Kirabo (3 page)

“Bridget, I think I have an idea. Would you please ask everyone to stop what they are doing and meet us outside? ” Kirabo asked. Then she turned and whispered something to Wilbur.

Soon the whole village was outside Bridget and Damon’s house looking very cross at having to stop work.

“Hello, I’m Kirabo and this is Brady.”

There was a murmur of unhappy voices. The villagers were eager to finish building the fence before 4 o’clock.

“Bridget told us of your problem with the Rhinosophants and the other animals. We have a friend who would like to help you. He can build you a very big wall to stop the Rhinosophants from knocking down your homes. He is very kind and very lonely. He would really like to make some new friends. Would you like him to help you?” Kirabo asked.

The villagers got together in a big huddle and talked amongst themselves. Eventually a man popped his head out from the huddle.

“How can one person build a wall big enough to keep out the Rhinosophants?”

“He is very big and very strong,” Brady answered.

The group huddled together once again. Soon a woman popped her head out from the huddle.

“It’s very late and the Rhinosophants will be here soon. How quickly can your friend come and help us?”

“I have sent a friend to ask him to be ready to come and help. I only have to signal for him and he’ll come,” Kirabo answered once more.

The group huddled together once again. Eventually Bridget looked up and smiled at Kirabo.

“We would like it very much if your friend would come and help us,” she said.

Kirabo took a handkerchief from her dressing gown and waved it high in the air. At once the ground began to rumble and shake. One of the villagers gave a loud scream.

“The monster has come back,” she yelled as Cedric came into view from beyond the mountain.

Other villagers began to scream and they quickly ran off to their homes to lock themselves inside.

“Wait!” Brady shouted as loud as he could. “Cedric is our friend. He is coming to help you.”

But no one waited, they all ran away. Some even ran to grab stones or large spears to throw at Cedric, just as they had before.

Kirabo began to worry. She didn’t want her friend to get hurt and all the while Cedric was getting closer to the village, carrying big rocks in his arms.

“Come on, let’s help him,” Brady said. “If the villagers see that he doesn’t hurt us, then they won’t be so afraid.”

Kirabo nodded and they ran off to meet Cedric. Wilbur was flying around his head humming a pleasant tune.

“I’m sorry, Cedric, when they saw you they all ran off,” Kirabo said, trying her best not to cry.

“Put the rocks there,” Brady said, pointing to an area where the wooden fence had been.

Cedric dropped the huge rocks and began building the wall before standing up straight.

“Don’t worry, Kirabo,” Cedric said. “If I build the wall for them then maybe they will realise I only want to be their friend.”

With that, the giant went back to the mountain to collect more rocks.

“Come on, we can start clearing some of this old fence away. When Cedric comes back he’ll be able to drop the next load of rocks,” Brady suggested.

As they worked, some of the villagers came back ready to throw things at the giant and make him go away.

“Where is the monster?” a man with a large spear asked.

“He’s not a monster,” Kirabo said crossly. “Look,” she said, pointing to the pile of large rocks. “He is building a strong wall around your village so that you’ll be safe when the Rhinosophants come.”

The villagers stood in amazement as they saw the pile of rocks. The ground began to shake once more as Cedric returned with his arms full of large boulders.

“Where do you want this lot?” Cedric called as he got closer.

“Erm, over there, please,” the man with a large spear said.

Cedric dropped the boulders where he had been asked. “I’ll go and get some more. Would you mind clearing the rest of this old fence?” Cedric asked, looking down at the shocked villagers.

“Yes and than– thank you,” one of them stammered.

“My pleasure. I’m Cedric, by the way,” he shouted over his shoulder as he walked off to collect more rocks.

When the rest of the villagers heard that the monster was really a friendly giant called Cedric, they all came out to help clear the rest of the broken fence away and to make sure the large stone wall went in the right place. Cedric left just enough room for a large wooden gateway so that the villagers could go down to the lake whenever they wanted.

“It’s nearly 4 o’clock,” Bridget called out to the villagers as they put the final touches to the gate. “Come inside before the Rhinosophants arrive.”

Cedric stood up and got ready to go back to his lonely cave.

“Wait!” Damon called. “Would you like to come in and have a drink with us? You must be thirsty after all your hard work.”

