Mr. Tiger, Betsy, and the Sea Dragon

by Sally Gardner

  Grrr, thought Mr. Tiger. How grrr-interesting.

  He heard a thud, which could only mean one thing: Betsy had landed in a heap at the foot of the stairs.

  “Good morning, my sprightly one,” said Mr. Tiger.

  “Crumble cakes,” said Betsy, seeing the sea dragon. “He’s grown.”

  “That’s what sea dragons do,” said Mr. Tiger, gently scratching the little sea dragon’s head with his claw. He looked again at his pocket watch. Now it showed what appeared to be half a dozen eggs sitting in an egg box. And then he realized it was a rowing boat, and that was followed by another rowing boat, this one carrying half a dozen sea dragons.

  “Betsy, would you be so kind as to bring the mayor to me—he’s at the harbormaster’s house, advising on the bunting.”

  Betsy was happy to do as he asked.

  The mayor was wearing a heavy chain of office around his neck and shoes that were far too small for his feet. They were the only shiny shoes he possessed, but he had read that the mayor should always wear shiny shoes for the second part of the Festival of the Sea Dragon. Even if the shiny shoes happen to be too small.

  He entered the café with pinched toes, a pinched look on his face, and Princess Albee on his arm. She was wearing a crown that suited her just as a crown should.

  “Grand,” said Mr. Tiger. “Now, Mr. Mayor,” he said. “I believe there is to be a surprise carnival today.”

  “Yes,” said the mayor. “Some of the children have made sea dragon costumes.”

  “Are there any sea dragon’s eggs among them?” asked Mr. Tiger.

  “Yes, indeed. It’s a surprise for the Pap-a-naggy. Such a relief that the Nog-a-naggy has turned up—and the egg timer. Now I won’t have to resign.”

  The mayor was about to take the weight off his feet when Mr. Tiger said, “I would like you to gather the islanders by the bandstand.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes, now. If you please.”

  The mayor hobbled away.

  Mr. Tiger invited the Gongalong acrobats to join him in the café. They took off their pointy hats and huddled round so they wouldn’t miss a word he had to say. When the ringmaster had finished, the acrobats went away and shortly returned with ladders, a large fisherman’s net, a ball of string, and a lot of bunting.

  “You have a plan, Mr. Tiger,” said Betsy and Princess Albee together. “We knew you would have a plan.”

  27

  Captain Calico Kettle was dressed as an egg. He was finding it quite hard to see out of the egg. He was in the same awkward situation that horses are in when blinkered. The same went for Three-Legged Bill, the boatswain, who was also dressed as an egg. The powder monkey was wearing a sea dragon suit, and it wasn’t any easier to see out of that. The captain ordered all the eggs into one rowing boat and all the sea dragons into another and left a skeleton crew on the Kettle Black to make sure no one tried to come aboard and rescue the merboy.

  It had been tricky to row a boat dressed as an egg or, for that matter, dressed as a sea dragon. The boats had gone around in several circles before the pirates were finally able to wade ashore without getting their costumes wet. Their troubles weren’t over. Of course, they didn’t know about the secret steps in the cave, so with great difficulty they climbed the cliff, and then there was quite a way to go before they reached the town. The Gongalong acrobats were on the lookout and sprinted to Mr. Glory’s café to report what they had seen.

  They found Mr. Tiger on the bandstand, about to make one of his more memorable speeches. The Gongalongs whispered the news to him.

  “Citizens of the island that has been left off the map of the world,” said Mr. Tiger. “I did not wish to alarm you before, but now I need your help. You must be brave, as I know you will be. There is a pirate ship, the Kettle Black, anchored in Pendragon Cove.”

  “Oh no,” cried the crowd. “This cannot be.”

  Mr. Tiger raised a paw for silence. “Courage, my dear people, courage is what is needed. The pirates are coming here today dressed as eggs and sea dragons. It is my belief that they are on a mission to capture the Nog-a-naggy and steal the golden sea apple that the Pap-a-naggy will bring you as a gift of thanks. When they arrive in the town, I want you to act as if nothing strange is happening. It is most important that they don’t suspect that we think them to be anything other than islanders taking part in the festival.”

