The Longest Story Ever by Andrew Wooding - Day #10

(You can join this epic story at any time, but have fun browsing the archives if you want to dip into past instalments or even start from the beginning. Feel free to leave your comments as well. Cartoons by Mychailo Kazybrid.)


You would think that anyone who had a really big back garden would have a few trees in it, wouldn’t you?

‘I would,’ said one of the readers of this story.

‘So would I,’ agreed another reader.

Well, Charlie the Dog didn’t. He was the greatest detective in the whole wide world, he had pots of money, and he also had a massive back garden. But did he have any trees in it?

‘Nope,’ said that first reader.

‘Nosiree,’ agreed the second reader.

Absolutely right. Which was why Charlie and his maid decided to pop down to their nearby tree centre to finally buy a tree. The trouble was, wherever Charlie the Dog went, mystery seemed to follow, and there was a mystery brewing right now.

''Ere, sir,' said Ethel. 'That tree's got two eyes.'

'Don't be silly, Ethel,' said Charlie. 'Trees don't have eyes.'

'But that one does, sir,' insisted Ethel. 'Look. It's blinking.'

Standing next to the tree were two lovesick teenagers.

'I love you, Rodney,' said Gloria.

'I love you too, Gloria,’ said Rodney. ‘I love you so much I'm going to use my penknife to carve our names in this tree.'

He hadn’t even finished carving the first ‘R’ when there was a loud, unmistakable ‘Ow!’

'Who said that, Rodney?' said Gloria.

'I don't know, Gloria,’ said Rodney. ‘It sounded like it came from the tree.’

‘What tree, Rodney? It’s gone!’

Eagle-eyed Ethel saw what was happening.

‘Look, sir. Now it’s running away,’ she said, pointing it out to her boss.

But Charlie didn’t believe her.

‘You’re just seeing things,’ he said. ‘Trees with eyes and legs? Are you sure you haven’t been on the prune juice again?’

Will Charlie believe her tomorrow? And will Ethel drink loads of prune juice between now and then? Find out in the next exciting instalment of this tree-mendous, bark-ing mad story. (Sorry, no more tree puns today. It’s the law that you can only use two every 24 hours.)


Today’s total: 330 words (Total so far: 3,258 words)