Authors: Kate McMullan

Little Giant--Big Trouble (3 page)

BOOK: Little Giant--Big Trouble

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What he saw was...

“Dudwin?” he cried. “What are you doing here?” He stepped out of the cave. “And why were you screaming?”

“I screamed because you were.” Then Wiglaf’s little brother shrugged. “I’m coming on this quest with you, Wiggie.” He folded his arms and stuck out his chin. “And there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

Wiglaf knew that stubborn look. He’d seen it on all twelve of his brothers when their mother, Molwena, tried to stop their head-banging contests.

“I want to be the first Class I lad to slay a dragon,” Dudwin added. “Like you were, Wiggie.”

“Aw, let him come, Wiglaf,” Angus said. “We need all the help we can get.”

“Sure!” Janice said. “Dud’s cool.”

Erica stepped up to Wiglaf. “This way we can keep an eye on him,” she said quietly. “Otherwise he might run ahead and get into trouble.”

“All right, Dud,” Wiglaf said. “You can come with us. But no picking up every rock you see.”

“I won’t,” said Dudwin. “And we are not going to slay this dragon,” Wiglaf added.

“Sure we are!” Dudwin said. “We’re dragon slayers!”

Wiglaf shook his head. “We think this dragon is our very own Worm, and we are going to rescue him from the KNC dragon slayers.”

“Oh,” said Dudwin. “That’s not so exciting.”

“You can go back to DSA,” Wiglaf said eagerly.

“Nope,” said Dudwin. “I’m coming. I want to see the dragon. And scare away KNC!”

Wiglaf sighed. “Fine.”

But Dudwin didn’t hear his brother. He was too busy climbing up the nearest tree.

Chapter 5

W
ORM set off again, but now they moved more slowly. Dudwin kept climbing up trees to “scout ahead.” He shouted down all that he saw from his perch and took his own sweet time climbing down.

“You never said no tree climbing,” Dudwin said when Wiglaf complained.

“Keep up with us, Dud,” said Wiglaf. “A young dragon’s life may be at stake.”

“All right, all right.” Dudwin stomped ahead. “You sure know how to take all the fun out of a quest.”

WORM sallied forth until the sun was high in the sky.

Angus stopped. “I can’t go on without lunch,” he declared. He sat down on a big rock and opened his stash bag.

“We must eat quickly,” warned Wiglaf, “or we may be too late to save Worm!”

The others watched longingly as Angus gobbled up chocolate-covered boar jerky and taffy-apples while they nibbled on eel sandwiches that Erica had packed.

“Ah, that’s better,” said Angus, licking taffy from his fingers.

“Not for us,” murmured Wiglaf.

Angus ignored him.

WORM took off again. They followed a trail that led farther into the forest.

They had not gone far when Angus said, “Are we almost there?”

Erica looked at her map. “Almost,” she said.

But on and on they walked.

At last Wiglaf cried, “Look, a sign!”

It read:

HERMIT’S HOVEL THAT WAY
→

An arrow pointed into the bushes.

Wiglaf scratched his head. “But there isn’t a path that way.”

“It’s a trick,” Erica said. “Hermits don’t like to be bothered. So they put up signs telling people their hovels are in the opposite direction. My map of the Dark Forest says the hovel is this way.”

On they went. Soon they came to another sign. It read:

IF YOU ARE TRYING TO REACH HERMIT’S HOVEL, YOU’RE ON THE WRONG PATH.

“That means we’re on the right path,” explained Erica.

A third sign was pinned to a tree. It read:

GOOD THING YOU’RE NOT LOOKING FOR A HERMIT.

BECAUSE YOU WON’T FIND ONE GOING THIS WAY.

“We must be close,” said Janice.

The Worm Official Rescue Mission crept up the path until they came to a clearing. The trees had been cut down, letting in light. A small, broken-down hut sat in the middle of the clearing. Boards were nailed across its windows. The roof was full of holes.

There was a sign on the door: LOOEY DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE.

“Worm?” Wiglaf called. “Are you in there?”

But before he got an answer, lads in red-and-white KNC tunics ran toward the hovel from the opposite direction. They wore bright red feathers in their helmets and carried long, shiny swords. They surrounded the hovel.

