Long Time, No Sea Monster by Nancy Krulik

Author:Nancy Krulik
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 2021-04-13T00:00:00+00:00

I wonder if they throw parades for newspaper editors.

“There’s no way I’m going up there,” Tony says nervously.

“Maybe we should look at something else,” Aiden suggests. “Didn’t Mr. Dreich say there was a prison here? That could be cool.”

“No!” I shout suddenly. “Why are we letting Tony ruin everything?”

“Oliver!” Ms. Frogbottom sounds really upset with me. “That’s no way to speak about your friend. Apologize to Tony immediately.”

“I’m sorry you’re afraid of heights,” I say.

“Try again,” Ms. Frogbottom orders sternly.

“I’m sorry, Tony. I shouldn’t have said you were ruining everything.”

“I didn’t mean to ruin anything,” Tony insists.

Now the other kids are looking at me like I’m a monster. And not the kind of monster that belongs on the front page of the 4A Gazette.

“Perhaps we should go look at where the stables once stood,” Ms. Frogbottom suggests. “Come along.”

We follow behind her.

“Scottish Highland horses had to be especially strong,” Ms. Frogbottom tells us. “When lords and ladies traveled, the horses pulled all their belongings up and down the hills. And… oh my!”

Our teacher stops suddenly and stares at a bird by some nearby trees. “There’s a capercaillie, one of the rarest birds in this area. I have to get a better look. I’ll just go over by those pine trees while you all explore the stables.” And with that, she hurries off into the trees.

I don’t exactly know what Ms. Frogbottom wants us to explore. All I see are some rocks that look like they might have been at the bottom of a building at one time. You wouldn’t even know what had been here if there wasn’t a sign that said THE STABLES.

“Look!” Emma exclaims suddenly. She points toward the rocks.

A real horse has emerged from behind the pile of stones. It’s black with a small patch of white fur on the top of its head.

“That’s strange,” Sofia replies, studying her tablet. “There haven’t been any horses in the Urquhart Castle stables for hundreds of years.”

“Well, there’s one here now,” Emma tells her. “It’s beautiful! Look at that shiny fur.”

“That horse isn’t supposed to be here,” Sofia says. “I wonder where it came from.”

“Who cares?” Emma declares. “It’s pretty. And it seems so gentle.” She starts walking toward the horse.

“Don’t!” Tony exclaims.

“Quiet,” Emma warns. “You’ll scare it off.”

“If that’s a kelpie, I want to scare it off,” Tony tells her.

“Tony,” Sofia says calmly. “You don’t really believe all that shape-shifting stuff, do you?”

“Yeah,” Aiden agrees. “This is just a horse.”

Suddenly there’s a flash of lightning against the gray sky. A few seconds later the thunder booms.

FROGBOTTOM FACTS

It rains a lot in Scotland. In fact, in the Scottish Highlands it rains more than two hundred fifty days a year.

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