“Help!” shouted Henry.“I can’t hold on to him much longer…he’s slipping… aaahhh, he’s fallen!”
Horrid Henry held up the empty shoes.
“He’s gone,” whispered Henry. He peeked out of the window.“Ugghh, I can’t look.”
Mr. Nerdon went pale. He ran to the window and saw Perfect Peter lying still and shoeless on the ground below.
“Oh no,” gasped Mr. Nerdon.
“I’m sorry,” panted Henry.“I tried to hold on to him, honest, I—”
“Help!” screamed Mr. Nerdon. He raced down the stairs.“Police! Fire! Ambulance! Help! Help!”
He ran over to Peter and knelt by his still body.
“Can I get up now, Henry?” said Perfect Peter.
“What!?” gasped Mr. Nerdon.“What did you say?”
Then the terrible truth dawned. He, Ninius Nerdon, had been tricked.
“YOU HORRID BOY! GO STRAIGHT TO THE PRINCIPAL— NOW!” screeched Mr. Nerdon.
Perfect Peter jumped to his feet.
“But…but—” spluttered Perfect Peter.
“Now!” screamed Mr. Nerdon.“How dare you! To the principle!”
“AAAGGGHHHH,” shrieked Peter.
He slunk off to the principal’s office, weeping.
Mr. Nerdon turned to race up the stairs to grab Henry.
“I’ll get you, Henry!” he screamed. His face was white. He looked as if he were going to faint.
“Help,” squeaked Mr. Nerdon.
Then he fainted.
Clunk! Thunk! Thud! NEE NAW NEE NAW NEE NAW.
When the ambulance arrived, the only person lying on the ground was Mr. Nerdon.They scooped him onto a stretcher and took him away.
The perfect end to a perfect day, thought Horrid Henry, throwing his new football in the air. Peter sent home in disgrace. Mr. Nerdon gone for good. Even the news that scary Miss Battle-Axe would be teaching Henry’s class didn’t bother him. After all, tomorrow was another day.
And now for a sneak peek at one of the laugh-out-loud stories in Horrid Henry and the Mega-Mean Time Machine
PERFECT PETER'S REVENGE
Perfect Peter had had enough. Why oh why did he always fall for Henry’s tricks?
Every time it happened he swore Henry would never ever trick him again. And every time he fell for it. How could he have believed that there were fairies at the bottom of the garden? Or that there was such a thing as a Fangmangler? But the time machine was the worst. The very very worst. Everyone had teased him. Even Goody-Goody Gordon asked him if he’d seen any spaceships recently.
Well, never again. His mean, horrible brother had tricked him for the very last time.
I’ll get my revenge, thought Perfect Peter, pasting the last of his animal stamps into his album. I’ll make Henry sorry for being so mean to me.
But what horrid mean nasty thing could he do? Peter had never tried to take revenge on anyone.
He asked Tidy Ted.
“Mess up his room,” said Ted.
But Henry’s room was already a mess. He asked Spotless Sam.
“Put a spaghetti stain on his shirt,” said
Sam.
But Henry’s shirts were already stained. Peter picked up a copy of his favorite magazine Best Boy. Maybe it would have some handy hints on the perfect revenge. He searched the table of contents:
Reluctantly, Peter closed Best Boy magazine. Somehow he didn’t think he’d find the answer inside. He was on his own.
I’ll tell Mom that Henry eats candy in his bedroom, thought Peter. Then Henry would get into trouble. Big big trouble.
But Henry got into trouble all the time. That wouldn’t be anything special.
I know, thought Peter, I’ll hide Mr. Kill. Henry would never admit it, but he couldn’t sleep without Mr. Kill. But so what if Henry couldn’t sleep? He’d just come and jump on Peter’s head or sneak downstairs and watch scary movies.
I have to think of something really, really horrid, thought Peter. It was hard for Peter to think horrid thoughts, but Peter was determined to try.
He would call Henry a horrid name, like Ugly Toad or Poo Poo Face. That would show him.
But if I did, Henry would hit me, thought Peter.
Wait, he could tell everyone at school that Henry wore diapers. Henry the big diaper. Henry the big smelly diaper. Henry diaper face. Henry poopy pants. Peter smiled happily. That would be the perfect revenge.
Then he stopped smiling. Sadly, no one at school would believe that Henry still wore diapers. Worse, they might think that Peter still did! Eeeek.
I’ve got it, thought Peter, I’ll put a muddy twig in Henry’s bed. Peter had read a great story about a younger brother who’d done just that to a mean older one. That would serve Henry right.
But was a muddy twig enough revenge for all of Henry’s crimes against him?
No it was not.
I give up, thought Peter, sighing. It was hopeless. He just couldn’t think of anything horrid enough.
Peter sat down on his beautifully made bed and opened Best Boy magazine.
shrieked the headline.
And then a dreadful thought tiptoed into his head. It was so dreadful, and so horrid, that Perfect Peter could not believe that he had thought it.
“No,” he gasped. “I couldn’t.” That was too evil.
But…but…wasn’t that exactly what he wanted? A horrid revenge on a horrid brother?
“Don’t do it!” begged his angel.
“Do it!” urged his devil, thrilled to get the chance to speak. “Go on, Peter! Henry deserves it.”
YES! thought Peter. He would do it. He would have revenge!
Perfect Peter sat down at the computer.
Tap tap tap.
Dear Margaret,
I love you. Will you marry me?
Peter printed out the note and carefully scrawled:
There! thought Peter proudly. That looks just like Henry’s writing. He folded the note, then sneaked into the garden, climbed over the wall, and left it on the table inside Moody Margaret’s Secret Club tent.
We cannot believe Peter would be so awful to try to trick his wonderful brother Henry. You will not believe what happens next even if we tell you. Perfect Peter is not very perfect in Horrid Henry’s next hilarious book: Horrid Henry and the Mega-Mean Time Machine.
HORRID HENRY
Henry is dragged to dancing class against his will; vies with Moody Margaret to make the yuckiest Glop; goes camping; and tries to be good like Perfect Peter—but not for long.
HORRID HENRY and THE MEGAMEAN TIME MACHINE
Horrid Henry reluctantly goes for a hike; builds a time machine and convinces Perfect Peter that boys wear dresses in the future; Perfect Peter plays one of the worst tricks ever on his brother; and Henry’s aunt takes the family to a fancy restaurant, so his parents bribe him to behave.
HORRID HENRY'S STINKBOMB
Horrid Henry uses a stinkbomb as a toxic weapon in his long-running war with Moody Margaret; uses all his tricks to win the school reading competition; goes for a sleepover and retreats in horror when he finds that other people’s houses aren’t always as nice as his own; and has the joy of seeing Miss Battle-Axe in hot water with the principle when he knows it was all his fault.
About the Author
Photo: Francesco Guidicini
Francesca Simon spent her childhood on the beach in California and then went to Yale and Oxford Universities to study medieval history and literature. She now lives in London with her family. She has written over forty-five books and won the Children’s Book of the Year in 2008 at the Galaxy British Book Awards for Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman.
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Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy Page 4