Creamy picked up his feet and lumbered after Lennie as fast as he could. Sprays of sand flew into the air as he pounded up the beach.

The fishwoman, not far behind, paused suddenly in her chase and stood there rubbing her eyes. ‘Can't see a thing with all the sand that wretched bear's throwing up in my eyes!’ she shouted. ‘You carry on! Go get those two! Run!’

The caps ran. But Creamy and Lennie, already half way up the dunes, were running faster, and soon disappeared into the grove. They kept on running till they reached the darkest part of it.

‘That'll do, Creamy!’ panted Lennie, and grabbing Creamy's paw pulled him down into the thick undergrowth. For a while, they lay there, hardly daring to breathe, ears straining for the slightest sound. But all that could be heard was the soft rustling of leaves stirring in the canopy of the trees.

‘They seem to have given up,’ whispered Lennie into Creamy's ear after a while.

‘Thank goodness,’ Creamy whispered back. Then he sat up cautiously, and began to brush twigs and dead leaves out of his fur, grumbling to himself: ‘Wish I hadn't left that bucket of fish there….’

‘What's that?’ asked Lennie softly.

‘Nothing,’ said Creamy, ‘I’m hungry, aren't you?’

Lennie sighed. ‘Well, a bit of food would be nice. But we'll have to find some work first…’

‘What, work again?’ exclaimed Creamy. This whole trip's turning out to be nothing but work! Can't we get some money without work? I'm bored of work!’

Lennie chuckled. ‘Well, considering that you've hardly done any work since you got us off the ship….’

‘What do you mean I got us off the ship! It was that sailor …’

‘Shush! I think I can hear somebody coming,’ whispered Lennie and put his paw on Creamy's lips.

Go straight to the next chapter, or go back to the chapter list