  Mrs. Rose from the flower shop raised her hand. “How will we be able to tell them apart from the children appearing in the carnival?” she asked.

  “The pirates are bigger, Mrs. Rose,” said Mr. Tiger patiently. “And their costumes will stand out. For example, the pirate captain’s legs will be clothed in stripy breeches and there will be buckles on his shoes. He will wear a pirate’s hat on the top of his egg costume. In other words, they will not be hard to spot. We must guide them all into Mr. Glory’s café, and once they are there, the Gongalongs and I will know what to do. Brave hearts, my friends, are what I want from you today if we are to save this island from these greedy pirates.”

  “Here they come,” called the Gongalong acrobats.

  “Remember—brave hearts! And act as if nothing is wrong,” said Mr. Tiger.

  28

  Myrtle had made contact with her sister Coral, and Coral and the Siren Singers had swum swiftly to the island left off the map of the world. Myrtle met them on the seabed in Pendragon Cove, below the hull of the Kettle Black.

  “No matter what we sing,” said Coral, “we can’t reach Floss without someone who has legs.”

  “Yes,” said Myrtle. “I’ve thought of that. Stay here and I will be back in a jiffy.”

  With a flick of her tail, she turned and swam to the harbor as fast as she could. She arrived as Mr. Tiger finished his speech and was returning to the café. Dad was so relieved to see her.

  “I’m not stopping, Alfonso,” said Mum. “Call Betsy and tell her to bring her mermaid suit. She’s coming with me to help rescue Floss Grimm.”

  “Is that a good idea?” said Dad.

  “It’s the only idea I have.”

  Dad looked around to see several wobbly eggs on legs and wonky sea dragons arriving in town. They looked anything but friendly.

  Dad walked calmly into the café.

  “Betsy, the pirates are here,” he said. “And Mum is waiting for you at the harbor steps. She wants you to help save Floss. Quickly, get your mermaid suit.”

  “Crumble cakes—an adventure!” said Betsy, and she rushed upstairs, grabbed her mermaid suit, and slid down the banister without landing in a heap, for a change. She stopped and realized that, for the first time, she felt scared. Mr. Tiger, who had just arrived at the café, asked what the matter was.

  “We have always been on adventures together,” said Betsy. “Couldn’t you come with me? My tummy feels full of little fearful fishes.”

  Mr. Tiger knelt down, which he had never done before, until his magnificent head was at the same height as Betsy’s. His golden eyes looked straight into hers. Betsy felt sure he could even see the little fearful fishes in her tummy.

  “Tigers,” he said, “can swim, but they can’t breathe underwater. Betsy K. Glory, you are the bravest girl I have ever known. You can do this.” Then he lifted her up and gave her a hug.

  The smell of his fur, Betsy decided, was the most comforting smell she knew. It was enough to make her feel brave. She would not let Mr. Tiger or Mum down.

  Betsy was about to run out of the café when the door was flung open and a wobbly egg wearing a pirate’s hat came in.

  “Are you part of the festivities?” said the egg to Mr. Tiger.

  “Indubitably,” said Mr. Tiger.

  “What language is that, then?” said Captain Calico Kettle, whose voice was somewhat scrambled by the egg costume.

  “English,” said Mr. Tiger. “It means without a doub
t.”

  “Shiver me rotting timbers. Why didn’t you say so? Now, is this the café that sells ice cream?”

  “Yes, it is,” said Dad.

  “And today the ice cream is free for anyone dressed as a sea dragon or an egg,” added Mr. Tiger.

  “Give me a taste,” said Captain Calico Kettle. “I can’t trust someone in fancy dress, who uses fancy words like ‘indubitably.’”

  “What flavor would you like?” asked Dad.

  “You mean—you have more flavors than just vanilla?”

  “Indubitably,” said Dad. “We have Ribble Raspberry Wonder, Chocolate Toffee Delight, Lemon Sugar Shocker, Strawberry Sparklers, Popping Peanut Plenties, Myrtle’s Minty Mumbo Marvel, Chocolate Cherry Delight, and Knickerbocker . . .”

  And while Dad was reciting the menu, Betsy and Mr. Tiger slipped out.

