by Adam Frost
‘We can do it,’ said Tom. ‘Take the rucksacks to the zoo and bring them back to us empty. We’ll be waiting. Then we’ll go and get the rest.’
‘We’re sna . . . snakes,’ said Freddy, still panting. ‘Snakes can do anything.’
‘OK,’ said Sophie. ‘It has to be worth a try.’
Sophie and Jemima strapped the rucksacks to their backs and started to run.
They sprinted across the grass, focusing on the outline of the zoo in the distance.
After about a hundred metres, Jemima started to flag.
‘It’s this rucksack,’ she said. ‘It weighs a ton.’
‘Just imagine a snake is chasing you,’ Sophie said, breathing heavily. ‘A black mamba. They can go up to fourteen miles per hour.’ She started to run faster.
Jemima frowned and sped up too. ‘That black mamba ain’t going to catch this gazelle.’
‘Come on,’ said Sophie, ‘it’s quicker to squeeze through here.’ She pointed at a hedgerow with a small hole in the middle and slipped through. Jemima followed, but halfway through the hood of her sweatshirt snagged on a branch. She tugged it but it got even more tangled up.
‘OK,’ she said. ‘Time to shed my skin.’
She wriggled out of her sweatshirt and left it in the bush.
‘I’ll come back for it later,’ she said.
She started to run again in her T-shirt.
Within two minutes the two girls were standing in front of the reptile house. Daisy was standing by the entrance, looking stunned, as Sophie took the boxes out of her rucksack. Jemima took the banner and a bag of snake paperweights out of hers.
‘I think Lucy is phoning the press to cancel now,’ said Daisy. ‘I’ll run over and find her. Hopefully I can stop her.’
‘We’d better get the rest,’ said Sophie. ‘Come on, Jemima.’
They ran back to where Tom and Freddy were waiting. They were slower this time even though the bags were empty; they both got a stitch and their legs started to feel wobbly, but they kept running.
They handed the rucksacks to Tom and Freddy. ‘Quick as you can,’ said Sophie.
Tom and Freddy sped off on their skateboards.
This time when they reached the High Street, the two boys stopped. The parade was in full swing and there was no way they could fight through the crowds. Then they saw a group of people in a Chinese dragon costume emerging from a restaurant. Twenty pairs of legs stuck out of the bottom of a long red shaggy tube. The people in the costume started to wriggle like a snake through the crowd.
‘Let’s tuck in behind them,’ said Tom.
So they followed directly behind the Chinese dragon, twisting and turning on their skateboards whenever the dragon twisted and turned.
‘There’s the post office!’ said Freddy.
Tom and Freddy leapt on to the pavement and into the post office. It was deserted now. Everyone was either watching or taking part in the parade. Quickly they loaded up their rucksacks with the remaining boxes and bags before dashing back into the street.
‘There’s the tail end of the parade,’ said Tom. ‘Come on.’
They sped along the pavement and around the back of the parade. There was a ramp back on to the opposite pavement.
Tom whizzed up the ramp as fast as he could, lifting his skateboard up to his backside as he flew through the air, pushing it back down again as he landed in front of a shop doorway.
Freddy whooped and did the same.
‘Bonus points for a mid-air trick!’ he exclaimed.
Two minutes later they were handing the rucksacks over to Sophie and Jemima.
The two girls sprinted across the park even faster than before and wriggled through the hole in the hedge.
‘I’ll need to hibernate after all this,’ said Jemima, panting.
When they reached the reptile house, Lucy and Daisy were waiting for them.
‘Thank you, thank you, thank you,’ said Lucy. ‘I can’t believe you did it.’
Sophie and Jemima, exhausted, swung their rucksacks on to the floor.
‘How did you manage it, girls?’ Daisy asked, ‘I’m proud of you.’
‘Well, we sort of . . . kind of . . .’ Sophie stammered.
‘We pretended snakes were chasing us,’ Jemima said. ‘Black mambas, to be precise.’
At that moment, Tom and Freddy arrived with their skateboards under their arms.
‘Did we make it?’ Tom asked.
‘You made it,’ said Lucy, ‘and you made my day as well!’
Chapter 13
It was a fantastic party.
The reptile house looked amazing. There were posters on every wall and a long banner draped over the entrance. Outside, Lucy was giving out badges and bookmarks and fact sheets.
Tom and Sophie were standing by the new enclosures, looking at the snakes they had rescued.
‘Is Clarence OK?’ Tom asked, pointing at the anaconda.
