Mr Gum and the Power Crystals

EGMONT

We bring stories to life

First published 2008 by Egmont UK Limited, 239 Kensington High Street London W8 6SA

Text copyright © 2008 Andy Stanton
Illustration copyright © 2008 David Tazzyman

The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted

First e-book edition 2011
ISBN 978 14052 2817 6

www.egmont.co.uk/mrgum

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

For
Toby, all the way in New Zealand

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Introduction

1
   The Strange Stones

2
   Polly's Bad Dream

3
   Polly Goes to See Old Granny

4
   Polly Goes to See Old Granny

5
   Polly Goes to See Old Granny

6
   Polly Goes to See Old Granny

7
   Polly Goes to See Old Granny

8
   Polly Goes to See Old Granny

9
   Polly Goes to See Old Granny

10
 Polly Goes to See Old Granny

11
 Polly Goes to See Old Granny

12
 What Happened at the Windmill

13
 Chasing Time!

14
 Inside the Tree

15
 Old Granny Tells Her Tale

16
 Attack of the Roo-de-lallies

17
 Meanwhile, Over in Spain

18
 Polly Goes Back to the Windmill

19
 Inside the Windmill

20
 Midsummer's Eve

21
 Captain Excellent

About the Author

Also by

Praise

‘W
hy do things happen?' That's the question on everyone's lips these days.

‘Why do things happen, Science?' everyone's lips ask Science. And luckily, Science usually has the answer. For example, if you ask Science why your little sister is crying,
the answer is plain – because you called her ‘Stinky' and broke all her dolls with a hammer. Or if you ask Science why rain falls from the sky, the answer is simple – because it just does and stuff.

But every so often something happens which is so extraordinary that even Science does not hold the answers. For instance, take the horrifying events of last summer in the little town of Lamonic Bibber. ‘Why did they happen, Science?' you may ask. But you will get no answer.

For some things are so strange that they cannot be explained away with Science. Or Maths. Or even P.E. But like Old Granny said as she rocked back and forth in her chair by the fireside:

‘The past has a way of repeating itself. The past has a way of repeating itself. The past has a way of repeating itself.'

And perhaps that is all that anyone can say of such things.

I
t all started one hot afternoon, down by the Lamonic River where the water rushes grow. A nine-year-old girl called Polly was skipping along by the water's edge and oh, what a happy little nibblehead she was! It was the height of summer and the world was her playground, sparkling with colour and excitement at every twist and turn.

A trout leapt from the clear water in a flash of silver scales.

A bumblebee did that thing where it goes really near your ear and makes you jump in astonishment.

A kingfisher soared gracefully into the side of a sycamore tree, plummeted to the ground and was stepped on by an otter.