  29

  The tide was with them, and Betsy and Mum reached the seabed under the Kettle Black in double-quick time. Betsy was surprised to see so many mermaids gathered there.

  “Hello, Betsy—my, oh my, what a suit,” said Aunty Coral, whose hair was lime yellow. “Why, sis, I didn’t think you had it in you to knit such a piece of sea magic. I’m glad you haven’t forgotten the ways of the Shell.”

  “The Shell is mermaid-speak for home,” murmured Mum.

  “Oh,” said Betsy, a little nervously.

  She hadn’t imagined Aunty Coral being so sharp.

  “I speak with shark’s teeth,” said Aunty Coral. “But my heart is as soft as a jellyfish. Welcome, Betsy. Now, we don’t know how many pirates are on board and whether they will all fall asleep, so we sent the turtles to call for backup. Sisters,” she said, turning to the other mermaids, “if we are ready, then let us begin.”

  And they started to sing.

  30

  On the deck of the Kettle Black, the pirates who had been left behind had helped themselves to a tot of rum and were playing cards. They were in a merry mood—the kind of mood you’re in when you know the boss is away and you won’t get told off for being naughty.

  They were thinking about going down to the galley for a snack when they heard singing. It was such beautiful song—high in pitch, and tinkling as wind chimes do. The voices sang of a longing for home and bed. The pirates listened and thought of their mums, they thought of their families and the days before they became rascally sea dogs. As they listened, they began to feel rather sleepy, until they could hardly keep their eyes open. And soon they were all curled up, dreaming of being small and safe.

  Mum helped Betsy take off her mermaid costume so she could climb the rope ladder up onto the deck.

  Once on deck, Betsy felt brave. There was not one little fearful fish in her tummy. She imagined that Mr. Tiger was with her as she tiptoed past the sleeping pirates and was very glad to see Floss Grimm safe and sound. Floss Grimm was very glad to see Betsy, as he was fed up with being in a barrel. He was rather less glad when Betsy told him his mum was below waiting for him.

  Betsy was wondering how to help Floss out of the barrel and into the sea when something happened. Something so unexpected that she couldn’t make head or tail of it. The Kettle Black tilted at such a steep angle that Betsy was only saved from sliding all the way down to the stern by clinging to the mast.

  “Oh, crumble cakes,” she said. “This doesn’t feel good.”

  Floss held tight to the edge of the barrel as water poured out of it. Then the Kettle Black straightened itself and rose so high out of the sea that it was sailing on the clouds. The pirates stayed sound asleep.

  Cautiously Betsy looked over the side.

  “The ship is being held out of the water by a huge sea dragon,” she said. “I don’t remember the Pap-a-naggy being so ginormous when I last saw him. Do you think he’s grown?”

  “Or maybe,” said Floss, “it’s the Mam-a-naggy. She’s supposed to be really huge.”

  “But she never leaves the sea apple orchard.”

  “I suppose there’s a first time for everything.”

  “Oh, double crumble cakes,” said Betsy. “Do you speak Tangerine?”

  “A bit,” said Floss. “Mum isn’t keen on it.”

  “I don’t think that matters at this moment. The Mam-a-naggy must be the backup that your mum told the turtles to fetch. Tell her we are here.”

  “!*?#¢!” said Floss in Tangerine. No reply.

  “Hallo, Mam-a-naggy—we’re up here, you blithering two-eyed monster from the deep. We are not, repeat not, pirates.”

  “Tell her that her egg hatched and her baby is safe,” said Betsy.

  “Your egg hatched,” said Floss as best he could in Tangerine. “You have a bonny, bouncing baby sea dragon.”

  Suddenly a huge eye was peering at them. The eye came closer, followed by a head and a talon, and then the Mam-a-naggy scooped up a sleeping pirate, dangled him before her, and swallowed him whole. A thoughtful look came over her features and she let out a loud belch. The pirate, covered in slime and still sleeping, landed back on deck.

  “Rotten is it he tastes,” said the Mam-a-naggy.

  “Pirates are not for eating,” said Floss.

  “Ask her if she would kindly take us back to the harbor,” said Betsy.

  “Tangerine is a pithy language,” said Floss. “It’s meant to be spoken rudely.”