‘Yes, he’s just about to shed,’ Sophie said. ‘That’s why his eyes are a bit glazed.’
‘What about Louise?’ Tom asked. ‘She doesn’t seem herself.’
He was gesturing at the Burmese python.
‘She’s just digesting a rabbit,’ said Sophie. ‘That’s why she’s a bit spaced.’
‘OK, phew,’ Tom said, looking relieved.
Then Sophie glanced at the Antiguan racer and sighed.
‘What is it?’ Tom asked. ‘Is something wrong with Jenny?’
‘No, no, it’s just . . .’
‘It’s just what?’ Tom asked.
‘Daisy said she’s been in touch with that rescue project I mentioned. You know, the one in Antigua – where they reintroduce snakes like her back into the wild.’
‘Oh, OK,’ said Tom.
‘Well, they’re going to take her,’ said Sophie. ‘She’ll be heading back home in two weeks.’
‘Oh,’ said Tom, also looking slightly sad. ‘Just as we’d started to get to know her.’
‘Yeah, I know,’ said Sophie, ‘but I suppose it’s the best thing for her. It’s a great programme; they’ve built the numbers up from fifty to five hundred.’
Then they heard a voice behind them.
‘I wondered where you two had got to,’ said Mrs Nightingale. She had Grandad with her.
‘Can I tell them?’ Grandad said. ‘Can I tell them now? Go on, Katie, let me tell them.’
‘OK, OK,’ said their mum, rolling her eyes.
‘Terrific news,’ said Grandad. ‘You know that this racer snake is off to Antigua? Well, your mother’s been chosen to accompany her. You know, it’s important that she has a vet with her when she’s settling in.’
‘Oh, OK, that’s good,’ said Sophie. ‘Good for you, Mum.’
‘And we’re all going with her!’ exclaimed Grandad, holding up five tickets.
Tom and Sophie looked at each other in disbelief.
‘Well, we thought it was a good excuse for a family holiday,’ said Mrs Nightingale. ‘We could all do with a bit of a rest. And it’s so beautiful out there, and you’ve both done so much to help her get back to full health.’
‘I can’t believe it!’ cried Sophie, running over to give her mum a hug.
‘Is this for real?’ exclaimed Tom.
Grandad clapped his hands, looking equally excited. ‘I’ve only been to the Caribbean once, but my word, I’ve never forgotten it! And the snakes that live out there . . . You know what, once I saw a man mending a car by the side of the road when a boa slunk out of the forest and started to coil itself round him! The man kept tinkering under the bonnet while the snake crept up his leg. Once it got to the point where the snake was starting to squeeze, the man calmly uncoiled it, starting from the tail. Then he carried on working. Marvellous! Man and snake living in perfect harmony.’
‘So,’ Mrs Nightingale said, looking at Tom and Sophie, ‘want to come along?’
Tom and Sophie looked at each other with a grin.
‘Well, I suppose we ar
e snake experts now,’ Sophie said, putting her arm round her brother’s shoulder. ‘It makes sense for us to be there, doesn’t it?’
‘That’s just what I was thinking,’ said Mrs Nightingale.
‘Excellent,’ said Grandad, clapping his hands together. ‘You two are snake crazy just like your grandad. Here’s to having snakes on the brain!’
‘Snakes on the brain!’ exclaimed Tom.
‘Snakes on the brain!’ echoed Sophie.
‘And the worst thing is,’ Mrs Nightingale said, looking at them all with a smile, ‘I don’t think there’s a cure for it . . .’
Zoological Society of London
ZSL London Zoo is a very famous part of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
For almost two hundred years, we have been working tirelessly to provide hope and a home to thousands of animals.
And it’s not just the animals at ZSL’s Zoos in London and Whipsnade that we are caring for. Our conservationists are working in more than 50 countries to help protect animals in the wild.
But all of this wouldn’t be possible without your help. As a charity we rely entirely on the generosity of our supporters to continue this vital work.
By buying this book, you have made an essential contribution to help protect animals.
Thank you.
Find out more at zsl.org
More amazing behind-the-scenes animal action
at London Zoo
with the Nightingale family!
Run! The Elephant Weighs a Ton!
by Adam Frost
The animal-mad Nightingale family are charging out
of town towards a jumbo-sized mystery. Their animal
friends need them. Whoa! What a fright for the new baby
elephant. Something just isn’t right. It’s up to Tom and
Sophie to find out what!
