The Ghastly Gerty Swindle With the Ghosts of Hungryhouse Lane by Sam McBratney Read Free Book Online Page A

control. Without thinking, Zoe reached out and took her hand.
    â€œWe’re your friends, Miss Amy,” she said.
    â€œI am your friend,” Bonnie piped up. “I will always be your friend.”
    â€œI’ll get out the sandwiches,” Charlie mumbled.
    But Amy dried her eyes on a hanky that looked very like the one on the wrist of that snooty ghost with the sword. “I’m just being so silly,” she said. “And thank you very much, Charlie, but no—
I
shall prepare the picnic. You three are on your holiday, so off you go and enjoy nature while I set out all this. Don’t be too long.”
    The Sweet kids were used to being told “Do this” and “Do that,” and so were experts at thinking up reasons why they should never be asked to do anything. They seemed rather surprised that all of a sudden these skills weren’t necessary. They followed Muldoon through a gap in the hedge.
    It cannot honestly be said that the Sweet kids admired the shimmer of cloudy light on the running brook, or that they looked for the colorful flash of a kingfisher blue among the trees. Instead, they dive-bombed the sleeping trout with stone hand grenades and talked to the local sheep.
    â€œHey, Lamb Chops.”
    â€œYo-ho, Woolly Bum!”
    â€œWho knit your sweater, Baa-baaa!”
    Charlie tried to interview a cow on his tape recorder, but the beast stared at him blankly and refused to say moo. Bonnie wondered if its tongue had been made into sandwiches. As for Muldoon, an alien creature with sticking-up ears popped out of the ground and made him run for his life. Being a town dog, he’d never seen a rabbit before.
    â€œYaaaa, you chicken, Muldoon,” jeered the Sweet kids.
    When they got back, everything had been laid out for eating and Miss Amy had made a daisy chain for Bonnie.
    â€œI thought Lulubelle would like it,” she said. “Where is she, anyway? I thought she would enjoy a picnic.”
    â€œHiding,” said Bonnie. “Where nobody will never, ever find her even if they look until she’s very old.”
    â€œShe’s old already,” said Charlie.
    â€œShe’s not old.”
    â€œWe’ll find her when she falls asleep,” said Charlie, “because she snores.”
    â€œShe doesn’t
snore.
”
    â€œSwimming pool!” screeched Zoe.
    â€œAnd anyway,” Bonnie added in a grown-up way, “she can’t snore, because she’s only a doll, and she can’t pick her nose either, so there.”
    Charlie decided to say no more. Whether Lulubelle snored or not, he knew where she was right now and Bonnie didn’t. She was in that clock on the landing. He got out his tape recorder and taped a wasp that suddenly came to the picnic.
    When they had finished eating, Zoe supervised the clearing-up operation because she believed in a clean environment. Then they went back to the house, bringing most of the square tongue sandwiches with them.
    â€œPerhaps Gertrude will eat them,” said Amy. “I do hate waste.”
    The Sweet kids were helping Amy to dunk her hanging baskets in the kitchen sink when Gerty appeared with a terribly pained expression on her face. (Muldoon slipped quietly out of the kitchen as soon as he set eyes on her.)
    â€œOoh, do I wish I had wings! My poor feet are killing me!”
    â€œYou should have taken a taxi from the village, Gertrude.”
    â€œNot me, dear. I’m not one to waste other people’s money when I have the two legs the good Lord gave me. Did you have a nice picnic?”
    â€œOh yes, it was lovely. There are some tongue sandwiches left over if you’re hungry.”
    â€œSquare ones,” added Zoe.
    â€œNot me, dear. Them and corned beef don’t agree with me. By the way, have you been moving the furniture?”
    â€œNo,” said Amy. “Why do you ask?”
    â€œWell, I’ve just walked past the parlor, and the