Mike the Spike by Stella Tarakson and Benjamin Johnston

Mike the Spike

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Stella Tarakson • Benjamin Johnston

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Mike the Spike

Stella Tarakson Illustrated by Benjamin Johnston

Stella Tarakson • Benjamin Johnston

Mike the Spike

Stella Tarakson Illustrated by Ben Johnston

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First published in the UK in 2018

by New Frontier Publishing Europe Ltd 93 Harbord Street, London SW6 6PN www.newfrontierpublishing.co.uk ISBN: 978-1-912076-82-6 Text copyright Š Stella Tarakson 2013 Illustrations copyright Š Benjamin Johnston 2013 The rights of Stella Tarakson to be identified as the author and Benjamin Johnston to be identified as the illustrator of this work have been asserted.

All rights reserved.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of New Frontier Publishing Europe Ltd. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Printed in China 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Chris, for starting the itch. ST For Num, who loved his bugs. BJ

1 The pirate gave a blood-curdling cry and leaped in front of the queen. ‘Avast, me hearty, yer a scurvy dog!’ he shouted, arms waving wildly. ‘Ye be walkin the plank!’

‘Oi, careful!’ said the startled queen. ‘You nearly knocked my crown off.’

‘Arrr,’ the pirate said with a scowl. Then, ‘Oops!’ as his hat tumbled to the ground.

The pirate put it back on. He grinned at the queen then leaped again. This time he bumped into a spaceman.

The spaceman grunted and fiddled 9

with his helmet, which had been knocked sideways. ‘Watch it,’ he muttered.

A giant rabbit frowned at them and stepped out of the way. It tugged at its ears to make them stand up straight.

‘Lovely,’ Miss Davison said to the rabbit.

She turned to a wizard painting stars onto his hat. ‘Well done, that’s coming along nicely.’

The teacher strode around the classroom, 10

looking at the rows of witches, princesses and pirates. ‘Ten more minutes, then packup time.’

Mike looked at the strip of cardboard in his hands and groaned.The great hat parade was only two days away. Everyone had been working hard to finish their hats on time.

Everyone except Mike.

All he had done was fold black cardboard into a loop and staple the ends together.

It wasn’t exactly what he would call a hat.

More of a headband. Mike lowered it onto his head. His head itched and he whipped the band off hastily.

‘Too big?’ asked his best mate Theo.

‘Nah. It’s just ...’ Mike’s voice trailed away.

‘Yours is good.’

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‘Thanks!’ Theo looked at his elf ’s hat and grinned. He glued a white pompom onto the tip. ‘What are you making?’

Mike scratched behind his left ear. ‘Don’t know.’

‘Better hurry.’

‘I know,’ Mike said. He scratched some more, this time behind his right ear.

‘How about an elf ’s hat?’

Mike shook his head. The itchy spot scuttled around his scalp like a hamster in a wheel.

‘A cowboy hat?’

Mike shuddered.

‘Too hard?’ Theo asked, eyebrows raised.

‘Um, yeah.’

The itchy spot moved to the top of Mike’s 12

head. He scratched again. For some reason his head had been itching all day. Maybe he hadn’t rinsed the shampoo out properly.

Maybe he had dandruff! He had an older cousin with dandruff. She had little white flakes sprinkled all over her shoulders. It made her look like a lamington.

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