Horrid Henry Shows Who's Boss (6 page)

Horrid Henry and Moody Margaret went into the gleaming white kitchen. Henry got out two wooden mixing spoons and a giant red bowl.

“I’ll start,” said Henry. He went to the cupboard and opened the doors wide.

“Oatmeal!” said Henry.And he poured some into the bowl.

Margaret opened the fridge and looked inside. She grabbed a small container.

“Soggy semolina!” shouted Margaret. Into the bowl it went.

“Coleslaw!”

“Spinach!”

“Coffee!”

“Yogurt!”

“Flour!”

“Vinegar!”

“Baked beans!”

“Mustard!”

“Peanut butter!”

“Moldy cheese!”

“Pepper!”

“Rotten oranges!”

“And ketchup!” shouted Henry. He squirted in the ketchup until the bottle was empty.

“Now, mix!” said Margaret.

Horrid Henry and Moody Margaret grabbed hold of their spoons with both hands.Then they plunged the spoons into the Glop and began to stir.

It was hard, heavy work.

Faster and faster, harder and harder they stirred.

There was Glop on the ceiling. There was Glop on the floor.There was Glop on the clock, and Glop on the door. Margaret’s hair was covered in Glop. So was Henry’s face.

Margaret looked into the bowl. She had never seen anything so yucky in her life.

“It’s ready,” she said.

Horrid Henry and Moody Margaret carried the Glop to the table.

Then they sat down and stared at the sloppy, slimy, sludgy, sticky, smelly, gooey, gluey, gummy, greasy, gloopy Glop.

“Right,” said Henry. “Who’s going to eat some first?”

There was a very long pause.

Henry looked at Margaret.

Margaret looked at Henry.

“Me,” said Margaret. “I’m not scared.”

She scooped up a large spoonful and stuffed it in her mouth.

Then she swallowed. Her face went pink and purple and green.

“How does it taste?” said Henry.

“Good,” said Margaret, trying not to choke.

“Have some more then,” said Henry.

“Your turn first,” said Margaret.

Henry sat for a moment and looked at the Glop.

“My mom doesn’t like me to eat between meals,” said Henry.

“HENRY!” hissed Moody Margaret.

Henry took a tiny spoonful.

“More!” said Margaret.

Henry took a tiny bit more. The Glop wobbled lumpily on his spoon. It looked like…Henry did not want to think about what it looked like.

He closed his eyes and brought the spoon to his mouth.

“Ummm, yummm,” said Henry. “You didn’t eat any,” said Margaret. “That’s not fair.”

She scooped up some Glop and…

I dread to think what would have happened next, if they had not been interrupted.

“Can I come out now?” called a small voice from outside. “It’s my turn to be Hook.”

Horrid Henry had forgotten all about Perfect Peter.

“OK,” shouted Henry.

Peter came to the door.

“I’m hungry,” he said.

“Come in, Peter,” said Henry sweetly. “Your dinner is on the table.”

Horrid Henry hated vacations.

Henry’s idea of a super vacation was sitting on the sofa eating chips and watching TV.

Unfortunately, his parents usually had other plans.

Once they took him to see some castles. But there were no castles. There were only piles of stones and broken walls.

“Never again,” said Henry.

The next year he had to go to a lot of museums.

“Never again,” said Mom and Dad.

Last year they went to the seaside.

“The sun is too hot,” Henry whined.

“The water is too cold,” Henry complained.

“The food is yucky,” Henry grumbled.