Magnus Fin and the Ocean Quest Read Online Free PDF

struck dumb, and she stares at me, and my heart’s hopping like a rabbit. She is beautiful. Then I don’t know why but I shout out, “Dad – look!” and as soon as I do she disappears under the water. I wish I’d never shouted out. She never came up again. For ages we waited for her to come back. And I didn’t want to drop any more hooks under the water in case we hurt her. Well, we got too cold and Dad said we had to go back – he said I’d see her again one day. Well, I ain’t never forgotten her and I never will. Ever.”
    Then Tarkin folded his arms and sat down, and for a while the class was silent. Mrs McLeod coughed and sat on her desk. For a second it seemed as if she was stumped for words.
    “Right then,” she said, suddenly standing up.“Well. Tarkin is a really good storyteller, isn’t he, P6? Well, thank you, Tarkin. So, um … when we do our beach clean-up before the summer holidays we might see a mermaid. Or we might not! Alaska is a long way away. Who can tell me where Alaska is?”
    Tarkin mouthed the answer to Magnus Fin who shot up his hand. “The USA, Miss!” he said.
    “Yes, very good, Magnus. Some people think it’s in Canada but it’s not. Right then, off you go, P6. And don’t forget to do your homework – name ten different kinds of fish and draw them!”

Chapter Seven
    “Like I said, Fin, I’ve seen a lot, but nothing as cool as this.” Tarkin whistled as Magnus handed him cowrie shells and coloured stones and bird skulls that day after school. “You’re right – real treasure – wow!”
    “Look at this one,” said Magnus, handing Tarkin a metal sign that had the word BALLROOM etched on it. “My best one ever. It must have come off a sunken ship. I think it’s from the Titanic .” The two boys were sitting on the floor in Magnus Fin’s room and Magnus pinched himself twice to check he wasn’t dreaming.
    Tarkin took the treasure in his hands and turned the sign around and around, his eyes wide with wonder. “Phew! Awesome! Man, I think you’re right. This is from the Titanic . It hit an iceberg, right? And the musicians just kept on playing even when the ship was sinking. Wow! I wonder what kind of dances they did in the ballroom. Or did they play ball in the ballroom? You could get a fortune for this, Fin – you could be rich.”
    “I want to keep it,” he said, hoping Tarkin would give the sign back soon. He felt nervous the way Tarkin kept turning it over and over. “It’s my favourite treasure. You’re the first person to see itexcept me. Granny saw the toilet sign but not this one. This is my very best treasure.”
    “You’re right, Fin,” said Tarkin, handing back the precious sign. “Who cares about being rich? This is the best thing ever. Most kids buy stuff down at the store – you get the best things down at the shore! That is so cool.”
    After he had shown Tarkin his favourite treasures he took out the drawing of the mermaid. “She’s the prize,” said Magnus Fin. He stood on his bed then Sellotaped the mermaid picture on to his wall so she would be the first thing he would see when he woke up. Tarkin grinned and nodded his head.
    “Great story you told us at school,” Magnus Fin said, wanting to hear more about the beautiful mermaid. But Tarkin said if you talk too much about magical glimpses you might not be given more.
    “Yeah but how do you know it was a mermaid you saw? It could have been a girl. I mean, you didn’t see her tail, did you?” Magnus Fin said, but Tarkin just pointed to his lips and made a zipping gesture. When Fin saw that his friend had no more to say on the subject of mermaids he resumed rummaging in his treasure chest.
    “Well, look at this. This is a bit of anchor from a pirate ship,” he said, handing Tarkin a piece of rusty iron.
    “Wow, Fin, it’s real heavy. Pirates are so cool. Hey,” he said, putting a hand over one eye for an eye patch and hobbling around the room, ringing the bell and limping as