Beetle Read online

  Era Publications

  220 Grange Road, Flinders Park, SA, 5025 Australia

  Text Copyright © Jill McDougal, 2007

  illustration Copyright © Tim Ide, 2007

  Editor, Rodney Martin

  Designer, Nathan Kolic

  All rights reserved by the publisher

  eISBN 9781740490658

  Educational consultants: Lisa Speed and her literacy team (Victoria), Cary Roberts, Kay Neeson (New South Wales), Ian Hodder and Alana Girvin (South Australia) and Dr Kathy A Mills (Queensland).

  Copyright Notice: No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  BEETLE

  Jill McDougall ~ Tim Ide

  Chapter One

  There was once a skinny fellow who lived in a small village in Russia. His legs were as thin as sticks and his head was shiny and flat. He looked like an insect, so everyone called him Beetle.

  Beetle dressed in rags and lived in a run-down shack. He was too scrawny to earn much money.

  One day he came home to find that mice had eaten all his food. He had no money to buy anything else.

  “Ah, Beetle,” he said to himself, “this is very bad.”

  He sat down and thought about what to do. He was small and weak but he was smart. He soon came up with an idea. Jumping up, he rubbed his hands with glee.

  “Ah, Beetle,” he said, “what a clever fellow you are!”

  That night Beetle set off for the farmer’s house on a nearby hill. The place was in darkness, so he climbed through the window and took a vase. He then crept to the farmer’s barn and hid the vase under some straw.

  The next day, the farmer’s wife ran down the village street. “Alas,” she cried, “my beautiful vase has gone.”

  Beetle had been waiting for her. “I will help find your vase,” he offered.

  “Why, bless you, Beetle!” said the woman.

  “What will you give me in return?” asked Beetle.

  “A leg of ham and all the eggs you can eat,” the woman replied at once.

  With that, Beetle closed his eyes for a minute.

  “Ah yes,” he said, “I can see your vase. Look under the straw in your barn.” When the farmer’s wife found the vase, she was very pleased. “You must have magical powers,” she said to Beetle. She gave him a fat leg of ham and her freshest eggs.

  Beetle smiled as he cooked up a big feast.

  “Ah, Beetle,” he said to himself, “you are the smartest fellow in all of Russia.”

  Chapter Two

  The next night, Beetle was up to his tricks again. He crept into the stable of a rich landowner and took away his favourite horse.

  He led the horse deep into the forest and tied it up before running away.

  The landowner came to see Beetle in the morning.

  “I hear you have magical powers,” said the landowner. “Can you find my missing horse?”

  “Of course,” said Beetle, puffing up his chest.

  “But what will you give me in return?”

  “Would two gold coins be enough?” asked the landowner.

  Beetle was very pleased with this and soon led the landowner to his horse.

  “Wonderful!” said the landowner, and he handed over the reward.

  Before long, news spread that Beetle had a gift for finding lost things. He began to enjoy his fame. One day, a royal page from the queen’s court came to the door of his shack.

  “You must come to the palace at once,” said the page. “The queen has lost a golden ring and she is very upset.”

  Beetle was so surprised he forgot himself for a moment. “What has that to do with me?” he asked.

  “Are you not Beetle the Magician?” said the page. “Surely you can find the queen’s ring.”

  Beetle blinked in alarm. He did not have special powers at all. How was he to find something he had not taken? He trembled in his boots as he trotted behind the royal page. The queen was a cruel woman. If he failed this task, he would be punished in a most terrible way.

  Chapter Three

  Beetle was still trembling when he arrived at the palace. He did not notice that three people were watching him from behind a bush. The head cook, the footman and the gardener had stolen the ring, and now they were gazing at Beetle with growing alarm.

  “The queen has sent for a magician,” said the head cook.

  “They say he can find anything,” said the footman.

  “The game’s up!” cried the gardener. The ring was in his pocket and he was sure that Beetle would know straightaway. He was about to dash forward and confess when the head cook held him back.

  “Wait,” she said. “He might be a fraud.”

