Title Page EDWARD’S EXPLOITS Jacqueline M. Wilson Illustrations by June Burton Publisher Information First published in 2004 by Apex Publishing Ltd PO Box 7086, Clacton on Sea, Essex, CO15 5WN, England www.apexpublishing.co.uk Digital Edition converted and distributed in 2011 by Andrews UK Limited www.andrewsuk.com Copyright © 2004 by Jacqueline M. Wilson The author has asserted her moral rights All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that no part of this book is to be reproduced, in any shape or form, or, by way of trade, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser, without prior permission of the copyright holder. Cover Design Illustration by June Burton Edward Goes On Holiday Edward was packing his suitcase, he had put in his best shorts and hat Eric the fox was going to feed his goldfish, so he left the key under the mat He made some jam sandwiches and took his train guide Edward was off on holiday, off to the seaside. He was very excited on the train and fidgeted most of the way The other passengers were getting fed up with him, so he thought of a game to play He counted all the brown cows he could see, now this really was fun The game didn’t last long, it was getting boring, he’d counted a hundred and one! At last the train pulled into the station at platform number five His auntie had been waiting for his train to arrive She greeted him enthusiastically with a hug and a kiss on the cheek She was cuddling him so tightly Edward felt his legs go weak! In the car on the way back they chatted and laughed about About when Edward was young, how he and his brother had made a raft They had taken it to the river and jumped on board ready to sail the seas Their adventure was cut short, the raft sank and the water was up to their knees! At last they arrived at aunt Kate’s house, Edward went to find his uncle Ted He was at the back of the house painting his rowing boat white and red Edward helped his uncle paint until his tummy started to rumble Just at that point aunt Kate came out and said “who’s for apple crumble?” Not only was there apple crumble but scones, chocolate cake and home made bread Edward had never seen so much food, his eyes nearly popped out his head! He ate as much as he possibly could, then he ate a little bit more! He would really have to stop now, his tummy was getting very sore He went outside and played in the sand, with his bucket and spade And built the biggest and best sandcastle he had ever made He ran in and out of the sea and jumped over the waves Then went walking across the rocks and looked in the old caves. Edward loved to explore, but the caves were dark and he was a bit wary What if he should meet a spider that was big, black and hairy! He collected funny shaped stones and shells even though they did smell He found the shell of a dead crab and put that in his pail as well. It was getting dark and getting late, it was nearly time for bed He would be glad to climb under the covers and rest his weary head He saw the light in the distance, what a welcoming sight He said goodnight to his aunt and uncle and went out like a light. The next few days were spent playing on the rocks and on the shore Having adventures in the caves, he wasn’t worried about spiders any more He would pretend to be a famous explorer, a pirate or sometimes a buccaneer Who would always be the hero of the story and never show fear. People would speak to him as they passed by and some would even smile But when he dug up a dead crab, or bones of a fish some of them ran a mile! Edward had loved his holiday and didn’t really want to leave He had been there seven days which he found hard to believe. As he waited to board the train, his aunt and uncle said goodbye Edward felt all sad inside and thought he was going to cry “Don’t feel sad Edward” auntie said as she wiped away a tear “We have enjoyed having you, please come back next year.” Edward’s New Friend Edward was in a playful mood, he was looking for animals to harass When all of a sudden, he saw something moving in the grass Edward was a bit of a coward, should he go over there? He didn’t know if he was brave enough, or even if he dare. What if it should bite him, that had happened to him before He still remembered that, it really was rather sore A little animal with sharp teeth, had bitten his big toe But curiosity was getting the better of him, he really had to know. He lay down on his tummy and slithered like a snake So it wouldn’t see him, but Edward had made a big mistake Edward was a rabbit and rabbits have big ears So all the other animals could see him including the tigers and the deers. The other animals were used to Edward and never batted an eye It was probably a game like hide and seek or maybe even eye-spy Little did they realise Edward was on a mission, with a mystery to solve Undertaking an investigation and all that would involve. Edward was nearly at the spot and was trying to find a smell Of the newcomer’s whereabouts and all was going well When all of a sudden a head popped through a hole in the ground It was black, with a large bill and wearing glasses; Edward didn’t make a sound His heart was racing, he jumped back totally in shock He landed in a big heap and banged his toe on a rock He
