Bernard the Backward-flying Pig in 'Chicken Jail' E-Book

Jamal Ullah

• Herausgeber: Grosvenor House Publishing
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 25

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

Bernard is a clever, funny, friendly, backward-flying pig … but, even with rear-view mirrors, flying backwards is tricky! Bernard always has bumps on his rump! At Friendship Farm, Mabel is Bernard's best friend, number one chicken and co-pilot. Bernard is great at working out plans to get himself out of trouble. Bernard makes up songs to help him think, plan and to keep him going when things get tough. … and things get tough when Mabel lands herself in Chicken Jail. How did that happen? And what can Bernard do to get her out?

Leseprobe

Acknowledgements

My thanks to:

Kathleen Compton-Bishop, ‘Sister Kay,’ who taught me about poems, books, performance and paying attention; Jules, for needing stories rather than sleep when a child; Pippa, for continually harassing me to write those stories; artist Chloe and musician Chris for excellence, imagination, and humour, despite yet another of my ideas, amendments or changes; Marion and Clare; and also the pupils attending the schools in the Chittlehampton and Filleigh Federation for their comments; Julie who enabled me to write and tolerated my enthusiasm; Jules and Grosvenor House Publishing for their help with the book.

Chicken Jail

Mabel, Mr and Mrs Gee’s number one chicken, loved flying but was terribly disappointed that, like most chickens, she could not fly very far. Bernard, the backward-flying pig, had the job of looking after the chickens at Friendship Farm where Mabel was his best friend and co-pilot.

One day, when he was walking round the farm, Bernard heard music and a familiar voice from the other side of the hedge.

“Stretch two three four – grab the weights two three four - lift two three four”

“That’s Mabel,” Bernard said to himself and trotted round the hedge to see what his friend was up to.

Mabel was working so hard on her exercises and work-out that she did not notice her friend watching her.

“Take the strain!” gasped Mabel.

“Up! Up!” groaned Mabel.

“Yes … made it!” grunted Mabel.

After much gaspy clucking Mabel stopped and put her weights down.

“OK – exercises over. Deep breath! Breathe out twice. Take your marks! Get set! Go!” Mabel said loudly to herself.

Then, flapping her wings, she ran as fast as her chicken legs could carry her. A line of corn was spread across the path in front of her and, when Mabel reached this line, she took off, flapped her wings like crazy and flew.

“Good flying Mabel!” Bernard said to himself.

But after she had gone 10 metres up in the air, the chicken couldn’t flap any more

… and Mabel threw up a cloud of dust as she hit the ground and skidded to a halt.

Picking herself up, Mabel shook off the dust and marched back to see where she had crashed to the ground. When she found the place, she held out one leg and scratched a cross in the dusty path.

Then, turning round, Mabel walked from her landing scratch mark back to the corn line where she had taken off, counting her claw steps out-loud. At the take-off line of corn, Mabel shook her head and clucked: “Pah! No further, just the same distance as yesterday!”

Bernard who had watched the whole performance called out “Morning Mabel, what are you up to?”

“It’s so vexing, Bernard!” the chicken explained. “I’ve got wings but I am so rubbish at flying any distance. I do wing strengthening exercises every day; I practise and practise but … I can still only fly up into a tree or about twenty metres if the wind is blowing me along.”