Wiglaf counted them—ten, twelve, fourteen! His heart beat like a drum. How could the five of them take on fourteen well-armed KNC lads to save Worm?

“We know you’re in there, dragon!” Launcy shouted in the direction of the hovel.

“Ah-choo!”
came the reply.

Is Worm sick? Wiglaf wondered.

“We know you are small and weak!” shouted Chauncy.

“And easy to slay!” shouted Delauncy.

“Come out!” shouted Flauncy. “Or we’re coming in!”

“Dnoooo!” came a voice from inside the hovel.
“Ggggggoooo wwayyyy! Ah-ah-ah-CHOOO!”

Worm was in there! And he was definitely sick.

“Hold on, Worm!” yelled Wiglaf, darting out from behind the trees. “I’m coming!”

“Wiglaf, wait!” said Erica.

But it was too late. Wiglaf was speeding toward the hovel. His friends ran after him.

The KNC lads watched in surprise.

“Don’t worry, Worm!” Wiglaf called. “We shall save you!”

“Back off, scruffy ruffians,” shouted Chauncy. “Leave us to slay this beast.”

From inside the hovel came a faint
“Bmommmmmmmy?”

“Yes, Worm!” shouted Wiglaf. “It’s me!”

Wiglaf heard sniffling and coughing and hacking inside the hovel. The dragon’s nose was really stuffed up. He sounded awful!

“Begone, DSA!” said Flauncy, tossing his plume out of his eyes.

“But this is our dragon!” Angus said.

“We raised him from an egg,” said Wiglaf. “We named him Worm.”

“Oh, right!” Launcy said.

“You’re trying to trick us to get the gold,” said Chauncy.

“Worm has no gold,” said Wiglaf.

“Back off, DSA,” Chauncy snarled. “We’re the best dragon slayers around, and we are going to prove it!”

Wiglaf heard a creaking noise. The door to the hovel was inching open. Worm’s snout poked out. The dragon blinked his watery yellow-and-red eyes. His pink ears drooped. He coughed, and little puffs of smoke rose from his mouth.

“Bmooommy?”
he bleated.
“Bmmoommmy! Wrrrrm hab cold.”

“Did you hear the foul beast, lads?” Delauncy cried. “He has gold!”

“No!” Wiglaf shouted. “He doesn’t have
gold
. He has a
cold
!”

Chauncy ignored him. “Prepare to slay!” he cried.

The KNC lads raised their swords and stepped forward.

Worm sniffled.
“Wrrrrrm sssick.”

“He says he’s sick,” said Delauncy, sounding worried.

“Aw, that’s just some DSA trick,” said Chauncy. “We charge on the count of three. One!”

Wiglaf had to do something-and fast.

“Stop!” Wiglaf cried. “Worm is sick. He has dragon pox!”

The KNC lads stopped. They lowered their swords.

Chauncy glared at Worm.

“Is it catching?” Angus said. “‘Cause if it is, I’m-oof!”

Wiglaf elbowed his friend.

“That’s right!” Erica said, getting what Wiglaf was doing. “Dragon pox is horrible. And very contagious to people!”

The KNC lads looked nervous.

“He has all the symptoms,” Wiglaf said, looking at poor, droopy Worm. “Watery eyes, runny nose, flopping ears.”

Worm closed his eyes and gave a giant “
AH-CHOOOO
!”

“Sneezing,” said Wiglaf. “The pox come at the end.”

Launcy, Flauncy, and several other KNC lads stepped back.

“Doooon lettttt themmmm hrtttt bmmmeee!”
cried poor, stuffed-up Worm. He buried his face in Wiglaf’s tunic.

Wiglaf waved Surekill at the KNC lads. He tried to look threatening.

“Begone!” he shouted. “Begone before you fall sick with the dread dragon pox!” Wiglaf tried to sound commanding, and maybe he was, because suddenly all the KNC lads froze. Their eyes opened wide.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAH!” screamed Chauncy.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” screamed Launcy.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” screamed Flauncy and Delauncy and all the rest of the KNC lads.

The whole pack turned and ran helter-skelter into the forest. They ran as if there were a herd of fire-breathing dragons after them.

Wiglaf smiled. He had no idea he could scare anyone so much.

Then suddenly Angus was screaming, too: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” screamed Dudwin.

Even Erica let out a yelp.

