He could hardly wait to tell them about all the adventures they’d been having, and how they’d been into outer space and visited other janets, and how brave they were even though they might not know it yet.
The onlookers started cheering again. Wilton gave them a grateful look. And saw, in the crowd, more familiar faces.
The neighbours.
In fact, Wilton saw as he wriggled his tail at them delightedly, there seemed to be quite a few neighbours as well.
Hope they’ve got a bigger cave, he thought.
‘Hey, Wriggles,’ said the Algys. ‘We’ve got a prezzie for you. Just came down in the sludge.’
The Algys parted to reveal a familiar round object.
Well, sort of familiar. Wilton had never seen a whole one before, only a half. And he’d never seen one unhatched like this.
‘A worm egg,’ whispered Wilton. ‘Thank you.’
It was the best present he’d ever been given.
‘Our theory,’ said the Algys, ‘is that the janet picked it up patting the dog. We thought you might like having another worm around.’
‘Yes,’ said Wilton as he stroked the egg. ‘I’d like that very much.’
He gave his best friends another hug.
Then he looked up at the valley slopes.
He felt like wriggling up and rolling back down, just for fun.
Also by Morris Gleitzman
PIZZA CAKE
Save ten lives with a paperclip, make a new friend in a garbage bin, rescue your dad from a dog and a spider, eat a pizza that makes you fearless, and imagine a world where teachers earn more than a rock star . . . Funny stories with the lot.
GIVE PEAS A CHANCE
Surprise your mum with a chainsaw, save the world with a plate of veggies, rescue your family with a tomato, do a good deed with a bag on your head, upset your auntie with ten kilos of chocolate, swap a bomb for ice-creams on a train . . . Funny stories you’ll gobble up.
DOUBTING THOMAS
Thomas has an embarrassing secret. Is it a rare and special gift or the worst thing that could happen to a boy? A story about best friends, surprising adventures and itchy nipples.
BOY OVERBOARD
Jamal and Bibi have a dream. To lead Australia to soccer glory in the next World Cup. But first they must face landmines, pirates, storms and assassins. Can Jamal and his family survive their incredible journey and get to Australia?
GIRL UNDERGROUND
Bridget wants a quiet life. Including, if possible, keeping her parents out of prison. Then a boy called Menzies makes her an offer she can’t refuse and they set off on a job of their own. It’s a desperate, daring plan – to rescue two kids, Jamal and Bibi, from a desert detention centre. Can Bridget and Menzies pull off their very first jail break, or will they end up behind bars too?
EXTRA TIME
A young Aussie soccer genius and his 10-year-old manager take on the world. And win. For a time.
TOO SMALL TO FAIL
What do you do when your mum, your dad and sixteen camels are in trouble – and only you can save them? The sometimes sad but mostly funny story of a boy, a girl, a dog and four trillion dollars.
GRACE
In the beginning there was me and Mum and Dad and the twins. And talk about happy families, we were bountiful. But it came to pass that I started doing sins. And lo, that’s when all our problems began.
LOYAL CREATURES
They were loyal creatures, the men and horses of the Australian Light Horse, but war doesn’t always pay heed to loyalty. This is the powerful story of a 16-year-old volunteer and his horse in World War One and the journey towards his own kind of bravery.
ONCE
Once I escaped from an orphanage to find Mum and Dad. Once I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house. Once I made a Nazi with a toothache laugh. My name is Felix. This is my story.
THEN
I had a plan for me and Zelda. Pretend to be someone else. Find new parents. Be safe forever. Then the Nazis came.
AFTER
After the Nazis took my parents I was scared. After they killed my best friend I was angry. After they ruined my thirteenth birthday I was determined. To get to the forest. To join forces with Gabriek and Yuli. To be a family. To defeat the Nazis after all.
SOON
I hoped the Nazis would be defeated. And they were. I hoped the war would be over. And it was. I hoped we would be safe. But we aren’t.
NOW
Once I didn’t know about my grandfather Felix’s scary childhood. Then I found out what the Nazis did to his best friend Zelda. Now I understand why Felix does the things he does. At least he’s got me. My name is Zelda too. This is our story.
BUMFACE
His mum calls him Mr Dependable, but Angus can barely cope. Another baby would be a disaster. So Angus comes up with a bold and brave plan to stop her getting pregnant. That’s when he meets Rindi. And Angus thought he had problems . . .
WATER WINGS
Pearl needs a gran and she needs one now.
Luckily she’s got Winston to help her.
You can do anything when your best friend is the world’s brainiest guinea pig.
Well, almost anything.
ARISTOTLE’S NOSTRIL
Aristotle just wants to be happy. And, if possible, have the biggest adventure of his life. With no sneezing. Is that too much for a germ to ask?
TOAD RAGE
The epic and very funny story of one slightly squashed cane toad’s quest for the truth.
TOAD HEAVEN
The stirring saga of one slightly squashed cane toad’s dreams of a safe place and what happens when he wakes up.
TOAD AWAY
The heroic tale of one slightly squashed cane toad’s travels across oceans, continents and some really busy roads.
TOAD SURPRISE
The wart-tingling escapade of one slightly squashed cane toad’s hunt for friendship and the surprising place he finds it.
GIFT OF THE GAB
It’s a normal week for Rowena Batts.
A car full of stewed apples. A police cell.
A struggle to keep Dad off national TV.
Then her world turns upside down.
TEACHER’S PET
Ginger is allergic to cats.
And possibly to her family as well.
She’s also not keen on the cat food in her breakfast bowl or the school principal trying to kill her best friend. The question on everyone’s lips is – will Ginger snap?
ADULTS ONLY
Jake is an only kid. He’s the only kid in his family. He’s the only kid on his island. Or that’s what he thinks.
SECOND CHILDHOOD
Mark and his friends discover they’ve lived before. Not only that – they were Famous and Important People! Which is lots of fun. At first.
THE OTHER FACTS OF LIFE
Ben stared at the TV. He’d never seen anything like it. Fascinating. Incredible. Awful. He had to do something.
PUFFIN BOOKS
UK | USA | Canada | Ireland | Australia
India | New Zealand | South Africa | China
Penguin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies
whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.
First published by Penguin Australia Pty Ltd, 2004
This edition published by Penguin Australia Pty Ltd, 2016
Text copyright © Creative Input Pty Ltd, 2004
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Cover design by Tony Palmer © Penguin Australia Pty Ltd, 2016
Cover illustration copyright Jeremy Ley, 2016
puffin.com.au
ISBN: 978-1-74228-490-3
THE BEGINNING
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Worm Story Page 10