Available September 2012
Turn the page for a taster of exciting
adventures in the realm of the
Amur tiger in
Paw Prints in the Snow
by Sally Grindley
Joe and his family are in Russia on the trail of one of the
world’s rarest creatures, the beautiful Amur tiger.
Exploring a vast, freezing nature reserve, Joe comes closer
to the tigers than he ever imagined – and is drawn into a
daring mission to rescue an injured cub . . .
OUT NOW
Chapter 1
‘What’s it like putting your arm up a cow’s bottom?’ Joe Brook asked.
‘Warm and squelchy.’ Binti, his mother, grinned.
‘You wouldn’t catch me doing it.’ Joe pulled a face.
He was standing on the bottom rung of some metal fencing inside a barn on Mike Downs’s farm. His mother was the other side of the fence, dressed in her green overalls and wellington boots, her breath coiling upwards like steam from a kettle as she leant against the cow’s rear. Joe watched as she pulled her arm out and removed the long plastic glove that covered most of it.
‘It’s not much fun for the cow, either,’ she said.
‘If I was going to be a vet, I’d only want to look after small animals like cats – or wild animals like elephants, because that would be cool.’
‘So you think some of what I do is cool then, Joe?’
Binti smiled as she opened the gate and left the cow’s enclosure. Most of her work was as an international wildlife vet, but when she was at home she sometimes helped out if called upon by other vets in the area.
‘You might have to put your arm up an elephant’s bottom too, you know,’ she said.
‘What for?’
‘To find out if a female is pregnant, or perhaps to check for digestive problems. Pretty much the same as for a cow.’
‘Well, I wouldn’t mind so much if it was an elephant, because they’re exciting and I’m half Tanzanian. Cows are boring.’
‘Not to a bull they’re not.’ Binti laughed as she scrubbed her hands. ‘Come on, it’s dinner time.’
‘I’m glad Dad does the cooking, knowing where your hands have just been.’ Joe smirked.
His mother cuffed him gently.
Joe shivered as they left the barn. It had become dark and very chilly. They headed back towards the farmhouse, where Mike Downs greeted them on the doorstep. Through a window Joe could see a fire burning brightly and wished he were sitting in front of it.
‘I can’t find anything abnormal, Mike,’ said Binti, ‘but I’ll send a stool sample off to the lab and see if they come up with anything. In the meantime, just keep an eye on her and give me a call if you’re at all worried.’
‘Thanks, Binti. I’ll try not to disturb your weekend any further.’
‘It’s all part of the job, Mike. We can’t expect animals to fall sick only on weekdays.’
‘Are you going to follow in your mum’s footsteps when you’re older, young man?’ The farmer winked at Joe.
‘My son doesn’t like getting his hands dirty, do you, Joe?’ Binti smiled. ‘Right, we ought to make a move. Bye, Mike.’
She linked her arm through Joe’s. They walked quickly over to their four-by-four and clambered in.
‘Turn the heating up, Mum,’ said Joe. ‘It’s got really cold.’
Binti switched on the engine and played with the dials. ‘You’ll have to get used to the cold where we’re going,’ she said, shooting him a glance to watch his reaction.
Joe looked puzzled. ‘We’re going home for dinner, aren’t we?’
‘But what about when you break up for half-term?’ Binti questioned.
Joe detected a whiff of excitement. ‘I know,’ he said. ‘We’re going to Antarctica!’
‘Not quite,’ said Binti. ‘But we are going to Russia.’
‘Russia?’ Joe wasn’t sure how to react. ‘Why are we going to Russia?’
‘I’m going to help train some of the young vets over there in how to anaesthetize tigers.’
‘But there aren’t any tigers in Russia, are there?’ said Joe. ‘I thought they were all in India and Sumatra.’
‘There are Amur tigers in Russia. They’re the biggest, and there are very few left.’
Russia had sounded like a boring place to spend half-term – until Binti mentioned tigers. Now Joe couldn’t think of anything better, even if it was going to be cold . . .
Also by Adam Frost
Run! The Elephant Weighs a Ton!
More animal adventures with the
Nightingale family coming soon!
All of the animal facts in this story are true.
Everything else is fiction. Any connection
to any events that have taken place in London
Zoo is purely coincidental.
Bloomsbury Publishing, London, New Delhi, New York and Sydney
First published in Great Britain in June 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP
This electronic edition published in 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Manufactured and supplied under licence from the Zoological Society of London
Text copyright © Adam Frost 2012
Illustrations copyright © Mark Chambers 2012
The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted
All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise
make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means
(including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying,
printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the
publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 9781408829561
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