Lulu Bell and the Fairy Penguin

by Belinda Murrell

  About the Book

  Meet Lulu Bell. Where there’s Lulu, there’s family, friends, animals and adventures galore!

  It’s a hot day and the Bell family is going for a swim. But when a runaway dog chases a little penguin that is waddling up the beach, Lulu has to leap into action!

  Is the little penguin hurt? And as if that’s not enough for Lulu to worry about, where is Pickles the cat, who’s about to have her kittens? Let the search begin!

  Contents

  Cover

  About the Book

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1: Pickles

  Chapter 2: Down the Hill

  Chapter 3: After School

  Chapter 4: Beach Fun

  Chapter 5: The Runaway Dog

  Chapter 6: Dad to the Rescue

  Chapter 7: Back to the Wild

  Chapter 8: Fishy Time

  Chapter 9: The Washing Machine

  Chapter 10: The Design Contest

  Chapter 11: Painting the Mural

  Lulu Bell and the Birthday Unicorn

  Read all the Lulu Bell books

  About the Author

  About the Illustrator

  Copyright Notice

  Loved the book?

  For Pippa Masson and Paul Macdonald, who encouraged me to create Lulu, and for Zoe Walton, Kimberley Bennett and Serena Geddes, who helped Lulu come alive.

  Chapter 1

  Pickles

  It was Tuesday morning and the Bell family was getting ready for school. Lulu Bell looked closely at the tortoiseshell cat by her feet.

  ‘Pickles is looking very round,’ said Lulu. ‘I think she might pop!’

  ‘That’s because she’s going to have kittens any day now,’ said Mum.

  Pickles stared at Lulu and meowed. She wanted more breakfast. Lulu stroked Pickles and rubbed her plump tummy.

  Mum was making chicken-and-lettuce sandwiches. She dropped a chunk of chicken in the bowl for Pickles to gobble up.

  Lulu’s little sister Rosie was sitting on a stool at the bench. ‘I wonder how many kittens Pickles will have?’ she asked. ‘Maybe she’ll have twenty!’

  Mum laughed. ‘Dad thinks maybe four or five,’ she replied. ‘If Pickles were having twenty, she really would pop!’

  Lulu’s dad was a vet, and the family lived in the rambling house behind Shelly Beach Veterinary Hospital.

  Lulu went to the pantry to get out some cereal for breakfast. The box felt very heavy. When Lulu shook it over her bowl, a pile of plastic action figures fell out.

  ‘Oh no,’ wailed Lulu. She checked inside the box. ‘There’s no cereal left.’

  The kitchen door flew open and in darted a big brown dog. She was chased by a tiny superhero. A pair of bright brown eyes peered out from behind the hero’s black mask. He wore a cheeky grin.

  Lulu glared at her brother. ‘Gus, did you eat all the cereal?’ she asked. She waved the empty box and the handful of toys.

  The grin disappeared and Gus shook his head. He pointed at the big dog beside him.

  ‘Jessie did,’ said Gus.

  Lulu wrinkled her nose. ‘How did Jessie get the cereal?’

  Jessie slunk away and hid under the table. Her ears drooped.

  ‘Jessie naughty,’ said Gus. He stuck his thumb in his mouth.

  ‘Do you mean you fed her the cereal, Gus?’ asked Lulu.

  Gus zoomed off, his antennae bobbing.

  Mum smiled at Lulu. ‘Never mind, honey bun,’ Mum said. ‘I’ll make you some toast for breakfast. Rosie, why don’t you read your home reader out loud to us while the bread toasts?’

  While Rosie read from her homework book, Lulu worked on her latest drawing. She was making a book of flower fairy drawings. She had finished Fairy Rose and Fairy Daisy, and was now working on Fairy Lily.

  ‘Lovely reading, Rosie. You are doing so well.’

  Rosie glowed with pride at her mother’s praise.

  Mum brought the toast to the bench and buttered it.

  ‘How’s the drawing coming along, Lulu?’ said Mum. She peered at the drawing upside down from the other side of the bench. ‘I think the rose is my favourite fairy. I love the colour you’ve used for her ball gown – blush pink with a tinge of palest yellow.’

