Join Sir Gadabout, the worst Knight in the world, on his tenth madcap adventure. Some old adversaries of Gadabout have taken over the pet shop in Camelot village and are doing something strange to the pet food. When Sir Gadabout’s lizard turns into a crocodile he decides its time to investigate. Full of jokes, puns and clever wit with characteristic illustrations from Tony Ross; this book is a good step up from Horrid Henry.
Morag and Demelza, Sir Gadabout's old adversaries, have taken over the pet shop in Camelot village. They have adopted elaborate disguises and are keeping the real owner under lock and key, intending to cause so much chaos at the Round Table that they can move in and install themselves as King and Queen, with their ridiculous claim to the throne backed up by doctored family trees. The knights at Camelot begin to realise that their pet food is having a strange effect, and that pets they have bought from the shop aren't all they expected; Sir Gadabout himself has a little lizard which grows rapidly into a crocodile and terrifies everyone. The cause of the problem is eventually traced back to the pet shop and our determined knight is sent to investigate, resulting in the usual mayhem.
“An armoury of sophisticated, anachronistic jokes which will also tickle adults who read aloud.” Sunday Times
Author
About Martyn Beardsley
Martyn Beardsley has lived in Nottingham all his life. A civil servant for many years, he is now concentrating on his writing career. As well as being a children's author, one of his great passions is history. In 2002 he published a biography of Sir John Franklin, the Arctic explorer. A committed Buddhist, he is interested in reading, sport, keep-fit and yoga. Martyn Beardsley is married with one daughter and a mad dog.
MARTYN BEARDSLEY Q&A
What would you rather be – a smuggler or a Revenue man? A Revenue man – most smugglers were very poor, and anyway I’d like to dress up in the uniform!
What’s the most dangerous trip you’ve ever been on? On the A1 to Cambridge stuck in a traffic jam and needing to go for a wee. I almost didn’t make it!
What would you most like to find hidden in an old rusty box? A
letter from the past like the one in the story. I’ve traced my own
family tree and I love finding out more about people long ago.
What goods would you like to smuggle, and why? Tea – it was one of the main smuggled items. I drink gallons a day and can’t write stories without it!
Where would you hide your good from the Revenue men? I think I’d build a fake toilet with horrible smells coming from it – they’d never look in there.
