The Dragonsitter's Party Read online

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Text copyright © 2015 by Josh Lacey

  Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Garry Parsons

  Text in excerpt from The Dragonsitter to the Rescue copyright © 2016 by Josh Lacey

  Illustrations from The Dragonsitter to the Rescue copyright © 2016 by Garry Parsons

  Cover art copyright © 2015 by Garry Parsons

  Hand-lettering copyright © 2016 by David Coulson

  Cover design by Angela Taldone

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  Little, Brown and Company

  Hachette Book Group

  1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104

  lb-kids.com

  Little, Brown and Company is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

  First ebook edition: January 2017

  Originally published in Great Britain in 2015 by Andersen Press Limited

  ISBN 978-0-316-29914-5

  E3-20161130-JV-PC

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Begin Reading

  Party Cupcakes

  A Sneak Peek of The Dragonsitter to the Rescue

  The Dragonsitter Series

  You Might Also Like

  About the Author and Illustrator

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Monday, March 20

  Subject: My party

  Attachments: Mister Mysterio

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  Did you get my invitation?

  I just wanted to check because you’re the only person who hasn’t RSVPed.

  I hope you can come. It’s going to be a great party. We’re having a magician.

  Love from your favorite nephew,

  Eddie

  From: Morton Pickle

  To: Edward Smith-Pickle

  Date: Tuesday, March 21

  Subject: Re: My party

  Dear Eddie,

  I would have loved to come to your party. There is very little that I enjoy more than the work of a good magician.

  Unfortunately, I have already promised to stay in Scotland and help on the farm with Mr. McDougall, who is a man short this weekend.

  That man is, of course, our mutual friend Gordon, who is very excited about coming to see you. He talks about nothing else.

  I can hardly believe that he only met your mother a few weeks ago. He already seems to know much more about her than I do, and I’ve known her for an entire lifetime.

  Mr. McDougall only agreed to give Gordon the weekend off if I would work in his place. This is the farm’s busiest time of the year, when all the new lambs are born.

  He will be bringing a small birthday surprise for you.

  With love from your affectionate uncle,

  Morton

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Wednesday, March 22

  Subject: Your surprise

  Attachments: Emily

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  Thank you for the surprise. I can’t wait to see what it is.

  Mom is very excited about Gordon coming to visit. She keeps buying new dresses, then taking them back to the store because they’re not quite right.

  I’m sorry you can’t come to my party. I know my friends would like to meet you. Will you come next year instead?

  I’ll send you some pictures of Mister Mysterio sawing someone in half.

  Apparently that’s the best part of his act.

  I am going to suggest he pick Emily.

  She said, “That’s not funny,” and I said I wasn’t trying to be funny. I just thought the house would be a bit more peaceful if I only had half a sister.

  Love,

  Eddie

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Thursday, March 23

  Subject: Special time

  Attachments: They’re here!

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  Gordon has arrived with your surprise.

  Mom was definitely surprised, but not in a good way.

  She said if she’d wanted your dragons to come and stay, she would have invited them.

  She was hoping to spend some special time with Gordon this weekend, but she says their time isn’t going to be very special if she’s got to look after two dragons, not to mention the nineteen kids who will be descending on the house on Saturday afternoon.

  Of course, I was very happy to see them.

  I can't believe how much Arthur has grown!

  He's also getting quite good at flying. We put him in the yard in case he needed to poop after the long drive, and he almost got over the fence.

  It's lucky he didn't, because Mrs. Kapelski was pruning her roses and she has a weak heart.

  I do wish Ziggy and Arthur could stay for my party. I know my friends would like to meet them.

  But Mom said, "Not a chance, buster."

  Could you come and get them ASAP?

  Love,

  Eddie

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Thursday, March 23

  Subject: Dinner

  Attachments: I don’t do pets

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  I just called both your numbers, but there was no answer. Are you already on your way to collect the dragons?

  I hope so, because Mom says they are living on borrowed time.