  Mum was an artist, so she always encouraged the girls to draw and paint. Gus rarely sat still long enough to draw.

  ‘Thanks, Mum,’ replied Lulu. She compared the three drawings. ‘I don’t know whether to make the Fairy Lily’s skirt white or pink.’

  ‘Why not orange?’ suggested Mum. ‘The colour of a tiger lily?’

  Lulu picked out a bright orange pencil and looked at it closely. Mum was right. The orange was perfect. She carefully began to colour the skirt.

  Lulu thought about school. Yesterday Miss Baxter had hinted that she had a surprise announcement for the class. She had warned them that she needed lots of good arty ideas today. Lulu loved doing art. And she especially loved surprises. What could the surprise possibly be?

  Chapter 2

  Down the Hill

  While the girls munched their toast, Mum peeled two oranges. She cut up the fruit and put it in plastic snack containers.

  The girls packed their lunches and homework into their schoolbags. They found their hats and were ready at last.

  Lulu’s best friend Molly was waiting out the front with her mum and her younger brother Sam. He had started school only two weeks before.

  Molly stroked Asha’s silky ears.

  ‘Could I walk Asha, please, Chrissie?’ she asked.

  ‘Of course you can, Molly,’ agreed Lulu’s mum. ‘Lulu can take Jessie.’

  The group walked down the hill, chatting and laughing. Mum pushed Gus in the pram. A neighbour waved and called hello as they passed.

  It was a fine morning, with a deep-blue sky. A flock of white-and-yellow cockatoos swooped overhead. They squawked and cawed.

  ‘It’s going to be scorching today,’ said Mum. ‘If it’s still hot this afternoon, we might go to the beach for a swim. Would you, Molly and Sam like to come too, Tien?’

  Molly’s mum Tien nodded. ‘What a lovely idea,’ she said. ‘We can take a picnic afternoon tea.’

  ‘Yay,’ cried Lulu, Rosie and Molly together. Sam smiled.

  ‘Can we take our boogie boards?’ asked Lulu.

  ‘And my angel wings?’ suggested Rosie.

  ‘Why not?’ replied Mum. ‘It’ll be fun. Perhaps we can have fish and chips for dinner on the beach.’

  Jessie wagged her tail extra-fast. ‘Dinner’ was her favourite word.

  ‘Woof?’ the dog asked. She looked back and forth between Mum and Lulu.

  ‘Not you, Jessie,’ replied Mum. ‘You and Asha are staying home.’

  Jessie’s tail drooped and her eyes stared up mournfully. Lulu patted her head.

  ‘Never mind, girl,’ said Lulu. ‘We’ll save you some chips.’

  Jessie smiled happily again. She really was the smiliest dog in the world.

  At the school gate, Mum kissed both of her girls and waved goodbye. Gus waved goodbye too.

  ‘See you this afternoon. Have a lovely day,’ called both mums.

  ‘Bye, Mum. Love you, Mum,’ called Lulu, Rosie, Sam and Molly.

  ‘Love you, too.’

  Now Lulu had two things to look forward to. First was Miss Baxter’s surprise. Then there was the trip to the beach.

  Chapter 3

  After School

  The summer sun blazed down when the bell rang for the end of school.

  Some of the year six boys were having a water fight. They squirted each other with their water bottles. One of them squirted Lulu. She squealed wi
th shock. The icy water felt lovely and cool down her back.

  Lulu’s mum and Molly’s mum were waiting under the shade of a tree in the playground. Mum looked cool and calm in a blue floral sundress. Molly’s brother Sam was standing close beside his mother.

  Gus was wearing his Bug Boy suit despite the heat. He ran to the climbing frame with some friends from pre-school.

  Lulu and Molly skipped over to meet their mothers. They dumped their school bags beside the pram. It was piled high with towels, beach bags, boogie boards and Rosie’s angel wings. ‘Hello there, honey bun,’ said Mum. She gave Lulu a hug. ‘How was your day?’

  ‘It was great, Mum,’ said Lulu. ‘Guess what Miss Baxter’s surprise was? She has asked us all to draw a design for a mural. Our class is going to do a giant painting on the fence of a new building site.’

  Lulu’s face shone with excitement.

  ‘That sounds like fun,’ said Mum. ‘Do you have any ideas for it yet?’

