Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest Read Online Free PDF Page B

tugged the corners of her mouth—not into a smile exactly, but into something that might grow into one.
    â€œMartha!” Samuel said, pointing at her face. “You’re smiling!”
    But as soon as the half smile was pointed out, it disappeared, like a frightened deer, and Martha remembered her sadness once again. A sadness that was mildly comforted by Ibsen’s rough tongue licking her hand.
    â€œLooks like you haff got a friend,” Aunt Eda said, but it was unclear whether she was talking to Martha or Ibsen.
    The dog followed everyone upstairs, where the children were shown their bedroom. There were two beds with sheets and blankets tucked in tight in a way that reminded Samuel of a hospital. A tall antique wardrobe stood like an awkward stranger in the corner of the room, from where it seemed to look down on the children.
    â€œI know that wardrobe,” Samuel said. “I’ve seen it before.”
    Aunt Eda looked frightened for a moment, as if Samuel’s words were dangerous creatures let out into the room.
    â€œIt is a werry popular type of wardrobe,” she said.
    â€œBut I’ve seen the wallpaper too.”
    â€œThe wallpaper is especially popular, all over the world I am sure…Now, here are your beds…”
    The beds faced two windows, out of which Samuel could see the green sloping field and the dark forest behind.
    Ibsen, who was now at Samuel’s side, looked up at the boy and began to whimper. And he kept whimpering until Samuel stopped staring out at the forest.
    Aunt Eda was busy showing Martha where to put her clothes in the wardrobe when Samuel asked: “What’s in the trees?”
    Aunt Eda’s head spun around as if Samuel had just said the worst swearword he knew.
    â€œIn the forest,” Samuel went on. “Are there bears? Or wolves? Or something else? Is that what those stupid villagers were scared of?”
    Aunt Eda walked from the wardrobe to Samuel, and bent down until her face was level with his.
    As Samuel looked in her eyes he felt his heartbeat start to quicken. His question about the forest had a transforming effect on his aunt, making her face look so stern it could have been carved from stone.
    â€œDon’t mention that place,” she said in the most serious voice Samuel had ever heard. “Don’t let your mind think about what is inside there. When you go outside you must stay on the grass, where I can see you. Both of you. This is the most important rule I will tell you. Neffer go in the forest. Neffer. And don’t talk about it effer again. Do you understand?”
    Of course, Samuel didn’t understand. He had more questions in his head than ever before. What was so dangerous about the forest? And if it was so dangerous, why live so close that you can see it from your windows?
    But Samuel was so shocked by the sudden change in Aunt Eda that he found himself unable to say anything except: “Yes, I understand.”
    Aunt Eda breathed in through her nose, as if testing the truth of his words by smelling them.
    â€œGood,” she said.
    And then she straightened herself back upright and forced the smile to return to her face.
    â€œRight,” she said. “Now, let’s go and feed those empty stomachs.”

Rudolph Soup
    â€œWhat is it?” Samuel asked, looking at the bowl of murky brown liquid.
    â€œReindeer soup,” Aunt Eda replied, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to eat a reindeer.
    Samuel looked at the hairs on her chin and upper lip.
    She’s as disgusting as the soup, he thought to himself, finding it hard to believe she and his mum had been twin sisters.
    His mum was pretty, and always wore nice clothes and makeup. She used to put stinky cream on her upper lip that got rid of her mustache, and she used to do workouts twice a week to keep her figure. She wore jeans and bright-colored T-shirts, and went to the hairdressers every Saturday morning to get