Sebastian Read Online Free PDF Page A

EAR BIGGER THAN LEFT EAR. NO FUR ON CHEST.” Then, after jabbing a bony finger in my tummy, “SQUEAKER WORKING.
    â€œThere,” he said, after the machine had digested it all and had gone quiet. “You’re now stored in my hard disc.”
    I can’t say that I was impressed, and I didn’t feel any different, even if I was stored in his hard disc, whatever that was.
    â€œAll right then,” he said, noticing my scornful look. “I’ll show you just how clever it is.” He clicked a lot of switches and the machine started bubbling again. “I’ll ask it a question. Let’s say: ‘Who has no fur on his chest and one ear bigger than the other?’ Or should it be ‘one ear smaller than the other’?”
    He tapped it out anyway and pressed a button. Everything went quiet - while the machine was thinking I suppose - and then it rattled away at great speed and shot out a piece of paper.
    Just like Amanda’s conductor’s outfit. It said on it:
    QUADRIBEAR STUFF-I-PED
    â€œOh dear!” said the boy, looking quite disappointed behind his spectacles. “It’s got mixed up. Let’s try again.”
    And he typed in: ‘What walks on four feet with loose stuffing in its left ear?’
    I didn’t have time to point out that it was my paw with the loose stuffing, when the machine shot out another piece of paper:
    QUESTION NOT UNDERSTOOD. PLEASE CORRECT
    The boy went rather pink. “Silly old computer,” he said. “I expect its valves are getting worn out. All right then, let’s try this: ‘Who squeaks, has four legs, two ears and whose name begins with S and ends with N’.”
    The computer thought a bit and then produced another ticket:
    A MOUSE CALLED SAMPSON
    The boy looked puzzled. “I’m sure I haven’t got a mouse with that name,” he said. “Moles, mammoths, monkeys but no mouse of that name. Oh, well, I’m tired anyway.” And he clicked off all the switches and the lights went out. “You’ll have to spend the night in the Ms,” he said. “Till I’ve got your filing cabinet ready.”
    He took me over to the rows of grey metal cabinets, opened a drawer marked M and popped me in.
    At first I couldn’t see a thing, then slowly the light began to squeeze through the cracks and I could make out lots of cards standing upright at the back. They were all marked with the letter M.
    â€œFor all his toys beginning with the letter M,” said a small bright voice coming out of the darkness near the bottom of the stack of cards.
    I was quite taken aback - but whatever it was sounded friendly.
    â€œI’m a monkey - “M, you see - and my friends call me Jacko. Not very original, but I’ve got used to it.”
    I could just see his eyes twinkling.
    â€œSurely,” I said, “he doesn’t just keep you all in drawers?”
    â€œSome of us have never seen daylight for years,” said Jacko. “He’s spoilt, you see. His father is a millionaire and he has whatever he wants. I suppose you’ve been put in his computer?”
    I told him what a shock it gave me.
    â€œHe spends ages just asking it silly questions. And it does all his homework.”
    â€œPerhaps one day he’ll ask a question it can’t answer, and it will blow up in a rage,” I said.
    â€œWhat fun that would be,” sighed Jacko, as though he didn’t believe it possible.
    Just then there was a pattering noise and a faint squeak. A mouse popped in through a crack in the corner of the drawer. It sniffed my foot, and then trotted over to Jacko and sniffed his paw. Then it squeaked again and went out the way it had come.
    â€œIt must be very small,” I said, “to be able to get through such a tiny hole.”
    â€œVery thin you mean,” said Jacko. “he’s on a diet you see.”
    â€œYou mean it’s slimming?” I’d