Read Little Giant--Big Trouble Online
Authors: Kate McMullan
Little Giant--Big Trouble (7 page)
Wiglaf dove under a troll doll’s skirt.
“GRUBELLA, DARLING?” said Lady Whopping-Large. “WHAT’S GOING ON? WHAT’S WRONG?”
Worm and his passengers were circling near the ceiling.
“UP THEWE, MOMMY!” Grubella pointed. “HUMANS AWE STEAWING MY DWAGON!”
“DON’T WORRY, DARLING!” Lady Whopping-Large cried. “I’LL GET YOU YOUR DRAGON. AND I’LL GET ME A TASTY SNACK!” She waved her torch at Worm and his passengers. Worm flew higher. Janice had to duck to keep from hitting her head on the ceiling.
Grubella kept screaming. Lady Whopping-Large climbed on a footstool to better reach the humans.
With both giants busy with Worm, Wiglaf dashed out of his hiding spot. He had an idea—and maybe it would work. He pulled the Quickening Quill from his belt and ran over to Pinky Dragon. He began tickling the toy and chanting:
“Tickle, tickle, how time flies,
I’m waking you up, so now ARISE!”
Pinky Dragon blinked its button eyes. It spread its plush pink wings and flew straight to the giant lass.
Grubella stared at her airborne toy. “PINKY DWAGON?” she said.
“It’s me!” cried Pinky Dragon. “Let’s play tea party with all your dollies!”
“OH,YES, PINKY DWAGON!” cried Grubella, forgetting all about Worm and his rescuers. “TEA PAWTY!”
But Lady Whopping-Large did not forget. She poked her fiery torch at the dragon and the humans. “I’LL TOAST YOU!” she boomed. “I’LL ROAST YOU!”
“Yikes!” cried Angus. “My toes are getting scorched!”
Grubella’s mother drew back her arm.
“Look out, Worm!” Janice yelled from the back of the dragon.
The giant heaved the torch into the air. The flames flew straight at Worm!
Worm went into overdrive. He pumped his wings and did a double flip, dodging the flames. The torch arched through the spot where Worm and WORM had been seconds before.
“MOMMY!” Grubella called. “WOOK! PINKY DWAGON HAS COME AWIVE!”
Lady Whopping-Large glanced at her daughter and her live plush toy. “THAT’S NICE, PRECIOUS,” she called. “HAVE I EVER FIXED YOU TORCH-FRIED HUMANS?” She picked up the flaming torch and heaved it again.
But by now Worm had found his power. He dodged the torch easily with a triple loop-the-loop, and then did a nosedive straight down to his mommy.
Wiglaf grabbed onto Worm’s tail. Worm flapped up again. Janice held Wiglaf by the belt while he scooted up Worm’s tail and held on tight.
Lady Whopping-Large picked up her torch and took a swing at the flying dragon, but she missed by a mile.
Worm flapped toward a slit in the castle wall. Wiglaf and his friends ducked down and-
WHOOSH
! They were outside! Flying through the night sky!
WHOOSH
! They were outside! Flying through the night sky!
Below, they heard Lady Whopping-Large roaring:
“FIE FO FEE FOAM!
WAIT’LL LORD WHOPPING-LARGE GETS HOME!
FI FO FUM FEE!
HE WILL CATCH YOU, YES, SIRREE!”
“Oh, go blow your nose, Whopping-Large!” Erica yelled.
“Go eat leech pond scum!” Wiglaf called from his seat on the tail section. He grinned. They had escaped. And Worm was safe!
“Woo-hoo!” shouted Janice. “That was the coolest battle ever!”
“Wheeeeeee!”
burbled Worm.
“Taaaanks, Mommmy! Nottt likkke livve in cagge. Wannnnn ttto ssssee Brrrr Dave!”
He sneezed once more-
AH-CHOOOOOO!
—nearly throwing off his passengers.
burbled Worm.
“Taaaanks, Mommmy! Nottt likkke livve in cagge. Wannnnn ttto ssssee Brrrr Dave!”
He sneezed once more-
AH-CHOOOOOO!
—nearly throwing off his passengers.
Worm flew WORM out of the Kingdom of Gigantia.
As he flapped over the Dark Forest, Wiglaf saw something fluffy and yellow floating toward the ground. He put a hand to his belt. Surekill was there. But the Quickening Quill was gone.
For once, Zelnoc had been right. The quill was just the thing for saving Worm. He hoped Zelnoc wouldn’t be mad that he had lost it. And that Zizmor wouldn’t be too upset that somewhere a carpet was flapping away on holiday. A giant brass key was clicking away in its lock. And a plush pink dragon was making one giant lass very happy.
Worm flew until the sun came up.
“There’s DSA!” cried Janice.
Worm landed in a field.
“AHHH-CHOOO!”
he sneezed.
“AHHH-CHOOO!”
he sneezed.
“Fly to Brother Dave, Worm,” Wiglaf said, patting his dragon. “He will take care of you. We’ll meet you back at DSA.”
“Brrrrr,”
purred Worm. He waited while the DSA friends hopped off his back. Then he spread his wings and flew straight for the DSA library.
purred Worm. He waited while the DSA friends hopped off his back. Then he spread his wings and flew straight for the DSA library.
“What’ll we tell Uncle Mordred when we come back with no gold?” Angus asked Wiglaf as WORM started walking toward DSA.
“The truth,” said Wiglaf. “The dragon in Hermit’s Hovel didn’t have any gold.”
“Uncle Mordred will be mad,” said Angus. “But then, he’s always mad.”
“Who says we don’t have any gold?” said Dudwin.
“What do you mean, Dud?” asked Wiglaf.
“Spill,” Erica commanded.
Dudwin grinned. He reached under his tunic and pulled out a gold chain. Dangling from it was a tiny gold crown charm.
“That’s the giant doll’s bracelet!” said Wiglaf.
“Yep.” Dudwin nodded.
“Dud, you
stole
it!” Wiglaf said. “That makes you no better than the giants!”
stole
it!” Wiglaf said. “That makes you no better than the giants!”
“Wait, that necklace looks familiar,” Erica said. “Does the charm have any writing on it?”
Dudwin turned the crown over and read:
“To Queen Barb. Love, Kenny Boy.”
“To Queen Barb. Love, Kenny Boy.”
“I thought so,” Erica said. “That necklace belongs to my mother!”
Dudwin grinned. “It’s not really stealing if they stole it from somebody else in the first place.”
“You must give it back to the queen, Dud,” Wiglaf said.
“Oh, Mumsy has a million gold necklaces,” said Erica. “She won’t care if Dudwin keeps this one.”
“See, Wiggie?” Dudwin said. “I can keep it!”
“Or you
could
give it to Uncle Mordred,” Angus said.
could
give it to Uncle Mordred,” Angus said.
“It
would
make Mordred happy,” Janice said.
would
make Mordred happy,” Janice said.
“All right,” said Dudwin with a sly grin. “If you promise I can come on your next adventure with you”.
“Works for me,” said Erica. “Your climbing helped us.”
“You’re a cool dude, Dud!” said Janice. “Here, have a stick of gum.”
“Thanks!” said Dudwin eagerly.
Wiglaf smiled. Maybe his not-so-little brother wasn’t so bad. After all, he was a good climber. And he’d found a treasure for Mordred.
“We did what we set out to do,” said Erica. “We saved Worm from the KNC dragon slayers.”
“And from being Grubella’s pet,” said Angus.
“Mission accomplished!” cried Wiglaf as they ran across the DSA drawbridge and back to their school.
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