Story number 2 - Rowan's Dinosaur and the Disappearing Washing


This is me, Rowan, with my sister Holly, Spot the mouse and my dinosaur who is called Isaur. Isaur is sitting on a box eating a big pile of knitting wool for his breakfast. He only eats wool, never proper food like me. It was a windy day and Holly said what fun it would be to make a boat from the box and use the blue cloth as a sail. I said that we would need Grandpa Bumble's yellow scarf for a flag so . . . .

I ran to find Grandpa Bumble who was getting honey from his beehive. Grandma had made a yellow scarf for him and she had knitted a big bee at each end. Grandpa was very proud of his scarf but he said that we could use it for our flag so long as we didn't get it wet or dirty and so . . . .

We made a fantastic boat. It had the blue cloth for a sail and the yellow scarf flag flapped in the breeze. There were four brave sailors in our box boat, me, Holly, Isaur and Spot the mouse and we sailed across the garden through a sea of fallen leaves. Rocking the little boat from side to side we were having a great adventure when suddenly a strong gust of wind blew and . . . .

Splash! Over went the boat and we all tumbled out into the leafy sea. It was very exciting! We were shipwrecked and had to swim for shore on our tummies. Wriggling through the leaves was great fun but . . . .

Oh dear! When Grandma saw us she wasn't pleased because we were very wet and dirty. So we fetched a big bowl of soapy water and helped her wash the blue cloth and Grandpa's yellow scarf. I blew big soapy bubbles which flew through the air and Holly tried to catch them. Then . . . .

We pegged the blue cloth and Grandpa's yellow scarf on the washing line to dry. Holly hung her apron on the line because it was wet with soap bubbles. Isaur and Spot the mouse wanted to make another box boat but without the blue sail and the yellow flag it wouldn't be much fun so we went back into the garden to play. But before long . . . .

We heard Grandma calling us and she sounded very cross, so and we ran to see what was the matter. She showed us the empty washing line. The washing had completely disappeared. Someone had stolen the blue cloth, Grandpa Bumble's yellow scarf and Holly's apron. The clothes pegs were there but the washing had vanished so . . . .

I ran to the house of the clever detective Padlock Homes and found him sweeping leaves from his garden path. I told him how we had hung the washing on the line and now the line was empty. I was just asking him to help us catch the thief when, who should appear but . . . .

Grandpa Bumble, looking very angry. He showed us what he had found near his beehive. It was one end of his yellow scarf and the knitted bee had gone, just a large hole remained. Padlock Holmes examined the evidence and said that as the scarf was covered in sticky honey we must go straight to the beehive where the thief was probably hiding. So we hurried off to the hive and . . . .

Grandpa slowly opened the lid just far enough for Padlock Homes to look inside. But all he could see were the bees that lived in the hive, all busily making honey. Then he noticed a long length of yellow wool which came out of the hive and seemed to go off in the direction of the garden wall. This was very strange, so . . . .

We all followed the wool to the garden wall and Grandpa Bumble climbed his ladder so he could look over to the other side. He had hoped to see the missing washing but all he saw was the wool winding its way into the wood. So we followed the woolly trail once more until . . . .

Suddenly Padlock Homes spotted something yellow hanging on a prickly bush. It was the other end of Grandpa's scarf and just like before the knitted bee was missing and in its place there was a large hole. There was no sign of the thief, just the woolly trail going on into the wood. So we followed it once more. Then, what should we see but . . . .

The box we had used for our little boat and the yellow wool went right inside. We all stood very still not knowing what might jump out and frighten us. As I was feeling very brave I crept up to the box and slowly peered inside. And guess what I found? . . . .

There inside the box was Isaur. He had made a snug little home from the things he had taken from the washing line. He had used Holly's apron for a curtain. The bees from Grandpa's scarf were flying across the wall and the blue cloth had become a little hammock bed. I thought Isaur was asleep but he opened one beady eye and grinned at me. The mystery of the missing washing had been solved and I took Isaur home in his box house. After that I knew that life with my mischievous dinosaur was going to be great fun.
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© John Phillips and Wendy Phillips