “Yikes!” Rosie squeaked suddenly.
    “Did you hurt your head?” I said sympathetically.
    She was pink with excitement. “No, I just saw a lion!”
    The Landrover braked just in time for us to see the huge lion stroll past, barely a few metres from our window. Its shaggy gold mane was so long, it trailed in the dirt, like a rather bedraggled royal train. The lion seemed used to tourists. It just gave a bored yawn in our direction, exposing a mouth full of white, needle-sharp teeth.
    Frankie gulped. “That’s one kittykat I wouldn’t want to play with.”
    “What a magnificent beast!” Emma said in her prissy voice.
    Kenny nudged Frankie. “I thought you were going to fall off your bones if you saw a lion?”
    “I’ll make you fall off yours in a minute,” Frankie told her.
    Eventually the lion loped away and the Landrover continued chugging down the track. Five minutes later, the ranger stopped again, this time to let us watch some monkeys playing chase in the trees.
    Monkeys are SO nosy. The instant they saw us they came swinging down from the branches, chattering to each other in shrill, annoyed-sounding voices. They landed on the top of the Landrover and peered in at the windows. One immediately started trying to remove the windscreen wipers. Another one chittered angrily at itself in one of the wing mirrors.
    “Ugh, do they have to show us their rude red bottoms,” complained Frankie.
    Actually the baby monkeys really reminded me of my little brother. Not the rude bottoms, I don’t mean, but their expressions. They gazed in at us, looking so round-eyed and innocent, they almost made me want to cry. “I think they’re super sweet,” I said.
    “Me too,” Kirstin smiled. “Actually my aunt keeps spider monkeys.”
    “What monkeys?” Lyndz asked, instantly intrigued.
    “Spider monkeys are very tiny, the size of a small doll.”
    “I wonder if Dad would let me have a monkey,” mused Lyndz.
    “Don’t take your eyes off her,” I told Kirstin, “or that girl will have a baby monkey zipped inside her hoodie before you know it.”
    “Is that what happened with the pig?” giggled Kirstin.
    “Don’t ask,” I joked. “I’ve only just stopped having nightmares.”
    The monkeys had got bored with trying to steal the windscreen wipers. They crouched on the bonnet of the Landrover and started to style each other’s hair. Well, that’s what I thought they were doing until our ranger explained they were picking lice out of each other’s coats.
    “But they’re eating them,” I protested.
    “Lice are very nutritious!” he grinned.
    “Too much information,” Lyndz said faintly.
    Emma gave a prissy giggle. “I must say, I’d really hate to have to eat my own head lice!”
    Kenny’s eyes gleamed. “Whose would you prefer? Emily’s?”
    Emma went red. “I’m not going to answer that remark, Laura,” she said snootily.
    “Ooh, look! That monkey with the big bottom looks exactly like Emily!” Frankie taunted.
    “Not that we’ve ever seen Emily’s bottom,” Kenz sniggered.
    I felt a sudden longing to be under the shower, soaping my hair with bubble-gum scented shampoo. Just the thought of lice made my