The Littlest Dragon Gets the Giggles. Margaret Ryan

      

       For Jonathan, with love

      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

       Dedication

The Littlest Dragon Gets the Giggles

       A Very Hot Day

       Keep Reading

       Also by the Author

       Copyright

       About the Publisher

The Littlest Dragon Gets the Giggles

      It was very early morning. In the dragons’ cave ten dragons lay fast asleep. Suddenly, the pillow of Number Ten, the littlest dragon, began to ring. TING! TING! TING!

      “Shush . . . not so loud,” whispered the littlest dragon, blinking open his eyes. “Don’t wake the others.”

      He reached under his pillow and switched off his alarm clock. Then he slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the big cave kitchen.

      “Today I’m going to be first for breakfast,” he said. “I’m fed up always being last. By the time I get my breakfast the tea’s cold, the toast’s soggy and somebody else has pinched the plastic frog from the cornflake packet.”

      The littlest dragon climbed up on to a stool at the sink and made his tea with water from the hot tap – he wasn’t allowed to boil the kettle yet. He popped his bread in the toaster and was just reaching down the cornflakes when a big dragon paw swiped the box from him.

      “Oh good, a new box of cornflakes,” said his big dragon brother, Number One. “My turn to get the plastic frog.”

      “When is it MY turn?” asked the littlest dragon.

      “Oh great, tea’s made,” said big brothers Two, Three and Four, pouring themselves some.

      “That’s MY tea,” said the littlest dragon.

      “Toast’s made too,” said twin brothers Five and Six, catching the slices as they popped out of the toaster.

      “And that’s MY toast,” said the littlest dragon.

      But the other dragons paid no heed.

      The littlest dragon quickly sat down at the big kitchen table and tried to get some breakfast. He was just reaching for the tea when . . .

      “Shove along, Number Ten,” said brothers Seven and Eight. “We need more space.”

      The littlest dragon wiggled along the bench and was just reaching for the toast when . . .

      “Move along, Number Ten,” said brothers One and Two. “We need more room.”

      The littlest dragon wiggled along the bench a bit more and was just reaching for the cornflake packet when . . .

      “Shift your bum, Number Ten,” said brother Number Nine, rather rudely, and pushed the littlest dragon so hard that he fell right off the end of the bench on to the floor.

      The littlest dragon stood up and rubbed his knee.

      “This won’t do,” he muttered. “This won’t do at all. I set my alarm clock for extra early, and I still haven’t had any breakfast.”

      Then he had his first idea.

      He went to the kitchen window and peeped outside.

      “Oh look,” he said in an innocent little voice. “I think I see the postman coming with a big parcel for us. And I think it says on it SWEETS FOR THE DRAGON BROTHERS FROM GREAT AUNT GEORGINA.”

      “Great,” yelled brothers One and Two. “Hope there are some sticky lollies.”

      “And chocolate toffees,” said Three and Four.

      “We like jelly babies,” said Five and Six.

      “We like everything,” said Seven, Eight and Nine.

      The kitchen cups rattled as nine dragon brothers thundered towards the door.