  ‘I’m not sure,’ replied Lulu. She chewed her lip. ‘Miss Baxter said that the mural will be up for at least a year, so it needs to be very special. At first I thought about doing some flower fairies. But the building company wants the mural to be about our local community.’

  ‘Well, perhaps you will get some ideas down at the beach,’ replied Mum. ‘I thought we could go there straight away. Where’s Rosie?’

  Lulu waved her hand towards the hall. Rosie was surrounded by a group of girls. They were all chatting and giggling.

  ‘Bye, Ruby. Bye, Mia. See you tomorrow,’ said Rosie. She ran towards her family. ‘Hi, Mum. Did you remember my angel wings?’

  ‘Right here, honey bun,’ said Mum. She unhooked the feathery white wings from the back of the pram.

  Rosie slipped the straps over her shoulders and twirled around happily.

  ‘Come on, Gus,’ called Mum. ‘It’s time to go to the beach for a swim.’

  Gus ignored her and scrambled higher on the climbing frame. He perched on the top rung. A wicked smile spread across his face and he waved to all the children below.

  Lulu tossed a plait over her shoulder. ‘Shall I climb up and get him for you, Mum?’ she offered.

  ‘Thanks, honey bun,’ replied Mum with a smile. ‘It’s too high for me.’

  Lulu swung hand over hand up the rope net.

  ‘Gussie. Time to come down,’ she said.

  ‘I not Gus, I Bug Boy,’ insisted Gus. He scowled at his sister.

  ‘I know,’ coaxed Lulu. ‘But it’s time to go on an adventure at the beach. We can catch some crabs and build a huge sandcastle.’

  Gus’s eyes lit up behind his mask.

  ‘Do you want to come for a slide on my boogie board?’ offered Lulu. ‘I’ll pull you along.’

  Gus nodded eagerly. Lulu held out her hand.

  ‘Come on then, Bug Boy.’

  Together they climbed down again to join Mum, Rosie, Molly, Sam and Tien.

  ‘Thanks, honey bun,’ said Mum. ‘Let’s go to the beach and see if we can find something to inspire your mural design.’

  Chapter 4

  Beach Fun

  It was a five-minute walk from school to the sheltered cove beach. The sun danced on the blue water of the harbour. It glinted and glittered. Dazzling white sailboats skimmed across the water and a ferry honked its horn. Seagulls swooped and soared, squabbling for scraps. The air smelt of salt and seaweed and hot chips.

  The two mums carried the pram and all the gear onto the yellow sand. Lulu pulled off her hot shoes and socks. She squelched the crumbly sand between her toes.

  The mums made a screen of beach towels. The children took turns to duck behind the towels and wriggle into their swimming costumes and rash vests. Mum and Tien slathered them all with sunscreen.

  ‘Race you in,’ called Lulu. She threw her hat on her bag and set off towards the water.

  Molly and Rosie squealed and chased her. They splashed through the tiny waves on the shore.

  The water was cold and clear and wonderful. It washed away the stickiness of the day. The girls dived and dunked, catching each other by the heel.

  Gus ran into the water, still wearing his Bug Boy costume. He wore his floaties over the top. He jumped into the shallows and shrieked with glee. Sam followed more slowly.

  ‘Let’s dive down to the bottom like mermaids and find shells,’ suggested Rosie. ‘Maybe we’ll find a magical pearl.’

  ‘Or a dolphin baby,’ added Lulu.

  The two mums dropped their sundresses onto the sand. They were already wearing their swimming costumes underneath. They swam out into the deep water and back. Then they sat on the beach, watching and chatting.

  For afternoon tea, Mum had cut up an icy cold watermelon and a juicy sweet pineapple, and added some pale green grapes. Everyone sat with their legs in the water as they shared the sticky, crunchy fruit.

  ‘This pineapple is divine,’ said Mum. ‘It tastes of sunshine and summer.’

  ‘Mmmm,’ agreed Molly.

  Lulu sucked a wedge of yellow pineapple and let the juice dribble down her throat.

  ‘Dulishus,’ said Gus, his mouth full of pink watermelon.

  ‘You’re delicious, Gus,’ said Mum. She smiled at him fondly.

