Free Lulu Bell and the Pirate Fun by Belinda Murrell Page B

always leading Jessie on adventures. Daisy and Asha, who were older and calmer, stayed with the kids. Lulu called and the younger dogs came galloping back.
    The six cousins stood at the edge of the new lake. Bits of green grass popped up in the areas that were particularly shallow.
    â€˜Ready, set, GO!’ yelled Gus. He jumped into the water. Droplets spurted up around him in a silvery spray, soaking everyone – including the dogs. Asha ran up the slope, her tail between her legs. She didn’t like getting drenched.
    â€˜ Gus !’ shouted all the kids.
    Gus didn’t mind. He charged through the water, churning up ripples and waves.
    â€˜Come on,’ said Lulu. She stomped into the water after Gus. Raindrops dripped off the brim of her hat. The water lapped halfway up her gumboots, sucking and squelching around them. It was a funny feeling.
    â€˜Bombs away!’ yelled Lachie. He launched himself into the shallow water.
    Soon the cousins were chasing and calling, squealing and splashing with delight. Everyone’s clothes were soaked but the water was warm.

    â€˜This is fun !’ cried Lulu. ‘Maybe we can still have a great time for Gus’s birthday – even with all this rain.’

Chapter 3
Paddock Pirating
    â€˜I have an idea,’ said Lachie. He shook the raindrops off his cowboy hat.
    â€˜What’s that?’ asked Rosie.
    â€˜We need boats,’ said Lachie.
    â€˜Boats?’ asked Lulu. She wrinkled her nose. ‘Where would we get boats?’
    Tom and Lachie exchanged glances.
    â€˜To the garage!’ cried Tom.
    All the children raced to the garage. Tom pulled the creaky door wide open.The shadowy garage was full of treasure. There were planks of wood, crates, dusty cushions, coils of rope, cracked old bridles, tools and tarpaulins.
    Lachie pointed to a rack against the southern wall. ‘Ahoy there, me hearties.’
    In the rack was a jumble of surfboards and boogie boards, stored away for summer beach holidays.
    â€˜ Arrr ,’ said Tom. ‘A fine flotilla of pirate vessels.’
    Lulu laughed at the boys with their pirate accents. She put one hand on her hip and waved the other. ‘A grand idea, matey,’ she said, in her best pirate voice.
    Everyone dragged a board out of the rack. Rosie and Gus shared an old blowup mattress that was in with the boards. Then they carried their ‘boats’ down tothe flooded paddock and launched them from the bank.
    Lulu lay on her tummy. She paddled with her hands and waved her legs up in the air. The board shot out, skimming across the shallow water.
    â€˜Woohoo!’ she cried.
    Lachie paddled his foam surfboard straight at the air mattress that Rosie and Gus were sitting on.
    â€˜Watch out, you scurvy bilge rats!’ he cried.
    Rosie and Gus giggled. They paddled hard to escape, but Lachie’s craft was faster. He bumped into the mattress, making it jump forward.
    Tom launched his craft at Meg’s and Lulu paddled hard to defend her.
    Jessie ran back and forth on the bank, barking.
    â€˜We’re paddock pirates! Shiver me timbers!’ yelled Tom.

    Dad and Uncle Nick drove up in the farm car. Uncle Nick leaned out the window.
    â€˜What a racket,’ he said, with a grin. ‘Sounds like you’ve been enjoying the rain.’
    â€˜Climb in,’ called Dad. ‘It’s time to feed some animals.’
    The kids dragged their boards and the mattress up onto the grass. Then theypiled into the car. It was a big four-wheel drive with three rows of seats. There was a large stack of towels in the back so everyone could rub themselves dry.
    Uncle Nick drove the car along the road, over the rickety bridge and up to the old timber dairy. Many years ago, the dairy had been used for milking cows. Now it was used as a barn to store hay and farm equipment.
    The kids clambered out of the car and ran towards the barn. Lulu slid open the heavy door. Light streamed into