The Mammoth Adventure by Philippa Gregory

Author:Philippa Gregory [Gregory, Philippa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2021-09-16T12:00:00+00:00

‘Now let’s get out of here.’ The Sea Serpent was still new to emotions and found them tiring. It started off, crawling with its forelegs and slithering with its tail.

‘We have to bwing him!’ The Mammoth went round to the front of the tank, where Courier lay like Sleeping Beauty in his pink princess dress, fast asleep in the moonlight.

‘Do we?’ the Sea Serpent asked carelessly, coming up beside the Mammoth. ‘You mean in case we get hungry?’

‘No!’ the Mammoth exclaimed, quite shocked. ‘Because he is your fwend too.’

‘Him as well?’ the Sea Serpent exclaimed, feeling rather overburdened by the love of others. ‘What about Florizella and Bennett?’

‘We have to get them as well. They’re asweep. We can’t weave them there.’

‘Sssurely they’ll be OK,’ the Sea Serpent started. ‘The worst thing she can do is put them in a tank.’

The Mammoth looked at it. ‘Don’t you want to save them? Don’t you wike them?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you wove them?’

There was a long, awkward moment. No one had asked the Sea Serpent such a question ever before. It wasn’t even sure if Sea Serpents could love people. The beautiful, strange creature and the fluffy Mammoth looked at each other, and they saw truly into each other’s brave, loving hearts.

‘I do,’ said the Sea Serpent. ‘I wouldn’t have thought it, but I really do.’

‘You don’t want to eat him?’ The Mammoth pointed his trunk at Courier, knowing this was the greatest test.

‘I don’t,’ the Sea Serpent said. ‘I want to rescue him.’ Inspired by real affection, it wrapped a coil round Courier and set off, dragging him along, towards the exit gate.

Very soon they came upon Florizella and Bennett, slowly stirring and getting to their feet.

‘Oh wow, is it all over?’ Florizella asked. ‘I thought I’d just dropped off for a minute, but is it all done?’

‘I did it!’ the Mammoth said delightedly. ‘I was bwave. And the Sea Serpent wescued Couwier because it woves him.’

‘It’s going to eat him,’ Bennett said pessimistically, shaking out his peasant smock and pulling on his big hat.

‘No, no, it’s weawwy got emotions,’ the Mammoth said earnestly. ‘It can feel wove.’

‘Come on then,’ said Florizella. ‘Let’s get out of here before Countess N’Asty finds he’s gone.’

Florizella and Bennett lifted Courier to his feet and dragged the sleeping prince towards the exit. Courier had breathed in far more sleeping dust than they had, so he was slower to wake. They opened the gate and were just about to go through it when the Sea Serpent, who had been dawdling at the back, said: ‘Hang on a minute.’

‘What?’ Florizella demanded. Courier was a dead weight, and she was still sleepy. She wanted to get back to the palace as quickly as possible and be happy ever after. ‘What now?’

‘It’s the other animals,’ the Sea Serpent sounded puzzled. ‘What about them?’

‘Well, what about them?’ Bennett yawned and he slumped against Courier who slumped against Florizella who staggered under their weight.

‘I don’t want to leave them in the show,’ the Sea Serpent said.

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