  ‘I not dulishus,’ said Gus seriously. ‘I’m boy.’

  Everyone laughed.

  True to her word, Lulu put Gus on her boogie board. She charged up and down the beach, skimming Gus along the wet sand.

  ‘Faster,’ called Gus. ‘Faster.’

  When they tired of that game, the children wandered along the shore. They collected treasure in their hats: shells, feathers, driftwood, twigs and sea glass washed up by the tide.

  Together the five children built a huge fairy house in the sand. It had lots of rooms, towers, fences and walkways. Twigs and sticks were arranged to make a bridge. Gus dug a deep fairy swimming pool, showering sand everywhere. Sam surrounded it with gardens of seaweed.

  The girls decorated the sand walls. They used pink-and-white shells and polished green sea glass. The towers were topped with feather flags.

  ‘Look, Mum,’ called Rosie. ‘Do you like our fairy palace?’

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ agreed Mum. ‘I wish I could live in a palace like that.’

  She pulled her camera from her bag and walked over.

  ‘Come on, smile for the photo,’ said Mum.

  The children gathered around the sand sculpture. They smiled up at the camera.

  ‘Gus, don’t you want to be in the photo?’ asked Mum.

  Gus pouted, but then his eyes took on a wicked glint. ‘Bug Boy to the rescue,’ shouted Gus.

  He stood up and took a running leap. He landed right in the middle of the fairy palace. It smashed to pieces. Sand spattered all over everyone.

  ‘Gus,’ shouted Molly, Lulu and Rosie together.

  ‘Oh, never mind, honey buns,’ sighed Mum. ‘I think it’s time for another swim.’

  They jumped in the water to wash off the sticky sand. Lulu and Molly had a boogie board race. They paddled out into the deep water and back. On the shore, Mum helped Sam, Rosie and Gus to build a new sandcastle.

  Chapter 5

  The Runaway Dog

  The sun was sinking on the western horizon. It streaked the sky with brilliant hues of crimson, gold and purple.

  Lulu, Rosie, Gus, Molly and Sam were exploring the rock pools. They peered at crabs and periwinkles. They poked at the sea anemones with their fingers to make them close up.

  ‘Lulu,’ called Mum. ‘Rosie, Gus. It’s time to leave. Let’s go and buy some fish and chips for dinner.’

  The mums packed up. The children dried off and put on their school uniforms. Their skin felt crusty with salt and sand and fun.

  ‘If we’re very lucky we might see a fairy penguin,’ said Mum. ‘They have a colony in this cove. Their burrows are at the foot of those cliffs and under the wharf. They go out fishing all day and come back at dusk.’

  ‘We learned about the p
enguins at school,’ said Lulu. ‘Miss Baxter said they don’t call them fairy penguins any more – they call them little penguins.’

  ‘I know,’ said Mum. ‘But I love the name fairy penguins. It seems to suit them.’

  The group started walking towards the fish and chip shop on the wharf.

  Lulu suddenly felt hungry. It had been a long afternoon of swimming, running and playing. Her tummy rumbled at the thought of crunchy, hot fish and salty, crispy chips. Yum.

  ‘Look,’ said Rosie. ‘Is that a fairy penguin?’

  Everyone craned their heads to see where Rosie was pointing. Among the dim shadows, the waves broke on the beach. A darker shadow was waddling up the sand.

  ‘Yes,’ cried Lulu. ‘I think it is. Can we go down and look at it?’

  ‘No, honey bun,’ replied Mum. ‘You can look from here. The penguins are wild animals. You need to stay well away or you’ll frighten them. He’s probably on his way home to feed a nest full of baby chicks.’

  ‘Ooh,’ cried Lulu. ‘I’d like to see them.’

  The five children clustered at the side of the footpath. The penguin waddled faster, heading away from the water.

  A noise made Lulu look up. Coming towards them was a scruffy dog. It was running wildly and dragging a boy behind it.

  Suddenly, the boy tripped on a bump in the footpath and sprawled face first on the ground. He dropped the leash and the dog bounded away. The boy started to cry.

  ‘Lulu, see if you can catch that dog,’ called Mum. She hurried to help the fallen boy. ‘There now, sweetie, have you hurt yourself?’