  She and Gordon were supposed to go out for dinner at a fancy French restaurant. Mom was wearing her best new dress, and Gordon looked very nice in his suit.

  But the babysitter took one look at Arthur and said, “I don’t do pets.”

  We promised to lock Arthur upstairs in my bedroom with Ziggy, but she wouldn’t change her mind, even when Mom offered to pay her double.

  By that time it was too late to get another babysitter, so Mom had to cancel the reservation.

  Luckily, she had two steaks in the fridge, so they decided to stay here and have a nice romantic evening in front of the TV.

  Unluckily, she took the steaks out of the fridge, put them on the counter, and turned around to get the vegetables.

  By the time she turned back again, Ziggy had eaten one steak and Arthur was halfway through the other.

  So she’s ordered some curry.

  Gordon says he likes curry much more than French food, but I think he’s just trying to be nice.

  Please call us ASAP and tell us your ETA.

  Eddie

  P.S. If you don’t know what ETA means, it means Estimated Time of Arrival.

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Thursday, March 23

  Subject: Curry

  Attachments: Mom in a mood

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  Arthur ate the curry.

  I didn’t actually see i
t happen because I was upstairs brushing my teeth, but I heard the screams.

  Mom says if you’re not here first thing tomorrow morning, she’s going to put your dragons on the train and send them back to Scotland on their own.

  To be honest, I can understand why she’s so upset.

  She’s been looking forward to her date with Gordon for ages, and your dragons have just ruined it.

  She won’t even let them in the house now.

  She chased them onto the patio with a broom and said they have to stay there all night.

  I wanted to stay out there with them in my sleeping bag, but Mom says I'll catch my death of cold.

  I hope the dragons don't catch theirs.

  Eddie

  From: Morton Pickle

  To: Edward Smith-Pickle

  Date: Thursday, March 23

  Subject: Re: Curry

  Dear Eddie,

  I’m terribly sorry I haven’t replied to your recent messages, but it’s all hands on deck for the lambing here.

  Please tell your mother that I am very sorry. I had thought the dragons would be a nice birthday surprise for you. I didn’t realize that they would spoil her weekend with Gordon.

  Of course I will come and collect them. I have just checked the train schedule. If I leave my island at dawn and row to the mainland, I can get to the station in time for the first train and should be with you by the evening.

  However, I have already promised my services to Mr. McDougall for the entire weekend, so I can only leave him in the lurch if Gordon comes straight back here and does the lambing himself.

  Unless your mother would prefer him to stay where he is?

  Morton

  P.S. Your mother is quite right: However warm your sleeping bag may be, you will be much more comfortable in your own bed. There is no need to be concerned about Ziggy and Arthur. They are used to Scottish winters and Outer Mongolian blizzards, so a short time in the yard won’t do them any harm.

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Friday, March 24

  Subject: Gas

  Attachments: Oatmeal

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  I told Mom what you said. She thought about it for a bit. Then she said, “Fine.”

  I think she must really like Gordon.

  Mom even let the dragons back inside.

  I just hope the smell doesn’t make her change her mind.

  Arthur has been making terrible farts all morning. The whole house stinks like curry.

  He’d better stop before tomorrow or my friends will be poisoned.

  Now they’re having oatmeal for breakfast.

  I wouldn’t have thought dragons liked oatmeal, but yours seem to.

  Gordon says no one could possibly resist proper oatmeal made by a real Scotsman.

  Even I quite liked it, and I hate oatmeal.

  I’d better go now. It’s time for school.

  I wish I could stay here and make cupcakes with Gordon.

  But Mom says life isn’t fair, even on the day before your birthday.

  Love,

  Eddie

  P.S. Emily asks if you can send a picture of the lambs.

  P.P.S. Please say hello to Mr. McDougall from me.

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Friday, March 24

  Subject: Where are you????

  Attachments: Quiet night in; Popcorn problem

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  Mom says thanks very much for ruining her one chance at happiness.

  Gordon has gone for a walk. He said, “See you later,” but Mom says he’ll probably just drive straight back to Scotland.

