“We’d deal with them!”
Going over to the window, Sophie saw Grandpa practising Tai Chi in the garden. The Shadow Woods loomed up behind him. She smiled. Whatever creatures were waiting out there, she and Sam would be ready for them. “We’ll get the key back and stop them finding the gems!” she vowed.
“Yeah,” said Sam, joining her at the window. “We will. Book Boy and The Guardian – ready for anything!”
“Bring it on!” agreed Sophie with a grin.
Deep in the woods, there was a loud yell that shook the branches of the trees. “Gah! Swamp Boggles! What do they think they’re doing – dying on the job!” King Ug paced around his toadstool clearing, thwacking any goblin that came within reach. He had to get his hands on one of the shadow gems! The key was useless otherwise – just a lump of old metal.
Suddenly an idea came into Ug’s head. Slowly, he began to smile. Of course! He knew just what creature he was going to ask to help him next. He chortled in triumph, rubbing his pale hands together as the shadows in the woods darkened. Next time, that pesky girl Guardian wouldn’t stand a chance!
THE SHADOW FILES
What’s next in store for Sophie?
Deep in the Shadow Woods stood King Ug, the leader of the Ink Cap Goblins. His ivy crown rested wonkily on his dome-shaped head and his white flaky skin was covered with black blotches. He was talking to two squat figures in the shadows.
“Well? Do you think you can get one?” he demanded.
“Yessss,” one of the figures hissed, waving four of its eight legs. “We shall find a shadow gem, no matter what.”
“Those idiot Swamp Boggles said the same thing,” snorted King Ug. “They failed me. Numskulls!”
There was the sound of snapping jaws. “Ah, but we shall not fail you. We know how important it is that we shadow creatures all serve you, King Ug – you are the Keeper of the Key!”
King Ug smiled proudly. The key to the gate hung round his chest, and he reached up and touched it, feeling the empty space where a shadow gem needed to go. “How will you manage to get into the town unseen?” he demanded.
There was the sound of leg joints cracking. “We have many spiessss with many eyessss,” said one of the figures. A line of tiny spiders marched past on the ground. “They will search the humans’ town and find a gem for us, and when they do we shall fetch it and bring it here. Nothing shall stop usss!”
“Excellent!” chortled King Ug. He adjusted his crown. “I can see it was extremely clever of me to call on the Spider Gnomes for help. When you succeed, the gem will be mine and I shall finally open the gate.” His small black eyes gleamed as he imagined the fun that millions of shadow creatures would have, wreaking havoc in the human world.
All he needed was one small gem…
“Do you have what it takes to be the NEXT GUARDIAN?”
Prove your worth for a chance to win AWESOME prizes! It’s simple and fun!
Read the Sophie and the Shadow Woods series
Answer three questions about each book Pass a stage, collect a gem, enter for great prizes/freebies Pass SIX stages and get entered into the grand prize draw!
Stage Two
Answer these simple questions about The Swamp Boggles:
Where was the yellow gem hidden?
What did Sophie and Sam use to dry out the Swamp Boggles?
Who is Book Boy?
Got the answers? Go to: www.sophieandtheshadowwoods.com and start your journey!
You can find Stage One in The Goblin King and look out for Stage Three in The Spider Gnomes, out in July.
Good Luck!
Copyright
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SOPHIE AND THE SHADOW WOODS: THE SWAMP BOGGLES
SOPHIE AND THE SHADOW WOODS. Text copyright © Linda Chapman and Lee Weatherly 2011. Illustrations © Katie Wood 2011. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Linda Chapman and Lee Weatherly assert the moral right
to be identified as the authors of this work.
ISBN 978-0-00-741165-8
EPub Edition © MAY 2011 ISBN: 978-0-00-741166-5
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The Swamp Boggles Page 5
