Grasshopper Glitch Read Online Free PDF

belted out Mr. Grant.
    â€œI very much doubt it,” said Petty, crisply.
    â€œFound it in a bird’s nest!” he bawled on. “A year ago, when I was cutting down my old hedge. Some magpie had got it. Gave it a wash and put it next to my clock, I did.”
    Petty stared at him, her mouth open.
    â€œNice to find someone to share a bench with,” Mr. Grant shouted, romantically. “Especially at this time of day! When there are no screaming kids about. They should keep ’em all in school a bit longer, I say. Getting out at three? Nonsense. Lock ’em up with their teachers until six o’clock. Give us oldies a chance to have a park bench to ourselves, eh? Ha-ha-ha!”
    Petty was still trying to figure out whether she had really heard Mr. Grant say he had a S.W.I.T.C.H. cube on his mantelpiece. Then two grasshoppers jumped up onto her knee and began to wave. Petty blinked. Then her eyes stretched wide, but she didn’t say anything.
    â€œDon’t you think?” barked Mr. Grant.
    â€œOh no,” said Petty. She stared at her knee. She suddenly realized where the missing S.W.I.T.C.H. potion must have ended up. “It’s Josh and Danny!”
    â€œDon’t you?” screamed Mr. Grant. “Don’t you think it’s nice here? No annoying kids. Just you and me! Ha-ha-ha!” And he slapped his hand down on her knee.

    Petty shrieked.
    â€œOh come on!” roared Mr. Grant. “I’m only being friendly!”
    But Petty was staring in horror at her knee. Only seconds before, Josh and Danny had been waving at her there. That idiot Grant had surely just splatted them across her skirt.
    She smacked his hand away. She gasped with relief. There was no sign of splatted insect. A chirruping noise made her look down at the little tin cup on the bit of bench between her and her nasty neighbor. Inside the cup there was still a puddle of antidote (which she had mistaken for potion). It was leftover from the peanut dunking. Two grasshoppers were wallowing about in it.
    â€œNo need to be hoity-toity!” Mr. Grant was shouting. “I was only saying how nice it was to be here all on our own. Without any irritating, snotty-nosed schoolkids taking up all the benches and—DOOF!” Mr. Grant was abruptly shoved sideways as two schoolkids appeared out of thin air on the bench between him and Petty Potts.
    Petty hooted with laughter. Mr. Grant fainted. By the time he’d regained his senses, he was alone. He took himself off to see the doctor.

    â€œSorry the boys are late,” smiled Petty. She put her head around the classroom door. Josh and Danny sidled back to their desks. “I had a bit of an emergency. They were helping me.”
    â€œOh,” said Miss Mellor, checking her watch. “Well, it’s only ten minutes. I suppose I don’t have to mark it down. What kind of emergency?”

    â€œThey had to save me from something creepy-crawly! You know how good Josh is with that kind of thing,” said Petty. She did her best “nice old dear” face. She pushed the S.W.I.T.C.H. potion bottle deep into her straw bag. Josh had run into the bathroom to get it for her just before they came back into class.
    â€œSee you at dismissal, boys,” said Petty. She hurried out of the classroom.
    â€œYou didn’t eat lunch, either of you!” scolded Miss Mellor. “Your lunch boxes are still out on your desks!”
    â€œIt’s OK, Miss Mellor,” Danny grinned. “We had a lot of salad stuff while we were out. Couldn’t eat another thing!”
    â€œReally? Sounds very healthy,” said Miss Mellor, looking suspicious.
    â€œIt was!” said Josh. “And we’re going to eat more leaves when we get home. Even more than Claudia! We’re going to snarf a whole hedge. It tastes great!”

“You must be joking!” Danny held up his hands and shook his head. “No way!”
    â€œBut