Trolls on Hols by Alan MacDonald Read Free Book Online

turning round. ‘Everything’s all right then?’
    It was the wrong thing to say. Even Mr Troll saw that when Mrs Priddle’s eyes bulged like a toad.

    â€˜All right?’ she burst out. ‘All right? You turn up here and ruin our holiday! You sleep in our beds and eat all our food! And, as if that’s not enough, last night you tried to drown us!’
    â€˜You’re having a temper,’ observed Mr Troll.
    â€˜I know I’m having a temper!’ shouted Mrs Priddle.
    â€˜That’s OK, trolls have tempers. I roar when I’m having a temper. It makes you feel better.’
    â€˜I don’t want to roar,’ glared Mrs Priddle. ‘I just want you to take your things and go!’
    Mr and Mrs Troll looked at each other and back at the Priddles. ‘Go?’
    â€˜Yes – go!’
    Mrs Troll blinked. ‘But we were just starting to enjoy ourselves.’
    â€˜In case you hadn’t noticed,
I
am not enjoying myself,’ said Mrs Priddle. ‘I am cold, wet and miserable.’
    â€˜And having a temper,’ added Mr Troll helpfully.
    â€˜But where can we go?’ asked Mrs Troll.
    â€˜I don’t care! Anywhere! Find a hotel, a bus shelter – anything you like as long as it’s not near us.’
    Mr Troll rubbed his snout. ‘So we’re not on holidays any more?’
    â€˜Not with us you’re not!’ thundered Mrs Priddle, and stalked off up the hill with her husband following meekly behind. The Trolls stared after them, at a loss.
    â€˜Well! For uggness’ sake!’ sighed Mrs Troll.
    â€˜Yes,’ agreed Mr Troll. ‘Fancy getting all hot and blethered over a tiddly bit of water.’
    â€˜It was quite a lot of water,’ admitted Mrs Troll. ‘But you know what peeples are like.’ Her husband nodded. ‘Mad as a sack of goblins.’
    â€˜And just when I thought we were all getting on so well,’ said Mrs Troll. ‘What are we going to do now, Eggy? Where are we going to sleep tonight?’
    Mr Troll frowned. ‘I don’t know. Where’s Ulrik?’
    They looked around. There was no sign of him. Warren stood with his back to the barn and his hands covering his eyes. He seemed to be counting to himself.
    â€˜Ahh! They’re playing a game!’ said Mrs Troll. ‘Why don’t we leave them, Eggy? There’s no sense in upsetting Ulrik now. We can come back for him once we’ve found somewheres to sleep.’
    â€˜All right,’ agreed Mr Troll. ‘You think there might be caves?’
    â€˜You never know.’
    â€˜Come on, my lugly.’
    Mr Troll took his wife’s hand and together they set off towards the village.

Hide and Sneak
    â€˜â€¦ Forty-nine, fifty!’ Warren opened his eyes. Actually, he hadn’t kept them fully closed. He’d been peeking through his fingers the whole time in order to see where Ulrik went. Just as he suspected, Ulrik had made a beeline for the woods, since there wasn’t really anywhere else on the farm to hide. It wouldn’t take long to find him, though Warren wasn’t in a tearing hurry. The woods were dark and they backed on to Boggy Moor. Warren wasn’t scared himself, of course. All thesame, as he entered the woods, he stopped to arm himself with a big stick.
    He followed a rough, muddy path and eventually came to a wide clearing overgrown with ferns. Looking around, he half expected to see Ulrik’s large hairy head or his bottom poking out from behind one of the trees. There was no sign of him. Warren went on, swishing at the tops of the ferns with his stick.
Swish!
Ogwen had warned them to stay out of the woods, he recalled. There wasn’t anything to worry about, of course – the beast only came out after dark.
Swish, swish!
Though you could never be certain. It might be here watching him right now.
    He halted and glanced around nervously. Maybe if he hadn’t stopped he