The Battle of Pook Island: Part 3

By JACK LASENBY, Illustrator JENNY COOPER

Next morning, they said hooray to Old Satan, the bull. Joe didn't want to say goodbye to the horses, Snort, Sneeze and Snigger. Denny put his bantam and her chickens in a box. As they bumped away on the back of the lorry, they looked up to the waterfall.

"Remember we used to wonder what was behind it?" Denny said. They looked at each other, thought of the oath they had sworn on Uncle Ted's big black Bible, of the Swaggers' Whiskey they had drunk, and were silent.

"Hooray, Waterfall!" they shouted. Across the bridge, Mr and Mrs Tuner waved. Further along, an ogress on a giant horse chased a bull. She swung a whip around her head and gave a crack they heard over the engine.

"Hooray, Gerty!" they shouted. Old Tip barked, Uncle Ted beeped the horn, and the lorry headed for Waharua.

Publisher: Longacre Press, $14.95
Age group: 8+ years