  “Try ‘please,’ just for a change,” said Betsy.

  “Take us back to the harbor, you great burping ball of blubber,” said Floss. “Please.”

  31

  Mr. Tiger had returned to the café after seeing Betsy off.

  His plan was simple: to tempt the pirates into a trap with free ice cream. And it wasn’t long before all the pirate eggs and pirate sea dragons were jostling to get into the café. Alfonso was busy serving them.

  Captain Calico Kettle took off his hat and sat down. Never had he tasted anything as delicious as Alfonso’s ice cream. He and the other pirates wanted to sample every flavor. By the time they had licked their spoons clean, the Gongalongs had unrolled the ball of string and quietly tied the pirates together by their boot buckles and wooden legs.

  Meanwhile, other Gongalongs slid in unseen and waited for Mr. Tiger to give them the sign.

  It was only when Captain Calico Kettle had finished his sixth flavor—Myrtle’s Minty Mumbo Marvel—that he found he couldn’t move. For a moment he thought it might be something to do with eating so much ice cream. But then he realized that he and his crew were spliced to one another. With difficulty, he took out his pistol from under his egg costume and pointed it at Mr. Tiger.

  “Untie our boots,” he bellowed, “or you’ll end up as a rug on my cabin floor.”

  Dad ducked behind the counter, and Mr. Tiger let out a terrifying roar.

  Just then the mayor burst into the café in his socks, whirling his chain of office. He brought it down hard on Captain Calico Kettle’s egghead. The egg cracked, and the captain wobbled to and fro before crashing to the floor.

  Mr. Tiger raised his paw, the Gongalongs released the fisherman’s net and bunting from the ceiling, and down they fell, completely covering the pirates. Alfonso, Septimus, the mayor, and the Gongalongs made sure not a single pirate escaped.

  But screams and shouts could be heard outside—people were running past the café crying, “Look, look!”

  Mr. Tiger looked. Swimming into the mouth of the harbor was an enormous sea dragon, escorted by a flotilla of mermaids.

  “It’s the Mam-a-naggy,” said Mr. Tiger. “And she’s carrying the Kettle Black. It seems Betsy has done a splendid job of rescuing Floss Grimm without me.”

  32

  The pirates could not escape the Gongalong acrobats who guarded them. And, fortunately, as the Gongalongs didn’t speak Tangerine, they had no idea how rude the pirates were being.

  Princess Albee may have looked as delicat
e as a china cup, but she really was as strong as cement. She calmed the islanders, saying no one was to worry, they were safe and the Mam-a-naggy wouldn’t come any closer.

  She stepped forward to welcome the Pap-a-naggy who had squeezed into the harbor and was waiting at the quayside.

  Mr. Tiger joined her.

  “Dear Pap-a-naggy, welcome. We are pleased to tell you that your baby sea dragon has hatched and the Nog-a-naggy is a very bonny sea dragon indeed.”

  Septimus walked to the edge of the quay, cuddling the Nog-a-naggy. The Pap-a-naggy stood on his hind legs, towering over Septimus, then reached out with his front talons and carefully took the sleeping young sea dragon from him. The Pap-a-naggy began to speak in Tangerine.

  Myrtle, who had just swum up to the quayside, with Coral and the Siren Singers, translated for the islanders. “He says,” said Myrtle, “‘Oh, my beastie boy, my perfect beamish baby,’—I think that’s right—‘what a dreamish dragon, what a Nog-a-naggy you are.’”

  The people of the town cheered and cheered.

  The Pap-a-naggy continued speaking. “Me and my beastie other half thank you, all you little nuts on legs. From three rotten solid gold apples that are hardly worth twinkle, let alone a thank-you, what can we do for you?”

  Myrtle did her best to give the zest of his speech to the islanders. Then in reply she told the Pap-a-naggy about the pirates and how they had stolen the egg, and kidnapped her nephew, Floss Grimm, and that he and her daughter, Betsy, were on board the pirate ship that his missus was holding.

  “We would be so grateful, you great scaly sea slug,” said Myrtle, “if we could have our children back. And perhaps you and the Mam-a-naggy would remove the pirates from the island.”