  “We will keep a close eye on him,” said the footman.

  Meanwhile, Beetle bowed low before the queen.

  “I hear you have special powers,” said the queen. “Can you find my lost ring?”

  “I will do my best,” said Beetle, thinking quickly, “b-but I need some time.”

  “You have until the morning,” said the queen, looking stern.

  Beetle was led to a room at the very back of the palace. There he sat on the bed and stared out the window.

  “Ah, Beetle,” he said to himself, “this is very bad indeed.”

  Chapter Four

  Beetle tossed and turned all night. There was no way he could find the queen’s ring. What terrible punishment would she give him? “There is only one thing to do,” he said at last. “I must run away before the sun comes up.” While it was still dark, Beetle rose from his bed and peered out into the garden. Just then, a rooster crowed from the stable yards.

  “Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

  “That must be a sign,” said Beetle to himself.

  “When that rooster has crowed three times, I will sneak away.”

  A short time later, the head cook crept up to Beetle’s door. She listened through the keyhole, wondering what Beetle was up to. At that very moment, the rooster crowed from the stable yards.

  “Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

  “That is the first one,” said Beetle out loud.

  Hearing this, the head cook grew pale with fright. She rushed off to tell the others what she had heard.

  “He is a magician for sure,” said the head cook. “I heard him say, ‘That is the first one.’”

  “We are doomed!” cried the footman. He crept to Beetle’s door just as the rooster crowed again.

  “Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

  “That is the second one,” said Beetle loudly.

  The footman rushed away in a panic. “That magician can see through doors,” he told the others. “While I stood there he said, ‘That is the second one.’”

  The gardener listened at the keyhole next, and soon the rooster crowed again.

  “Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

  “That is the third one,” said Beetle in a firm voice. He knew he must get away before the palace guards took up their posts. Creeping to the door, he slowly pushed it open. Then he gasped in surprise. Huddled in a corner were the head cook, the footman and the gardener. Before Beetle could say a word, they fell to their knees.

  “O Great Magician,” cried the head cook.

  “Please don’t tell the queen what we have done.”

  “We will never steal anything again,” cried the footman.

  “Here is her ring,” said the gardener, and he thrust it into Beetle’s hands.

  Beetle scratched his head
as the three hurried away. He did not understand what had happened but he was very pleased.

  “Ah, Beetle,” he said to himself, “you may be saved yet.”

  Chapter Five

  A few hours later, Beetle bowed low before the queen. He felt very content after a fine breakfast and a stroll in the royal gardens.

  The queen gazed at him with her cruel eyes.

  “Well?” she demanded. “Where is my golden ring?”

  Beetle closed his eyes for a minute. “Your Majesty,” he said at last, “you will find your ring under the apple tree in the royal gardens.”

  “It had better be there,” said the queen, stomping down the stairs.

  The queen went straight to the apple tree and looked among the fallen leaves. Sure enough, there was her missing ring.

  “You have done well,” she said to Beetle. “I am most pleased.”

  Beetle bowed low and started towards the castle gates, sure that he would never return.

  But the queen had not yet finished with him.

  “Wait!” she cried. “I have one last test for you.”

  Beetle’s skinny legs knocked together. His small head shone with sweat.

  “What is it?” he croaked.

  Turning her back, the queen plucked something from the ground and hid it in her hand.

  “Tell me,” she said to Beetle, “what am I hiding in my hand?”

  Beetle gasped. This was the end of him. He had no way of knowing what the queen was holding.

  “Well?” said the queen frostily.

  Beetle sank to his knees. “Ah, Beetle,” he said sadly, “you have been caught for sure.” Hearing this, the queen smiled and opened her hand. A small brown beetle stretched its wings and flew away.

  “Well done,” said the queen, “you have passed the test.”

  Beetle hurried away before the queen could give him any more tests. He was very happy to return safely to his own village. There he lived a quiet life for the rest of his days, and never again did he pretend to have special powers.

 

 

  Jill McDougall, Beetle

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