  I think they had a bit of a fight.

  It was Ziggy’s fault. Or maybe Arthur’s.

  I don’t know which of them bit the babysitter.

  Mom found one who also watches pets. She booked another table at that French restaurant. She was wearing her second-favorite dress, and Gordon was in his suit again.

  Emily and I waved good-bye from the doorstep.

  Then we stayed here and watched TV with the babysitter.

  Everything was going fine until the babysitter got hungry.

  She should have known you never take popcorn from a dragon.

  When the smoke cleared, the babysitter was jumping around on one leg, screaming at the top of her lungs, and looking for her phone.

  Mom and Gordon had to come straight home. They didn’t even get to try their appetizer.

  Now Ziggy and Arthur are back on the patio.

  They both look very sad.

  They’re staring through the glass, watching Mom eat their malted milk balls.

  She’s going to put them on the train to Scotland if you’re not here first thing tomorrow morning.

  I don’t like the idea of two dragons alone on the train, but Mom says they’re old enough to look after themselves.

  Please get here soon.

  Eddie

  From: Morton Pickle

  To: Edward Smith-Pickle

  Date: Friday, March 24

  Subject: Re: Where are you????

  Dear Eddie,

  You can tell your mother not to worry. I have just booked a flight from Glasgow, leaving at nine o’clock tomorrow morning. I should be with you just after lunch.

  I am very much looking forward to wishing you a happy birthday in person.

  If your mother will allow me and the dragons to stay for the afternoon, I will have a chance to see your magician in action.

  Unfortunately, I appear to have misplaced your invitation. Can you remind me what time the party starts?

  Finally—and most importantly—what would you like for your birthday? I’m ashamed to say that I have failed to buy you anything, but if you could give me a suggestion for the perfect gift, I shall try to find it at the airport.

  Love from your affectionate uncle,

  Morton

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Saturday, March 25

  Subject: 3 p.m.

  Attachments: Opening my presents

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  The party starts at three o’clock.

  Please try to get here on time or you’ll miss Mister Mysterio sawing someone in half.

  I’m very pleased my friends will get to meet you.

  Don’t worry about not getting me a birthday present. Dad didn’t, either.

  He didn’t even send me a card. He just texted me this morning.

  Mom said that was typical of him, which isn’t actually true because last year he sent me a new bike.

  I think he’s just very busy at the moment rebuilding his castle.

  If you would like to get me something, I would really like a magic set.

  I did ask Mom for one, but she gave me a microscope and a book and another book and three pairs of socks instead.

  Gordon gave me a fishing rod.

  I always thought fishing was a bit boring, but he says nothing could be further from the truth.

  He wanted to teach me this morning, but Mom said not when nineteen kids are arriving any minute.

  They’re not really arriving any minute. It’s only ten past eight.

  But we do have a lot of cleaning up to do before the party starts, not to mention making the sandwiches, opening the bags of chips, and putting all the pigs in a blanket on plates.

  So I’d better go.

  See you later!

  Love,

  Eddie

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Saturday, March 25

  Subject: My party

  Attachments: Party pics

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  Did you miss your flight?

  You missed a great party, too.

  I thought it was great, anyway, although I’m not sure everyone did.

  Mister Mysterio certainly didn’t.

  The
problem was he didn’t listen to me.

  The first part of his act went really well. First, he made a coin disappear. Then he found it behind Emily’s ear.

  I said I could do that, too.

  Then he made ten coins disappear and he pulled a ten-dollar bill out of Emily’s nose.

  He said, “Can you do that?”

  I said I couldn’t.

  Then he asked me to pick a card, any card.

  It was the Queen of Hearts.

  He let me put the card back in the deck and shuffle it.

  Then he took the deck and threw it in the air and just caught one of the cards—and it was the Queen of Hearts!

  Then he made a real goldfish appear in a glass of water.

  Then he drank it and the goldfish appeared in another glass.

  Then he took off his hat and put his hand inside and pulled out a white rabbit.