Riddle Gully Runaway Read Online Free

— in bronze, silver and gold — came to stand solemnly beside him.
    Principal Piggott cleared her throat. ‘In third place, we have Raine Dodd with her pony, Prancer, who is looking splendid today as a medieval dragon.’ The crowd clapped heartily as Draino led Prancer to the podium, where Mayor Bullock, his winner’s rosette blooming from his lapel, placed the bronze medal over her head and shook her hand.
    Pollo bent down and whispered in Shorn Connery’s ear. ‘One more to go then it’s us, old buddy!’
    â€˜In second place,’ beamed Principal Piggott, ‘as James Bond 007, it’s the most debonair sheep in the district, Shorn Connery and his owner Apollonia di Nozi!’ Pollo’s heart sank for an instant, but then she heard Will’s
whoop-whoop!
and saw all the smiling faces and couldn’t help feeling proud. She led Shorn Connery to the podium and, holding onto his lead, stepped onto the second-highest box, leaving Shorn Connery at ground level in front of her. Mayor Bullock shook her hand — not smiling nearly as broadly as he had for Draino — and Pollo waved her silver medal to the cheers of the onlookers.
    A hush fell over the audience, broken only by a raven’s
arp-arp-aaah
. ‘And in first place —’ Principal Piggott paused for dramatic effect, ‘— a contestant I’m sure everyone agrees looks distinctly like our Prime Minister, we have Hamlet the pig and his owner Thomas Mobsby!’ A worthy winner, thought Pollo, clapping enthusiastically along with the happy mob. Tommy climbed onto the highest box and shook hands with Pollo and Draino, a huge grin crinkling his face.
    Mayor Bullock lifted Tommy’s gold medal from the tray with his ring-bedecked fingers and held it up to the audience, waving it like a magician about to perform atrick. The medal dangled and flashed in the afternoon sun. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, came a
whoosh-whoosh-whoosh
and a whir of black feathers. A raven swooped down at Mayor Bullock’s hands, its leathery clawed feet extended. The assistant holding the tray yelped and dropped it with a clang onto Mayor Bullock’s foot. Prancer whinnied and jolted, pulling Draino off her box. Shorn Connery, his eyes rolled back, and Hamlet, looking gleeful, belted in opposite directions, either side of Mayor Bullock. They wheeled around him, their leads trailing. The raven — which Pollo now saw was the one from earlier with a wayward feather — hopped about on the ground between them, trying to snatch the dropped shiny medal. Mayor Bullock windmilled his arms at the horde of beasts. The raven flapped its way to Shorn Connery’s rump — where his dinner jacket didn’t reach — and took a quick pluck of wool.
    Shorn Connery shot across the parade ground and through the rope barrier, dragging it and its little orange flags with him. The raven flurried upward, alighting on Mayor Bullock’s head, where it crouched, its neck stretched for balance, its talons hooked into the plush carpet of hair beneath. Mayor Bullock stumbled backwards — onto Hamlet who was still sprinting lapsaround the podium. The pig sent up an ear-splitting squeal. With two beats of its wings, the raven flew off, glided a short way and landed on the fence-post near its mate — the tuft of Shorn Connery’s wool in its beak and something floppy dangling from its claws.
    Mayor Bullock regained his balance and tapped the microphone. ‘Order! Order!’ he barked.
    People turned to look at him. Gradually the hubbub petered away. Silence. A camera clicked — Pollo’s. People began covering their mouths, their eyes bright above their hands. More cameras clicked and whirred. More people began to chuckle.
    The mayor plucked a starched handkerchief from his breast pocket and dabbed his face. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped. Slowly his eyeballs rolled up toward his forehead