Horrid Henry Shows Who's Boss (5 page)

Peter tried to scramble back on stage.

The curtain fell.

There was a long silence, then Henry’s parents clapped.

No one else did, so Henry’s parents stopped.

All the other parents ran up to Miss Tutu and started shouting.

“I don’t see why that horrid boy should have had such a long solo while all Linda did was lie on the floor,” yelled one mother.

“My Jeffrey is a much better dancer than that boy,” shouted another. “He should have done the solo.”

“I didn’t know you taught modern dance, Miss Tutu,” said Violet’s mother. “Come,Violet,” she added, sweeping from the room.

“HENRY!!” screeched Miss Tutu. “Leave my dance studio at once!”

“Whoopee!” shouted Henry. He knew that next Saturday he would be at karate class at last.

“I’m Captain Hook!”

“No, I’m Captain Hook!”

“I’m Captain Hook,” said Horrid

Henry.

“I’m Captain Hook,” said Moody Margaret.

They glared at each other.

“It’s
my
hook,” said Moody Margaret.

Moody Margaret lived next door. She did not like Horrid Henry, and Horrid Henry did not like her. But when Rude Ralph was busy, Clever Clare had the flu, and Sour Susan was her enemy, Margaret would jump over the wall to play with Henry.

“Actually,it’s my turn to be Hook now,” said Perfect Peter. “I’ve been the prisoner for such a long time.”

“Prisoner, be quiet!” said Henry.

“Prisoner, walk the plank!” said Margaret.

“But I’ve walked it fourteen times already,” said Peter. “Please can I be Hook now?”

“No, by thunder!” said Moody Margaret. “Now out of my way,

worm!”And she swashbuckled across the deck, waving her hook and clutching her sword and dagger.

Margaret had eye patches and skulls and crossbones and plumed hats and cutlasses and sabers and snickersnees.

Henry had a stick.

This was why Henry played with Margaret.

But Henry had to do terrible things before playing with Margaret’s swords. Sometimes he had to sit and wait while she read a book.

Sometimes he had to play “Moms and Dads” with her.Worst of all (please don’t tell anyone), sometimes he had to be the baby.

Henry never knew what Margaret would do.

When he put a spider on her arm, Margaret laughed.

When he pulled her hair, Margaret pulled his harder.

When Henry screamed, Margaret would scream louder. Or she would sing. Or pretend not to hear.

Sometimes Margaret was fun. But most of the time she was a moody old grouch.

“I won’t play if I can’t be Hook,” said Horrid Henry.

Margaret thought for a moment.

“We can both be Captain Hook,” she said.

“But we only have one hook,” said Henry.

“Which I haven’t played with yet,” said Peter.

“BE QUIET, prisoner!” shouted Margaret. “Mr. Smee, take him to jail.”

“No,” said Henry.

“You will get your reward, Mr.Smee,” said the Captain, waving her hook.

Mr. Smee dragged the prisoner to the jail.

“If you’re very quiet, prisoner, then you will be freed and you can be a pirate, too,” said Captain Hook.

“Now give me the hook,” said Mr.Smee.

The Captain reluctantly handed it over.

“Now I’m Captain Hook and you’re Mr. Smee,” shouted Henry. “I order everyone to walk the plank!”

“I’m sick of playing pirates,” said Margaret. “Let’s play something else.”

Henry was furious.That was just like Moody Margaret.

“Well, I’m playing pirates,” said Henry.

“Well I’m not,” said Margaret.

“Give me back my hook.”

“No,” said Henry.

Moody Margaret opened her mouth and screamed. Once Margaret started screaming she could go on and on and on.

Henry gave her the hook.

Margaret smiled.

“I’m hungry,” she said. “Got anything good to eat?”

Henry had three bags of chips and seven chocolate cookies hidden in his

room, but he certainly wasn’t going to share them with Margaret.

“You can have a radish,” said Henry.

“What else?” said Margaret.

“A carrot,” said Henry.

“What else?” said Margaret.

“Glop,” said Henry.

“What’s Glop?”

“Something special that only I can make,” said Henry.

“What’s in it?” asked Margaret.

“That’s a secret,” said Henry.

“I bet it’s yucky,” said Margaret.

“Of course it’s yucky,” said Henry.

“I can make the yuckiest Glop of all,” said Margaret.

“That’s because you don’t know anything. No one can make yuckier Glop than I can.”

“I dare you to eat Glop,” said Margaret.

“I double dare you back,” said Henry. “Dares go first.”

Margaret stood up very straight.

“All right,” said Margaret. “Glop starts with snails and worms.”

And she started poking under the bushes.

“Got one!” she shouted, holding up a fat snail.

“Now for some worms,” said Margaret.

She got down on her hands and knees and started digging a hole.

“You can’t put anything from outside into Glop,” said Henry quickly. “Only stuff in the kitchen.”

Margaret looked at Henry.

“I thought we were making Glop,” she said.

“We are,” said Henry. “My way, because it’s
my
house.”