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Talking Stone - Rosalind Kerven

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355 pages

English

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THRILLING, ACTION PACKED HISTORICAL ADVENTURESVividly set in the Viking Age - full of sword fights, treasure, pirates, adventurous sea journeys, kings, queens, runes and belief in the supernatural.Four-books-in-one edition of this HIGHLY ACCLAIMED series, recommended by numerous reviewers, teachers and young readers. - 'If you've not discovered Grim Gruesome yet, where have you been! ...Vividly told scary adventure...you can't stop reading' - Primary Times- 'Dahl-style jokes and adventure' - The Times - 'horrible but also funny...wonderful' - TES- 'Full of twists and turns that you are desperate to follow' - www.justimaginestorycentre.co.uk- 'A page turner...dramatic and vivid...fast-paced and enjoyable' - Birmingham Post- Shortlisted for the Solihull Children's Book Award and Lancashire Fantastic Book AwardAN UNFORGETTABLE VILLAIN!Grim Gruesome is a mysterious, hideous, shape-shifting trickster - charismatic yet evil, the terror of the North Lands. He has sworn to harm as many children as he can. No one has ever seen his face, but he can be recognised by his repulsive, pus-oozing finger stump with hypnotic powers.In each story Grim appears incognito, and in a different disguise, to lure young victims into his power. He weakens them with terrifying threats and throws them into horrifically dangerous situations. At first escape seems impossible. However, in true fairy tale style, children always overcome him by drawing on their own courage, determination and inner strength. LOTS OF CHILD APPEAL- Child-centred fiction with the emphasis on a gripping, thrilling story. - Strong appeal to both girls and boys- Written in a page-turning style with short chapters ending on cliffhangers.- Scary yet buoyant and touched with dark humour.- Vividly written: rich plots and colourful characters.- Short chapters, snappy sentences and constant drama - accessible to all reading abilities.- Language that's direct and pithy - look out for some unique Viking curses!

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Children's

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Publié par	Talking Stone
Date de parution	04 février 2014
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781783013234
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

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Extrait

Rosalind Kerven
illustrated by David Wyatt
The Cursed Sword
The Queen s Poison
Trolls Treasure
The Rings of Doom
This edition first published in the UK by Talking Stone 2014
Originally published in paperback in four separate volumes.
Text copyright Rosalind Kerven 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Illustrations copyright David Wyatt 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Talking Stone an author-led publishing team Swindonburn Cottage West, Sharperton Morpeth, Northumberland, NE65 7AP
The moral right of Rosalind Kerven to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
All rights reserved. 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 or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-78301-323-4

www.grimgruesome.com
Come back through time to the Viking Kingdom of Norway!
Away from the looming mountains and the endless forests was a bustling land of farms and ships, towns and islands. A wind blew over it from the grey North Sea, smelling of salt and adventure.
1

Bjarni wasn t much older than you, but he had to work hard all day long, every day. He was a servant on a big farm. He looked after a herd of pigs for a rich, bossy farmer called Thorgill.
One midsummer s morning, Bjarni set out to take the pigs to graze in the oak wood. They scurried past the big, wooden farmhouse, oinking, squealing and grunting.
The farmhouse door creaked open and a deep, irritable voice yelled:
SHUT UP!
Then out stomped Thorgill, snorting into his beard. Keep those belly-wobbling beasts quiet!
Sorry, sir, mumbled Bjarni.
Sorry? I ll give you sorry! Thorgill shouted. You can t even look after the pigsty properly. I was down there last night and it stinks of giant farts! Get back there at once, you lazy oaf. Go and clean it out!
Bjarni let the pigs into the wood then went grumpily back to the pigsty. He had to admit Thorgill was right: it was revolting. He started raking up the filthy straw, but the smell made him feel sick. So he rushed outside to get some fresh air...and stopped short in surprise.
A very peculiar man was standing in the yard.
This man was extraordinarily tall. Even though it was a warm summer s day, he was wrapped from head to foot in a thick cloak. He had the hood pulled right up so that his face was completely hidden. But Bjarni could feel the stranger staring at him.
Quickly, Bjarni! the stranger cried. Leave what you re doing. Get down to the road at once. You haven t got much time!
Who are you? said Bjarni. What are you talking about?
Ach, throw away your questions! said the stranger. Remember what Odin All-Father said: The quick shall catch the prize.
But I can t just leave my work, said Bjarni. Farmer Thorgill will go mad if I...
Wolf-spit! the stranger whispered. He brought his hands out from under his cloak. They were enormous and hidden in a pair of thick leather gloves. He clapped them briskly, three times. Then he brushed past Bjarni and strode away.
A shiver ran down Bjarni s spine. He watched the gigantic man hurrying past the pigsty. As the stranger rounded the corner, his dark brown cloak seemed to melt into the wood. Bjarni blinked...and the stranger vanished!
Bjarni shrugged and went back to clearing out the straw. But he couldn t get the stranger s words out of his head. They nagged at him like a buzzing fly.
After a while, he couldn t stand it. He propped the rake up against the wall and glanced around to make sure that no one was watching him.
Then he ran towards the road.
2