Cedric beamed with happiness. “Thank you, I would like that very much,” he said.

Inside the village was a large rock, which had been left over from the wall.

“We thought that we could leave this here as a seat for you when you come and visit us,” Bridget said, pointing to the rock.

Cedric sat on it, as if trying it out for size. He looked around at all of the worried faces.

“It’s perfect,” he said.

The villagers all gave a loud cheer. A bucket full of milk was handed to Cedric, which he drank in one big gulp.

Suddenly the air was filled with a thunderous noise as the Rhinosophants ran past the village on their way to the lake. Some bumped into the stone wall as they ran past but it stayed strong. There was more cheering and more drinks were passed around. Bridget jumped into the circle that the villagers had made around Cedric and began to dance and sing a song. Soon everyone was dancing and singing. Even Wilbur, who was sitting on Cedric’s shoulder, joined in.

“I’m glad you made some nice friends,” Kirabo said as she climbed up onto Cedric’s knee. “But I’m afraid it’s time for us to go.”

Cedric gave Kirabo a sad smile. “Will you find some friends so you don’t have to be on your own?” the giant asked.

“I hope that she’ll be my friend,” Brady said, climbing onto Cedric’s other knee.

Kirabo smiled. “I’d like that,” she said.

Kirabo and Brady climbed all the way up the mountain and back inside the cave where they had first found Cedric. It seemed to have shrunk, for they both had to get onto their hands and knees and crawl through the entrance. At once Brady found himself back in the attic. Kirabo followed him out of the cardboard box. She was holding her toy dog Togo close to her chest with one arm.

No sooner had they climbed out of the box than the door to the attic opened.

“There you two are,” Sally, Brady’s mum said. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you two. Breakfast is ready.”

She looked at the two of them suspiciously. “What have you being doing?”

“We’ve been playing,” Kirabo said smiling.

Sally let out a sigh of relief. It was the first time Kirabo had smiled since she had come to live with them.

“We like playing together, don’t we?” Kirabo asked, giving Brady a wink.

Kirabo sat on her bed cuddling her toy dog Togo. She felt very sad. That morning had been her first day at her new school. She had been so excited as she and Brady had walked to school, but then, just outside the school gates they had met Neville and Nora, the school bullies.

“Look it’s Brady Baby,” Neville had shouted.

His sister Nora joined in too, “Brady Baby, Brady Baby. Who’s this, Brady Baby?” she’d asked, giving Kirabo a nasty look.

“She’s my friend, leave her alone,” Brady said. He tried to walk past Nora and Neville but they pushed him to the ground.

Kirabo felt as if she wanted to cry, but she didn’t.

Nora saw the new pencil case Brady’s mum had bought for Kirabo.

“I’ll have that,” Nora said, grabbing the pencil case from Kirabo’s hand.

“That’s mine,” Kirabo said quietly.

“Not any more, new girl,” Nora said, laughing. With that, she pushed Kirabo over as well.

The school bell rang and Neville and Nora ran off laughing.

There was a knock on Kirabo’s door.

“Come in.”

Brady opened the door. “Hello,” he said, smiling.

Kirabo gave a little smile but she felt too sad to talk.

“Let’s go up to the attic and play,” Brady suggested.

“I don’t feel like playing today,” Kirabo said.

“I’m sure it will cheer you up and then we can think about what we should do about Neville and Nora.”

Even their names made Kirabo feel frightened and sad.

“Come on,” Brady encouraged.

Kirabo got up and followed Brady up the stairs to the attic. Kirabo smiled, she liked playing in the attic, it felt special and safe.

Brady began putting lots of cardboard boxes together.

“That looks like a castle,” Kirabo said excitedly. “Shall I wear my princess dress?”

Brady didn’t like the sound of playing princesses, but then he saw a toy sword and shield in the toy box. “Okay,” he said, “and I’ll be a brave knight.”

Together they climbed inside the cardboard castle.

“Come quickly, Princess Kirabo,” a tall man said, taking hold of Kirabo’s arm. “Lord Percival is on his way to the castle. You must hide.”

Kirabo looked at Brady in shock.

“Why must Kirabo, I mean Princess Kirabo, hide?” Brady asked.