Amelia Fang and the Trouble with Toads

‘There,’ he said, pointing at a column of figures. ‘That number represents the total number of toads swept up in the last night and day . . . And the number next to it is the total number of toads to have been sent through the toadreeds in the last night and day . . .’

‘Why is it flashing red?’ asked Tangine.

Grimaldi gulped. ‘Because the numbers don’t match up. It’s telling us that one extra has gone through the toadreeds . . .’ The friends looked at each other in silence.

‘Vincent,’ Amelia whispered. ‘We have to go after him!’

‘But Amelia,’ said Grimaldi, his eye holes wide with worry. ‘Once you go through the toadreeds, there’s no way of getting back . . .’

‘I’m not leaving my brother,’ said Amelia. She stepped forward, ready to push through the reeds, but a big, hairy hand pulled her back. ‘Florence, I have to go and save him!’ said Amelia, her voice wobbling.

‘I’M NOT STOPPING YOU,’ said Florence. ‘BUT YOU’RE NOT GOIN’ ALONE.’ Squashy squeaked and bounced up and down. ‘LOOKS LIKE SQUASHMEISTER IS JOINING US TOO . . . ’OW ABOUT YOU GUYS?’ Florence looked at Grimaldi and Tangine.

Grimaldi braced his scythe. ‘I’m in. But beyond the toadreeds is strictly toads only . . . and we don’t look like toads . . .’

Tangine stepped forward and put his hands on his hips. ‘We don’t look like toads YET!

I think now is the perfect time to put your new pop-up wardrobe to use.’

‘DO YOU REALLY FINK THEY’LL FALL FOR THIS?’ asked Florence, adjusting a green top hat with two paper eyes stuck to it. She was also wearing a green suit and a green ruffled collar.

‘Of course!’ said Tangine. He was wearing a green polka-dot cape, a tall crown with a green mask over his eyes and was brandishing a tall staff.

‘I’M PRETTY SURE YOU DON’T NEED THAT STAFF,’ said Florence.

‘A future king ALWAYS needs a staff, dear Florence,’ said Tangine. ‘Especially when he is disguised as a toad.’

Grimaldi had a green blanket draped over him with two holes cut out to see through. He resembled a green ghost. Amelia was wearing a green stripy onesie with paper eyes stuck on to it.

‘Why are there so many green things in this pop-up wardrobe?’ asked Grimaldi.

‘I felt you needed a fresh burst of SPRING COLOUR,’ said Tangine, waving a hand. ‘You always wear a black cloak. Don’t you ever get BORED?’

Grimaldi shuffled awkwardly. ‘I like black cloaks. They’re comfy.’

‘Well,’ said Tangine. ‘Sometimes you must sacrifice comfort to be FABULOUS.’

‘How can we make Squashy look more like a toad?’ asked Amelia as the orange and VERY un-toad-like vegetable bounced around her feet happily.

Tangine smiled. ‘I have just the thing . . .’ He whipped out a make-up bag full of various face creams. ‘Hmm, where is it? Oh yes. Here!’ He held up a packet labelled GREEN MOULD FACE MASK.

He squeezed out the entire contents of the bright green liquid and smeared it over Squashy’s body. As the cream sank in, Squashy slowly began to turn a dark shade of green, making him look more like an unripe tomato than a pumpkin. ‘There,’ said Tangine. ‘We’re TOADALLY ready.’ He chuckled at his own joke.

The friends – now disguised as very odd- looking toads – braced themselves at the edge of the toadreeds. ‘You ready?’ asked Amelia.

‘TEAM TOAD IS READY TO RESCUE VINCENT!’ yelled Florence.

‘I was born ready!’ said Tangine.

‘I’ll never be ready,’ whispered Grimaldi. ‘But I like that we’re Team Toad . . .’

Squashy squeaked and then the friends bravely walked through the toadreeds.

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