Free Frognapped by Angie Sage Page A

of the fish tank and stood on the ledge. Everyone screamed! Brenda’s eyesnearly popped out of her head and she keeled over with a great big thump .
    I never thought I would say that Nurse Watkins was useful—but she was. She rushed onto the stage with her little black nurse’s bag (the one she had stolen the frogs in) and lifted Brenda’s feet up above her head. It was very dramatic, and when Brenda woke up the crowd gave a huge cheer and Nurse Watkins took a bow as if she did that kind of thing every day. I suppose it reminded her of all the wrestling matches she had won.
    People say that you have to leave a crowd wanting more, so I grabbed hold of Nosy Nora’s megaphone and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Spookie Shark Show is over.”
    A big disappointed “Aaaah” went up from the crowd, but I just kept going because that is what you do when you are running a really successful fish show.
    â€œPlease give a big hand for Barry Wizzard’s frogs!” I said. Everyone clapped and whistled. “Also Wanda and Brenda Wizzard, Sir Horace the Shark, and last but not least, Nurse Watkins!”
    Everyone cheered and cheered. I thought they would never stop. I waited for someone to thank me, which is what they should have done, but no one did, so I said, “And I am Araminta Spookie. This was the Spookie Shark Show. Thank you!”
    People whistled and stamped and clapped and I took a bow. And then I took another.And another. It was fantastic. I think I shall probably consider running fish shows as a serious career option from now on.
    But the adulation of a crowd is a fickle thing. Soon everyone was trooping out of the tent, the adults moaning about the hard seats and the kids whining for ice cream.
    And suddenly Aunt Tabby and Uncle Drac were looming over us.
    Uncle Drac was smiling but Aunt Tabby was not. She had a big frown and her eyebrows met in the middle like two angry caterpillars. I could see a serious Aunt Tabby moment coming on so I got in first. “Aunt Tabby, you have to meet me and Wanda at the ticket office in ten minutes—it’s very important,” I told her. “And bring Barry’s van.”
    â€œAraminta, you are not going anywhere—”Aunt Tabby started, but we didn’t hear the rest. I had the frog bucket in one hand and Wanda’s wet paw in the other and we were off, heading for the ticket office.

13
TREASURE
    N osy Nora had got there before us. We found her trying to push the safe off the trapdoor. She looked up when we came in and said, “Oh, it’s you, Wanda Wizzard, and your weirdo friend. I see you fell in, ha-ha. What have you done with my dad?”
    â€œWe haven’t done anything with him,” said Wanda.
    Nosy Nora snorted. “Well, he didn’t getdown there all on his own,” she said.
    â€œYes he did,” I told her. “And then we put the safe there. It is for his own good. In fact it is probably better if he stays there forever.”
    â€œWhy?” asked Nora suspiciously.
    â€œThere’s a very angry ghost who is after him. You dad has stolen his treasure and he wants it back.”
    â€œOh, ha-ha .” Nora snorted again. It was not a nice snort. Wanda’s snorts sound like quite a sweet little pig, but Nora’s was more like an evil-minded camel.
    â€œYes, ghost . The one that was in the haunted shark suit. Remember?”
    Nora did not reply.
    â€œHe’s really, really mad,” said Wanda. “In fact he will be here in a few minutes and if your dad doesn’t give him back his treasurechest he will be even more angry. He has a very sharp sword, you know.”
    Nora looked pale. “Does he?” she said.
    â€œYes. And he is really good at using it,” I told her.
    I could see that Nora did not like the sound of this. I was right. “If Dad gave him back his treasure, would he go away?” she asked.
    â€œProbably. You can never