The Monster Story-Teller by Jacqueline Wilson

Chapter One

    NATALIE WAS FED up.
    The class were doing a project on flying.
    She had made a big bird but his wings went wonky. He wouldn’t fly.
    Natalie talked to her friends.
    “What did you do on Saturday?” Natalie asked.
    “I went swimming,” said Clare.
    “I went to McDonald’s,” said Zoe.
    “I went to the football match,” said Lee.
    “I went shopping with my nan,” said Clive. “She gave me five pounds. And she bought me chocolates. Yum yum.”

    “Do you want to hear what I did on Saturday?” said Natalie. “First I went swimming and there were real dolphins in the pool and they gave me a ride. Then I went to McDonald’s and I had twenty Big Macs and twenty strawberry milk shakes. And then I went to this football match and I was the mascot and I scored a goal and everyone cheered. And then I went shopping with my nan and she gave me fifty pounds and lots and lots and lots of chocolates.”

    “How many chocolates?” said Clive.

    “Natalie’s telling stories, silly,” said Lee.
    “Settle down, children!” said Mr Hunter. “Natalie, get on with your work and stop telling stories. It’s not story-time until this afternoon – when we’re going to have a special treat.”

    “I want a special treat now,” Natalie muttered. “This is boring, boring, boring.”
    She sighed.
    She stretched.
    She looked up at the window. She looked at the plant in the pot on the window sill.
    And the plant in the pot moved.
    Natalie blinked.
    The plant in the pot moved again. Upwards!
    Was the plant in the pot flying?
    Then Natalie saw!

    The plant in the pot wasn’t flying.
    It was the saucer.
    It was an ordinary flower-patterned saucer. But today it had grown wings.

    “Of course!” said Natalie. “It’s a flying saucer!”
    She went to have a closer look.
    There was a little creature standing in the saucer.
    Was it an ant?
    “A flying ant!” Natalie giggled.

    It wasn’t an ant.
    It was a very, very, very tiny monster.
    It had wild hair and pointy teeth and sharp claws and a long tail.
    But it didn’t look fierce. It looked friendly.
    “Hello!” said Natalie.
    “Hello!” said the tiny monster.
    “Can you speak up a bit?” said Natalie. “I can’t hear you properly.”
    “I’m shouting!” said the tiny monster. “Can you speak down a bit? You’re hurting my ears.”

    “Is it your flying saucer?” Natalie whispered, so softly her lips scarcely moved.
    The tiny monster nodded proudly.
    “Want to see me do twirlie-whirlies?” he said.
    “You bet!” said Natalie.
    The tiny monster tapped his teeny foot.
    The saucer flapped its little wings and whizzed round and round in the air. The plant’s leaves waved wildly.
    The tiny monster waved too as he circled Natalie’s head, round and round until she got dizzy.
    The plant wobbled and wobbled until . . .

    . . . it tipped right off the saucer and crashed onto the classroom floor!
    “Oh help!” said the tiny monster.
    “Oh help!” said Natalie. “What’s Mr Hunter going to say?”

Chapter Two

    MR HUNTER SAID plenty .
    “You naughty girl, Natalie! What were you doing over by the window? Did you knock that plant over on purpose?”

    “No! It wasn’t me,” said Natalie.
    “It was me!” said the tiny monster, flying his saucer behind Natalie.
    “Look at the mess on the floor! Go and fetch a dustpan and brush from the store cupboard, Natalie,” said Mr Hunter. “And take that silly smile off your face. It isn’t funny.”
    Natalie couldn’t help smiling. The tiny monster was tickling the back of her neck with his weeny claws.

    Natalie hurried out of the classroom.
    The flying saucer went with her, whirling round her head.
    “Where are you going?” shouted the tiny monster.

    “To fetch the dustpan and brush,” said Natalie.
    “Boring, boring, boring,” said the tiny monster. “Come flying with me instead. Jump up on my saucer.”
    “I can’t,” said Natalie. “I’m much too big. I’d smash the saucer. And