"I don't have to give you a turn!" laughed the witch. "My game. My rules."
The woodcutter's voice carried through the forest. "I think you should give him a chance. It's only fair."
"Fine," said the witch. "But you saw what happened to the maggots. He won't last long."
"I'll be right back," said Tony.
"What?" said the witch. "Where's your sense of impatience? I thought you wanted Henry the Hippo back."
Tony ignored the witch and gathered a hefty pile of sticks. He came back to the clearing and started a small camp fire. Carefully, he broke off a piece of the door of the house made from parsnips and toasted it over the fire. Once it had cooked and cooled just a little, he took a bite. He quickly devoured the whole piece.
Tony sat down on a nearby log.
"You fail!" cackled the witch. "You were supposed to eat the whole door."
"I haven't finished," explained Tony. "I am just waiting for my food to go down."
When Tony's food had digested, he broke off another piece of the door made from parsnips. Once more, he toasted his food over the fire and waited for it to cool just a little. He ate it at a leisurely pace then waited for it to digest.
Eventually, after several sittings, Tony was down to the final piece of the door made from parsnips. Carefully, he toasted it and allowed it to cool just a little. He finished his final course. Tony had eaten the entire front door of the house made from parsnips.
The witch stamped her foot angrily. "You must have tricked me!" she said. "I don't reward cheating!"
"I don't think so!" said a voice. It was the woodcutter. He walked back into the clearing, carrying his axe. "This little boy won fair and square. Now hand over Henry the Hippo or I will chop your broomstick in half."
The witch looked horrified. She grabbed her broomstick and placed it behind her. Then, huffing, she opened the door of the cage.
Tony hurried over and grabbed Henry the Hippo, checking that his favourite toy was all right. Fortunately, Henry the Hippo was unharmed.
Tony thanked the woodcutter, grabbed a quick souvenir, and hurried on to meet Morwenna. It was starting to get dark.
When Tony got to Morwenna's house, his threw her arms around him.
"I was so worried!" cried Morwenna. "You are very late."
As Tony described his day, he could tell that Morwenna didn't believe him. So he grabbed a napkin from his pocket.
"What's that?" asked Morwenna.
BẠN ĐANG ĐỌC
Tony Zeus and the Five Hysterical Maggots
Viễn tưởngOnce upon a time there was a pink boy called Tony Zeus. He was on the way to see his Morwenna Olsson, when he decided to take a short cut through Greenton Woods.
