STOMPER TO THE RESCUE
Jeremy Taylor
Copyright 2011 by Jeremy Taylor
Smashwords Edition
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CHAPTER ONE
“We need more snow!” said Cathy.
Rob looked up at their snow tower. It was three metres high. Then he went to the top corner of their garden and started making a big ball of snow. “We’ll make a world record snow tower!” he shouted to his sister.
“I don’t think so,” said Cathy. “I looked in the Guinness Book of Records. The tallest snowman in the world is over twenty three metres tall!”
“Okay, we’ll have the biggest snow tower in the village.”
Cathy climbed up the ladder and put more snow on the top of the tower. “Hello Stomper!”
Stomper barked at Cathy. Stomper wanted to play in the snow as well. But the day before he had got totally wet so today he had to stay inside.
Rob’s ball of snow got bigger and bigger. He pushed it slowly towards the snow tower. “Come on Cathy, help me. If we can push it a little bit more then it will roll down the slope to the tower.”
Rob and Cathy pushed the big ball of snow. It was hard work but then the ball started to move on its own. As it moved faster it picked up more snow. It was rolling towards the snow tower.
“Oh no, I hope it isn’t going to...”
It did. Rob’s ball of snow grew to about one metre in diameter. It hit the snow tower in the middle. The three metre snow tower became a fifty centimetre snow tower in two seconds.
“Hey Rob, you should start ten pin bowling. You are very good.”
“Me? It was your fault. You pushed it last.”
“It was your ball, Rob.”
Cathy threw a snowball at her brother. It hit him on the arm. Rob and Cathy Jackson soon forgot about the snow tower as they threw snowball after snowball at each other. Rob hid behind the coal shed while Cathy hid behind a big bush. Suddenly they both ran at each other. Rob pushed snow down his sister’s pullover while Rob got a face full of snow. They both fell on the ground and rolled (like Rob’s big snowball) down the slope.
At the bottom they both started laughing. It was great to have such a big garden. They loved snow. But suddenly Cathy grabbed Rob’s arm.
“What is it Cathy?”
“Look, over there!”
Cathy pointed and Rob looked. A boy was looking at them. He was tall and thin and had long, untidy hair.
“Hello!” shouted Rob.
The boy said nothing.
“We’re building a snow tower. Do you want to help us?”
Again the boy said nothing.
“We want to make the biggest snow tower in the village,” shouted Cathy, “but it's a lot of work.”
The boy looked over his shoulder. He pushed his hand through his hair. Then he walked away.
“What a strange boy,” said Cathy.
“Why didn’t he speak to us?” asked Rob.
“I don’t understand,” said Cathy. “Come on, Rob, let’s go inside. My hands are freezing.”
CHAPTER TWO
“So the boy looked at you.”
“Yes, me and Rob were playing in the snow...”
“We were building a snow tower,” added Rob.
“And this boy was watching you.”
“Yes.”
“Well I think that’s terrible. I think I’ll call the police straight away.” Mr Jackson picked up his spoon. “Hello officer? Yes, it’s an emergency, please come quickly, a boy was watching Cathy and Rob playing in the snow! In ten minutes? Thank you very much officer,” Mr Jackson put his spoon down.
“Oh dad, you don’t understand,” said Cathy. “He was looking at us in a strange way.”
“Oh, now I understand.” Mr Jackson picked up his spoon again. “Officer! You must send about ten policemen. The boy looked at Cathy and Rob in a strange way!”
It was dinner time in the Jackson’s house, vegetable lasagne with chips. Outside it was minus four degrees but inside a log fire burnt slowly, giving out heat to the Jackson family, and to Stomper, who rested in front of the warm fire.
“The boy was probably lonely,” said Mrs Jackson. “Perhaps he wanted to play with you.”
“I asked him to play with us but he didn’t say anything,” said Rob.
“That is why we think he is so strange,” said Cathy. “We asked him to play but he didn’t speak.”
“He was probably nervous,” suggested Mr Jackson.
“But he was my age, maybe older,” said Cathy. “Why would he be nervous?”
“Perhaps he thinks that you are crazy playing in snow. Perhaps he thinks that playing in snow is for young children,” said Mrs Jackson.
“Do you think we’re crazy playing in snow?”
“Not at all. Perhaps tomorrow I will come and play with you as well.”
“But maybe there won’t be any snow tomorrow. We never get a lot of snow in England.”
“Well the weather forecast is for more cold weather.”
“Great!” said Cathy.
“Magic!” said Rob.
“Woof! Woof!” said Stomper, which made the whole family laugh.
CHAPTER THREE
“What are you doing Cathy?”
“I’m doing my exercises.”
“Yes I can see that. But why are you moving your knees like that?”
“Because these exercises are special exercises.”
“How are they special exercises?”
“They are skiing exercises.”
“Skiing exercises?”
“You heard me Rob.” Cathy moved her first to the left and then to the right. “I got a book out of the library on skiing. It’s very easy really.”
“Easy?”
“Well, I might need a few minutes but I’m sure it won’t be very difficult.”
“But Cathy, haven’t you forgotten something?”
“What’s that?”
“You haven’t got any skis.”
“Oh yes I have!”
“Where are they?”
“In the garage.” Cathy started to touch her toes.
“Are they an early birthday present from mum and dad?”
“No.”
“Did you buy them yourself?”
“No.”
“Oh Cathy, I hope you didn’t steal them.”
“No, I did not.”
“Okay Cathy, I give up. Where did you get the skis from?”
“I made them,” said Cathy, doing a bit of running on the spot.
“You made a pair of skis?”
“That’s right and today I’m going to try them out.”
“Do you mind if I come and watch?” said Rob smiling.
“Not at all.” Cathy picked up her coat, put on her gloves and went through the kitchen into the garage.
“Come on Stomper,” said Rob. “Come and watch the British Olympic skiing champion in action!”
Stomper jumped up and followed Rob and Cathy into the garage.
“So where are your skis Cathy?”
“On my feet, where do you think?”
Rob looked down. “You are wearing your old training shoes.”
“Yes and my old training shoes are fixed to my skis.” Cathy lifted her right foot to show that the shoe was fixed to a long piece of wood. “I used nails and glue. They will never come off.”
“Okay Cathy, let’s see if they work.” Rob opened the garage door and Cathy walked slowly out into the garden with a stick in each hand.