Storm Boy by Colin Thiele

Author:Colin Thiele
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Storm Boy
ISBN: 9781864368048
Publisher: New Holland Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
Published: 2010-04-06T04:00:00+00:00

Fingerbone and Hide-Away were both glad that Storm Boy had found Mr Percival.

‘Better than a watchdog even,’ Fingerbone said. ‘Can’t run much, but can fly.’

‘Can even chase after things like a dog,’ said Hide-Away. ‘You watch!’

It was true. They first learnt what a good catcher Mr Percival was when Storm Boy was playing ball on the beach. It was a red and yellow ball that Hide-Away had brought back from Goolwa. Once when Storm Boy threw it hard it went bouncing off towards Mr Percival.

‘Look out!’ Storm Boy shouted.

But Mr Percival didn’t look out. Instead he took two or three quick steps and snapped up the ball in his creel. Storm Boy was horrified. He rushed up to Mr Percival, panting.

‘You can’t eat a ball,’ he yelled. ‘It’s rubber, it’s not a fish! Don’t swallow it; you’ll choke!’

Mr Percival listened to him very seriously for a minute, with his head held a bit more to one side than usual and his big beak parted in a sly smile. Then he stepped forward and dropped the ball at Storm Boy’s feet, just like a retriever.

After that, Storm Boy often had fun on the beach with Mr Percival. Whenever he threw the ball, or a smooth pebble, or a sea urchin, or an old fishing reel, Mr Percival snapped it up and brought it back. Sometimes he threw things into the water. Mr Percival watched carefully with his bright eyes; then he flew out, landed on the right spot, and fished the prize out of the water. Then Storm Boy would laugh and clap his hands and rub his fingers up and down the back of Mr Percival’s neck. Mr Percival always liked this very much; the only thing he liked better was a good meal of fish.

One day as Hide-Away was watching them play he had an idea.

‘If he can bring things back to you, perhaps he can carry things away too,’ he said. He gave Mr Percival a sinker and a bit of fishing line. ‘Now, take it to Storm Boy,’ he said; ‘that’s the fellow.’

At first Mr Percival didn’t understand, but at last, after many tries, he dropped the sinker at Storm Boy’s feet. Both Hide-Away and Storm Boy clapped, and rubbed the back of Mr Percival’s neck, and gave him a piece of fish. Mr Percival looked very pleased and proud.

After that Hide-Away asked Storm Boy to stand out in the shallow water, and they played the game again. Before long Mr Percival could take a sinker and a small fishing line, fly out to Storm Boy, and drop it beside him. But he always expected a piece of fish after each try.

They played the game for many weeks, sometimes with Storm Boy in the water and sometimes with Hide-Away, until Mr Percival could carry a fishing line and drop it into the sea without any trouble. Then, when there was an offshore wind from the north and the great seas flattened out sullenly, Hide-Away went far out from shore and Mr Percival practised carrying a long, long line to him.

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