Lulu Bell and the Pirate Fun Read online

  ‘Jessie’s stuck in the brambles,’ he called.

  Lulu felt her tummy knot. What can I do to help Dad? Then she remembered something. At the farm, Dad always carried a sturdy pocket knife. He had used it to cut the twine on the hay bales yesterday.

  ‘What about your knife, Dad?’ called Lulu. ‘Maybe you could cut her free?’

  Dad checked his belt. The knife was safely stowed in its leather pouch. With one arm he cradled Jessie’s body, taking her weight. With the other, he sawed at the branches that had caught her. Lulu could hear the snap and crack of the timber splitting.

  ‘Got her!’ yelled Dad. He lifted Jessie up in his arms and carried her back safely across the creek. Asha swam back beside him.

  Dad clambered up the bank. He lay Jessie down gently on the ground.

  Dad ran his hands over her legs and back. Jessie lay still. She was exhausted.

  Lulu felt the sting of tears against her eyelids. ‘Oh Jessie,’ she cried, as she stroked Jessie’s side. ‘Are you all right?’

  Jessie looked up at Lulu. She smiled her big doggy smile and licked Lulu on the hand. Lulu smiled back.

  ‘She’ll be fine,’ said Dad. ‘She only has a few cuts and bruises. We just need to get her dry and warm again.’

  Soon Mum and Uncle Nick arrived in the four-wheel drive. Dad wrapped Jessie and Asha in the towels that Mum had brought along. They lifted the two dogs into the back of the car. Lulu and Dad hopped into the back with the dogs and used two more of the towels to dry off their hair and clothes.

  Back at the house, Dad tended to Jessie in front of the warm fire. She was soon running around the house, licking everyone in sight.

  Lulu had a steaming-hot shower to wash away the mud. After Dad had showered too, everyone gathered in the kitchen. Mum filled the kettle with water.

  ‘After all that excitement, I could do with a hot cup of tea,’ said Mum. ‘Anyone else like one?’

  Gus frowned up at Mum. ‘But what about my birsday?’ he asked. ‘What about my pirate party?’

  Chapter 10

  The Treasure Map

  Mum put down the kettle.

  ‘Oh, I’d nearly forgotten,’ she said.

  Gus looked worried.

  Mum gave Gus a cheeky grin. ‘I’m only joking, honey bun! But we can’t possibly have a pirate party with you dressed like that,’ said Mum. ‘Luckily I have something that might help.’

  Mum fetched a huge parcel wrapped in red-and-white striped paper. It was tied with a big black bow.

  ‘Happy birthday, Gus!’ cried Mum.

  Gus ripped open the wrapping paper. Inside was a pirate suit. It had a gold vest and a scarlet jacket. There were black trousers and a puffy white shirt, all exactly Gus-sized. Best of all, there was a black pirate hat with a long, crimson feather. Rosie handed Gus the sword that Gumpa had made for him.

  ‘Yay!’ cried Gus. He flung his arms around Mum’s neck. ‘Thanks, Mumma. You’re the best mum in the world.’

  Gus jammed the hat on his head, grabbed his sword and challenged Lachie to a duel.

  ‘She is the best mum in the world,’ said Dad. ‘And you make a mighty fine pirate captain, Gus.’

  ‘Arrr, Captain Sharkbait,’ said Tom.

  Mum smiled and straightened Gus’s hat.

  ‘Why don’t you kids get dressed, ready for the party?’ suggested Mum. ‘The grown-ups have a few last-minute things to set up.’

  Mum had brought a bag full of dress-ups and swords from the costume box at home. Auntie Tor had added some clothes from their family collection, as well.

  The cousins rummaged through the costumes, planning their outfits.

  Striped kerchiefs and red bandannas were paired with silky sashes and silver swords. Felt eye patches and buckled belts tangled with black tricorne hats and coloured feathers. Lulu spied a purple velvet jacket and a sky-blue sash, which she grabbed with glee.

  Once everyone was dressed, Meg used a black eye pencil to draw moustaches and beards on everyone’s faces. Soon the six cousins and four dogs were transformed into a swashbuckling band of buccaneers.

  Lulu shook the lace ruffles at her wrists. A blue felt tricorne was perched upon her head and her sword was tucked into her sash. She felt very grand.

  The pirate cousins stomped into the kitchen. There was no sign of the adults. There was just a scroll on the table, tied with a black ribbon.

  ‘Look, Captain Gus. It’s addressed to you,’ said Lulu.

  Gus untied the scroll and unrolled the thick parchment paper. It was stained with tea and the edges were partly burned to make it look old.

  The map was marked with mysterious places such as Pirate Haven, Sea of Sighs (with an arrow that said, ‘Beware sea monster’) and Troll Bridge. A dotted trail led from Pirate Haven to a rectangle marked with a cross. Beside this was curly writing that said, ‘Your heart’s desire.’

  The six cousins glanced at each other in excitement. Gus looked up at Lulu, his eyes as round as Spanish doubloons.

  ‘It’s a treasure map,’ said Lulu. ‘If we follow the clues, it will lead us to the pirate gold!’

  ‘So where do we start?’ asked Gus.

  Lulu gave a mysterious smile. ‘We need to solve the clues and follow the trail.’

  ‘Well, I think we’re here.’ Tom tapped the map where the rectangle marked Pirate Haven was. ‘Pirate Haven is the house.’

  ‘So the Sea of Sighs is down there,’ said Meg. She pointed out towards the flooded paddock.

