Added£0.99Add to basket(A short story of 4306 words)
Hugh McPearson and the Stolen King Neptune
Children's
by Steve Way
King Neptune had been kidnapped or stolen! In his third adventure can Hugh rescue the King of the Sea? Bet he looks daft in a diving suit! (Book 3 in the Hugh McPearson series).
Hello reader. I guess you've never heard of a Ten of Spades Detective before. You've probably only heard of Ace Detectives. I call myself a Ten of Spades Detective because I take on the jobs the Ace Detectives leave behind... or can't be bothered with. I can understand why. The jobs I've had have led me into a few unusual situations. Let me tell you about one of them.
Tuesday 10.13 a.m.
I was sitting at my desk wondering if flowers can sing but that maybe we can’t hear them. Has there been a flower equivalent of Elvis Presley I wondered. If so what happened to it? Was it sold in a florists or put in someone's hair at a wedding or squashed to keep in a book? I was so wrapped up in speculation about the fate of this theoretical musically gifted plant that the phone rang several times before I noticed it was ringing. I snatched up the phone as quickly as I could. Too quickly. It flew out of my wing.
“Hellooooo… clonk,” said the phone.
I picked the phone off the floor.
“Sorry about that,” I said. “I dropped the phone.”
“You were too busy thinking about singing flowers weren’t you?” asked the phone.
“How did you know that?” I demanded.
“Oh, we octopuses are clever that way. Besides which, flowers can’t sing, they can only hum,” replied the phone.
“Oh…” I said, disappointed to find out about the limited musical abilities of flowers. “Anyway who are you?”
“I’m named Grabyatight, which I’m afraid to say is not a very original name for an octopus. Most of us are called that.”
“How did you know when your mum was calling you in for tea then when you were a young octopus?”
“Why do you think we develop our psychic skills of knowing what someone else is thinking?”
“I see,” I said. “Anyway Grabyatight, why have you rung me?”
“The sea creatures need your help. King Neptune has been stolen!”
“You mean King Neptune, King of the Sea?” I asked.
“That’s right. One minute he was sitting on his throne and then the next moment he was gone.”
“That’s terrible,” I said. “I’ll come and help you. I’ll be over in fifteen minutes and an ostrich straight away.”
“I was wondering when you’d get to that favourite catchphrase of yours,” said Grabyatight. “I’d give yourself half an hour – you’ve got to put on a diving suit first.”
“Oh yes,” I replied. “It’s a while since I did some underwater detective work...”
Hello reader. I guess you've never heard of a Ten of Spades Detective before. You've probably only heard of Ace Detectives. I call myself a Ten of Spades Detective because I take on the jobs the Ace Detectives leave behind... or can't be bothered with. I can understand why. The jobs I've had have led me into a few unusual situations. Let me tell you about one of them.
Tuesday 10.13 a.m.
I was sitting at my desk wondering if flowers can sing but that maybe we can’t hear them. Has there been a flower equivalent of Elvis Presley I wondered. If so what happened to it? Was it sold in a florists or put in someone's hair at a wedding or squashed to keep in a book? I was so wrapped up in speculation about the fate of this theoretical musically gifted plant that the phone rang several times before I noticed it was ringing. I snatched up the phone as quickly as I could. Too quickly. It flew out of my wing.
“Hellooooo… clonk,” said the phone.
I picked the phone off the floor.
“Sorry about that,” I said. “I dropped the phone.”
“You were too busy thinking about singing flowers weren’t you?” asked the phone.
“How did you know that?” I demanded.
“Oh, we octopuses are clever that way. Besides which, flowers can’t sing, they can only hum,” replied the phone.
“Oh…” I said, disappointed to find out about the limited musical abilities of flowers. “Anyway who are you?”
“I’m named Grabyatight, which I’m afraid to say is not a very original name for an octopus. Most of us are called that.”
“How did you know when your mum was calling you in for tea then when you were a young octopus?”
“Why do you think we develop our psychic skills of knowing what someone else is thinking?”
“I see,” I said. “Anyway Grabyatight, why have you rung me?”
“The sea creatures need your help. King Neptune has been stolen!”
“You mean King Neptune, King of the Sea?” I asked.
“That’s right. One minute he was sitting on his throne and then the next moment he was gone.”
“That’s terrible,” I said. “I’ll come and help you. I’ll be over in fifteen minutes and an ostrich straight away.”
“I was wondering when you’d get to that favourite catchphrase of yours,” said Grabyatight. “I’d give yourself half an hour – you’ve got to put on a diving suit first.”
“Oh yes,” I replied. “It’s a while since I did some underwater detective work...”