A Very Good Idea

by M. C. Badger

‘Bird!’ said Turtle again.

  But what she should have said was ‘birds’, because not only had the pigeon come back but he had brought friends. Hundreds of friends, in fact. He had flown around telling the other pigeons that the Tinkler children needed their help. He’d pointed out that if they didn’t help there might not be any more seed bread for them.

  All the pigeons in the city flew to where the Tinkler children were standing. And they did something very strange: They clumped together into the shape of a giant bird. A fluttering, flapping, giant bird.

  The Tinklers looked at the giant bird.

  ‘I think,’ said Marcus slowly, ‘that they want us to climb onto their backs.’

  Mila nodded. ‘Yes, that’s exactly what they want.’

  So that is what the Tinklers Three did.

  Flying on a giant bird made from smaller birds is not easy. It is even harder when there is a wind blowing and you are up very high and you are carrying your little sister on your shoulders. But the Tinklers, as you know, are circus children, so they had no problems at all.

  The giant bird flew across to the top of the clock tower just as the clock struck six o’clock. Dinner time.

  The crowd down below had gone very quiet while all this was going on.

  But once the Tinklers were safely on the tower, everyone on the ground began to cheer and clap. This was because they were glad the children weren’t hurt. It was also because it had been very exciting to watch them flying on the giant bird.

  The Tinklers didn’t hear the people cheering. All they heard were the pigeons who had started cooing loudly.

  This is what the pigeons were saying:

  And then the pigeons split up and flew away.

  ‘Well,’ said Mila. ‘What should we do now?’

  ‘Now we should go home,’ said Marcus.

  ‘Back the same way we came?’ asked Mila.

  Marcus shook his head. ‘No. Let’s catch the underground train.’ He unstuck Turtle from his shoulders and handed her to Mila.

  ‘What are you doing?’ asked Mila.

  ‘This is one of our rules, don’t you remember?’ said Marcus. ‘If I carry Turtle OVER the city, you must carry her UNDER it!’

  A Very Good Idea

  published in 2014 by

  Hardie Grant Egmont

  Ground Floor, Building 1, 658 Church Street

  Richmond, Victoria 3121, Australia

  www.hardiegrantegmont.com.au

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  A CiP record for this title is available from the National Library of Australia.

  eISBN: 9781743581421

  Text copyright © 2014 MC Badger

  Illustration copyright © 2014 Leigh Brown

  Series design copyright © 2014 Hardie Grant Egmont

  Design by Elissa Webb

  Illustrations by Leigh Brown

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