Page 15 - My FlipBook

Chapter Three

The pirates jumped out of the Seaslug 2 and waded to shore.
“Shall we chop down trees?” they asked the Captain. “Shall we start a fire? Or

cook a monkey?”

“None of those!” growled Captain Snatchit. “We’re not staying long. All I want to
do is catch that pesky parrot Neptune. Then we’ll be off! Well? What are you waiting

for, you lazy lugworms? Get catching!”
But the pirates scratched their heads as they stared up at a flock of parrots flying

overhead.

“How do we know which one is Neptune, Cap’n? There are hundreds of parrots –
and they all look exactly the same!”

“Then catch them all!” roared Captain Snatchit.
“How?”

“With the fishing-net, of course! Do I have to do everything for you, you empty-
headed bubble-brains?”

So the pirates took the fishing-net out of the boat, while the Captain sat around

eating ship’s biscuits and shouting at them. Soon the net was spread between the trees
ready to catch careless parrots.

But the parrots were too careful and clever to be caught. They just flew over the
net, screeching at the pirates.

“Blistering bumptious birds!” yelled Captain Snatchit. “Take down the scabby net.

Pick lots of fruit instead. We’ll lure those parrots down!”
So the pirates climbed the trees, picking fruit and falling off while the Captain ate

more biscuits and shouted at them even louder. They piled the fruit up on the beach
and waited for the parrots to descend on it.

“Don’t eat it!” screamed Liana in the treetops. “Everybody stay where you are!”

And all the parrots stayed up in the trees.
“Curse those pimply parrots!” snarled Captain Snatchit. He threw down his ship’s

biscuit in disgust and stamped off.
Neptune, perched up in a fig tree, saw the biscuit on the ground. His mouth began

to water.