  ‘And we need to cross Troll Bridge, to get over Dead Man’s Creek,’ added Lachie. ‘Then we head east away from the Misty Mountains, then south to where X marks the spot.’

  Gus charged towards the door. ‘Let’s go!’ he cried.

  ‘Aye aye, Captain,’ said Rosie.

  Everyone raced out onto the verandah and pulled on their gumboots. The four dogs followed.

  The cousins stomped down the driveway in their pirate finery. The rain had stopped.

  Gus splashed through a muddy puddle.

  ‘Beware the sea monsters, matey,’ warned Lachie.

  They came to the wooden bridge.

  ‘Halt!’ cried Lulu, brandishing her sword. ‘Beware the trolls of Troll Bridge!’

  ‘Avast!’ yelled Tom.

  The band of pirates all pulled out their swords and daggers. They battled across the bridge, swiping the air and knocking the invisible trolls into Dead Man’s Creek.

  Gus shrieked with excitement.

  Following the markings on the map, they skirted the puddles on the dirt road, with the Misty Mountains behind them. Then they veered off the road, across the grass towards the barn. The barn door was closed.

  Lulu held up a hand in warning.

  ‘Shiver me timbers, rapscallions,’ said Lulu. ‘What have we here?’

  ‘Do you think the treasure’s inside?’ whispered Gus.

  Lulu grinned back. ‘Let’s take a peek.’

  Together, Lulu and Gus creaked open the barn door. Light streamed into the dark and dusty space. Gus tiptoed in.

  ‘Surprise!’ yelled Mum, Dad, Uncle Nick and Auntie Tor. The adults were all dressed as fearsome pirates, too.

  To one side was a trestle table covered in black velvet cloth. It was laden with party food. There were blue-jelly-cup seas with their orange-wedge boats floating on top. Bowls held chips and popcorn and watermelon cannonballs. A plate held biscuits, which were decorated with pirate faces. Sausages were cut to look like sea monsters with eight tentacles.

  ‘Ooh,’ said Gus.

  On a big platter in the middle of the table was the cake. It was covered in chocolate icing and decorated with lollies to make a pirate treasure chest. The chest was overflowing with gold-covered chocolate coins and jewel-coloured lollies.

  ‘Yay!’ cried Gus. ‘A treasure cake made of choclit!’

  ‘And Gus,’ said Lulu, ‘look what we made for you.’

  Lulu pointed up at the pile of hay bales. Gus grabbed Lulu’s hand.

>   ‘It’s a ship,’ cried Gus. ‘A super-duper pirate ship!’

  Lulu Bell and the Magical Garden

  A summer storm has arrived, and the Bell family are eating their dinner and playing games by candlelight. What fun!

  But the next morning a disaster is revealed. The school garden is ruined! Can Lulu and her best friend Molly save the day?

  Out now

  Read all the Lulu Bell books

  Lulu Bell and the Birthday Unicorn

  Lulu Bell and the Fairy Penguin

  Lulu Bell and the Cubby Fort

  Lulu Bell and the Moon Dragon

  Lulu Bell and the Circus Pup

  Lulu Bell and the Sea Turtle

  Lulu Bell and the Tiger Cub

  Lulu Bell and the Pyjama Party

  Lulu Bell and the Christmas Elf

  Lulu Bell and the Koala Joey

  Lulu Bell and the Arabian Nights

  Lulu Bell and the Pirate Fun

  Lulu Bell and the Magical Garden

  About the Author

  Belinda Murrell grew up in a vet hospital and Lulu Bell is based on some of the adventures she shared with her own animals. After studying Literature at Macquarie University, Belinda worked as a travel journalist, editor and technical writer. A few years ago, she began to write stories for her own three children – Nick, Emily and Lachlan. Belinda’s books include the Sun Sword fantasy trilogy and her children’s novels The Locket of Dreams, The Ruby Talisman, The Ivory Rose, The Forgotten Pearl, The River Charm and The Sequin Star.

  www.belindamurrell.com.au

  About the Illustrator

  Serena Geddes spent six years working with a fabulously mad group of talented artists at Walt Disney Studios in Sydney before embarking on the path of picture book illustration in 2009. She works both traditionally and digitally and has illustrated many books, ranging from picture books to board books to junior novels.

  www.serenageddes.com.au

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity, including internet search engines or retailers, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, photocopying (except under the statutory exceptions provisions of the Australian Copyright Act 1968), recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of Random House Australia. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  Version 1.0

  Lulu Bell and the Pirate Fun

  9780857985552

  First published by Random House Australia in 2015

  Copyright © Belinda Murrell 2015

  Illustrations copyright © Serena Geddes 2015

  The moral right of the author and illustrator has been asserted.

  A Random House Australia book

  Published by Random House Australia Pty Ltd

  Level 3, 100 Pacific Highway, North Sydney NSW 2060

  www.randomhouse.com.au

  Random House Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com/offices.

  National Library of Australia

  Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

  Author: Murrell, Belinda

  Title: Lulu Bell and the pirate fun / Belinda Murrell; illustrated by Serena Geddes

  ISBN: 978 0 85798 555 2 (ebook)

  Series: Murrell, Belinda. Lulu Bell; 12

  Target audience: For primary school age

  Subjects: Pirates – Juvenile fiction

  Children’s stories

  Other authors/contributors: Geddes, Serena

  Dewey number: A823.4

  Cover illustration by Serena Geddes

  Cover design by Christabella Designs

  eBook production by Firstsource

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