The Treasure of Mr Tipp (6 page)

After school, I cycled over to Weird Street. Dad and Mr Bone were sitting outside number 34 and a half in Mr Bone's big car.

“We waited for you,” smiled Dad. “Jonny, meet Mr Bone.”

“Hello, Jonny,” said Mr Bone, and held out a long, skinny hand. “Your dad's been telling me all about you. You're obviously a clever lad.”

Tell that to Miss Dodds, I thought.

We walked up to the house and I yanked on the big iron bell. After a few moments we heard some slow, scraping metal noises.

“That's Charlie, the butler,” I said.

Charlie opened the door and we went inside.

“Come in, come in,” said Mr Tipp, who was in the hall taking off Bob's wellies. “He doesn't need these now. I have to take him apart.”

“Don't do that!” I cried. “Not yet. Not till you hear what my dad's got to say.”

“Well, it was all Jonny's idea,” smiled Dad, as he introduced Mr Bone. “As I told you on the phone, we're here to talk about your Boomerang chewing gum.”

“Come through to my workshop,” said Mr Tipp, and led the way. He went to the big table, uncovered the white bowl, and handed out chunks of the Boomerang chewing gum.

Mr Bone sniffed several times and then popped the chunk in his mouth. He chewed on the gum for ages, then took it from his mouth and threw it away.

“Fantastic!” he cried, when it bounced right back into his hand.
“I would definitely be interested in buying the recipe for this, Mr Tipp. There's a real market for it, I'm sure. But you'd need to make the chewing gum to begin with. I don't have room in my factory right now.”

“Sorry.” Mr Tipp shook his head sadly. “But I'd need my workshop to do that and the council say I have to leave my house.”

Mr Bone smiled. “My wife is on the council. I'll tell her you're engaged in important scientific work that could help keep the streets clean. I'll tell her you must not be disturbed.”

“So I'd never need to see Mr Gripe again?” beamed Mr Tipp.

“No,” smiled Mr Bone.

Mr Tipp was delighted to be left in peace to get on with his inventions.

I was delighted, too. Mr Tipp had given me a whole bowl of Boomerang chewing gum. “Sell it to your friends and put the
money towards your new bike, Jonny,” he said. “You deserve it.”

“Thank you,” I grinned.

I took the chewing gum into school the next day, and told everyone about it.

“But how do we know it really comes back to you?” asked Peter Ho.

“I'll prove it,” I said. Then I took a piece from my mouth and threw it at the classroom door.

But at that moment, the door opened and Miss Dodds came in. The chewing gum bounced off her nose and right back into my hand.

Miss Dodds held her nose and glared at me. “I hope you have a good explanation for this, Jonny Smith,” she said. “And I want the truth. Not one of your fantastic tales.”

Oh, help! Here we go again…

WeirD Street

Just how weird can the people in Weir Street be? Join Jonny on
all
his adventures…

First published 2009 by
A & C Black
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP
www.acblack.com

This electronic edition published in April 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages

eISBN 978 1 4081 6371 9

A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the
British Library.

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