This road was like all roads in the kingdom: it was just a dry, beaten mud track. On one side of it there were green fields full of corn and cows. But on the other side there was thick forest. This forest stretched away to the towering peaks of distant mountains shrouded in swirling mist.
The road was deserted. The summer s afternoon was hot and still. Birds twittered. Mosquitoes danced in the heat-haze.
Bjarni stood on the verge, hesitating. Why on earth had the hooded stranger sent him here? What was he supposed to do?
Suddenly a pony appeared on the horizon. It came trotting towards him. Bjarni squinted against the sun, trying to make out who was riding it. It looked like a girl...The pony drew closer. Yes, it was a girl...of about his own age. Suddenly he realised who it was. His heart began to pound.
Thor s thunderbolts, he thought, of all people it s HER!
It was Astrid - farmer Thorgill s daughter!
Astrid was really pretty. She had pale blonde hair and thick, dark eyelashes. She always wore brilliantly coloured dresses and aprons in the latest fashion, big strings of beads and jingling bracelets. All the servant girls on the farm longed to look like her. And all the servant boys - including Bjarni - were madly in love with her!
Bjarni broke out in a sweat and glanced down at his clothes. His tunic and trousers were both torn and stained with pig-mess.
I m not letting her see me like this! he thought.
Quickly, he slipped into the forest. I ll stay here until she s gone right past .
And that would have been a good idea - except that somebody else was already hiding in the trees.
3

Astrid Thorgillsdaughter was on her way home from visiting her grandmother, who lived nearby on another farm.
Astrid s mother was dead. Her father was really strict. She had a stepmother called Gudrun, who was always putting her down.
But Grandmother was kind and funny. Grandmother spoilt her and gave her presents. Today she had opened her special ivory casket and given Astrid a whole bar of shining silver to add to her personal store of buried treasure.
Astrid had the silver bar in the little purse that dangled from her belt. She could feel it bumping against her leg as she rode along on her pony. She was daydreaming happily about the jewellery she would buy with it one day...
Suddenly a fierce voice came roaring out of nowhere:
OI! YOU THERE! STOP!
A vicious-looking man and a mangy dog burst out of the trees. Astrid screamed. It was a robber!
The dog went straight for Astrid s pony, yapping and nipping its legs. The pony neighed and reared up in fright.
Help! Astrid screamed. Save me! Somebody help me!
She clung desperately to the pony s neck. Nobody came. The road was empty. Everything was lost! The robber would kill her!
He grabbed the pony s bridle and pointed a knife at Astrid.
Get down! he hissed.
Astrid slid from the saddle. She was shaking so much, she could hardly stand.
Take off your beads and bracelets! the robber snapped. Give them to me! He prodded her purse. And what s in there, eh? He felt it with dirty fingers. Feels like a bar of silver. Hand that over too, girlie!
No! shrieked Astrid.
At that moment someone else burst out of the trees.
It was a boy in a torn shirt. He came racing towards them, dived to the ground, picked up a stone - and hurled it at the dog.
The dog yelped and jumped out of the way. The boy threw himself at the robber. He dragged the brute away from Astrid, stepped back, head-butted the robber in the groin and whacked his arm.
The robber groaned. The knife fell from his grasp. He swore and grabbed at the boy, but the boy fought back, wrestling, kicking and twisting away. He lashed into the robber, using fists, feet, knees, teeth, until the wretch was writhing on the ground.
Get off me, you little rat! the robber groaned.
Astrid could hear the boy s breath coming in fiery gasps. His dark hair was damp with sweat. His eyes were big with excitement.
Suddenly she realised who he was. He was one of her father s farm-hands - the dark-haired one who had been teasing her the other day with scary stories.
The boy glanced up at her. He was quite good looking. Astrid blushed.
Are you all right? he called.
I...I think so. She looked straight back at him and managed a shaky smile.
The boy - yes, it was Bjarni - hurled the robber s knife into a ditch. He gave the wretch a final kick in a place that made him scream with pain. The robber staggered to his feet, clutching himself. He spat at Bjarni and cursed him loudly. Then he called his dog and ran off, empty handed and limping, down the road.
4

Thank you so much! said Astrid. And thank goodness you were there! You were a real hero, leaping in to help me like that. What s your name?
Bjarni, said the boy.
I ve seen you before, said Astrid. You were pestering me and trying to frighten me. You re my father s pig-boy, aren t you?
Bjarni nodded.
Ugh! said Astrid. Pigs stink. Keep away from me! She wrinkled her nose. It s a pity you haven t got a sword to fight with.
Of course, being just a servant, Bjarni couldn t afford to buy any weapons. But he was always practising with sticks and he knew he was good.
I ll show you what I could do if I had one, he said.
He clenched his fist as if he were holding a sword. Then he darted about, pretending to strike it into the air and stab it towards Astrid.
Astrid squealed and giggled.
The hooded stranger s words came buzzing back into Bjarni s head: ...the quick shall catch the prize... He took a deep breath. By the way, he said, I don t stink. Come here, and I ll prove it.
He grabbed Astrid s hand. She pretended to push him off, but she was still giggling.
Bjarni took his chance. He pulled her close. She wriggled but didn t try to escape him. So he kissed her!
5

The next day, Astrid slipped out of the farmhouse and went to the oak wood, looking for Bjarni. Sure enough he was there, keeping an eye on the pigs. He was very pleased to see her. They started talking and got on really well.
After that, they met nearly every day. To tell the truth, they were besotted with each other. But they kept it secret.
Think what people would say, said Astrid, if they knew a rich girl like me was friendl