Janice stopped chewing gum and stared. Then they all turned and ran away from the hovel.

What is going on?
Wiglaf wondered.
How can they be scared of me?

All at once Wiglaf felt the ground shake. A large shadow appeared in front of him. Slowly he turned to see what was making the shadow. He looked up.

And up.

Looming over the hovel was a little lass of four or five years old.

Only she wasn’t little.

She was a giant!

Chapter 6

“O
H, WOOK!” boomed the giant lass as she thundered a few steps to the hovel door. “A WIDDLE DWAGON!”

Her hand came down, down, down from the sky. A grubby finger flicked Wiglaf out of the way.

“Yaaaaah!” he cried as he flew, landing on a nearby bush.

The giant lass plucked Worm up and lifted him into the sky.

“A PWETTY DWAGON!” she cried.

“I AWWAYS WANTED A WEAL WIVE DWAGON!”

“Bmmmmmmmmmooooommmmmmmy!”
Worm squealed.

“Stop, giant!” Wiglaf yelled, scrambling to his feet. “Put that dragon down!”

The giant lass looked all around. “WHO’S SQUEAKING?” she boomed.

“ME!” Wiglaf yelled at her. “Don’t take that dragon!”

Now the giant lass bent down and peered at Wiglaf. Her giant face came closer and closer. His heart beat fast with fear. She could squash him with her giant thumb if she wanted to.

The giant lass wrinkled her nose. “AWE YOU A BUG?” she asked.

“No,” Wiglaf said. “That dragon is my friend. Please don’t take him.”

“BUT I
WANTS
IT,” the giant lass explained. “AND GIANTS AWWAYS TAKES EVEWYTHING THEY WANTS.”

“But that’s stealing!” Wiglaf cried.

“GIANTS WOVE TO STEAW!” said the giant lass.

“It’s not right,” said Wiglaf. “The dragon doesn’t belong to you.”

“DOES NOW!” the giant lass hollered back. “IT’S
MY
DWAGON! HOOWAY!”

“No!” shouted Wiglaf. “Put him down!”

“MINE, MINE, MIIIIIIIIINE!” she shouted, stamping her feet. The ground shook, knocking Wiglaf over.

“WET’S GO TO MY CASTLE, DWAGON,” bellowed the giant lass. “YOU CAN BE BESTEST FWIENDS WITH MY STUFFED PINKY DWAGON. I GONNA DWESS YOU UP WIKE A PWINCESS AND MAKE YOU SOOO PWETTY!”

“Oh, woe is Worm!” murmured Wiglaf.

“I GONNA KEEP YOU IN A CAGE, DWAGON,” the giant lass went on. “I GONNA GIVE YOU A BATH AND FEED YOU WOWWIPOPS.”

The giant lass dropped Worm into her sparkly pink purse and snapped it shut. Then she stomped off into the Dark Forest.

“Wait!” Wiglaf cried. He ran after her as fast as he could. But soon she was so far ahead that he could not see her anymore.

Wiglaf stopped. He looked around. He had lost Worm. He had lost his friends. And now he was lost and alone in the Dark Forest. So much for the Worm Official Rescue Mission.

Wiglaf needed help. There was only one thing to do.

“Conlez, Conlez, Conlez!” he chanted, summoning the wizard Zelnoc by saying his name backward three times.

POOF!

A white flash lit up the forest. When it vanished, there stood Zelnoc. The wizard was holding a knife and fork. His long white beard was hooked over one ear. A bib was tucked into the neck of his robe.

“Bats and blisters!” the wizard cried. “I was just sitting down to a plate of roasted newts. Powerful food, newts. All sorts of spell-enhancing vitamins and minerals. Who blew out all the torches?”

“You’re in the Dark Forest, Zelnoc,” Wiglaf said.

“Woglott?” Zelnoc said, squinting. “You again?”

“I need your help,” Wiglaf said.

“What else is new?” Zelnoc grumbled. He slipped his knife and fork into his robe pocket. “Tell me what you want, and make it snappy. Newts lose their zing if they sit around.”

“A giant stole Worm,” Wiglaf said.

Zelnoc frowned. “What does a giant want with a worm?”

“Worm is the name of the baby dragon Angus and I raised,” Wiglaf said. “Remember?”

BOOK: Little Giant--Big Trouble

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