The Revenge of Dr Von Burpinburger Read Online Free PDF Page A

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GERONIMO!
    The balloon incident was on the news that night.
    â€˜Look at this,’ Eric’s father shouted after dinner. Eric was helping his mother in the kitchen. Einstein was in the bedroom, exhausted by all the questions at school that day.
    The screen was filled with a shot of Brique’s enormous backside and his spotty underpants.
    â€˜People on their way to work this morning were greeted by an unusual sight at the busy end of Carlon Street,’ said a reporter, ‘when two men crashed their balloon right in the middle of peak-hour traffic.’
    â€˜What a strange looking pair,’ Mr Wimpleby said.
    The reporter continued: ‘We spoke to Constable Jones about the matter.’ A policeman stood before the camera. Behind him, Dr von Burpinburger and Tikazza Brique were being loaded into a police van.

    â€˜We’ll have to lock up these jokers for a couple of days,’ Constable Jones explained. ‘People shouldn’t have to worry about backsides, er, sorry, balloons falling on them.’
    Lock them up! Eric liked the sound of that.
    â€˜You must have just missed that on your way to school,’ Mr Wimpleby said.
    â€˜Yeah, must have. Wish I’d seen it.’ Eric yawned and gave each of his parents a kiss. ‘Think I’ll go to bed.’
    â€˜Busy day?’ his mother smiled.
    â€˜Sort of,’ Eric replied. He wasn’t tired at all; he was excited. He couldn’t wait to tell Einstein the good news.

    He barged into the bedroom. ‘Guess what? Those two thugs are going to be locked up!’
    Eric had expected Einstein to be on the bed. But he wasn’t. ‘Where are you?’
    â€˜Up here.’
    Einstein was standing on top of the wardrobe.
    â€˜What are you doing?’ Eric asked.
    â€˜What does it look like I’m doing?’
    â€˜It looks like you’re about to jump.’
    â€˜Exactly. Precisely. Indubitably,’ the mouse declared. ‘I’m testing my new parachute.’
    He held up one of Mr Wimpleby’s handkerchiefs, to which he’d attached four strings, one at each corner. The strings were in turn tied around his waist.
    â€˜Strictly a test model, you understand – merely a prototype . But I have great hopes for it.’
    Then he took several steps back, steadied himself, and ran as fast as he could to the edge of the wardrobe, throwing himself into the air and shouting: ‘Geronimo!’
    The parachute didn’t work very well. In fact, it didn’t work at all. It failed to open, and Einsteinfell like a mouse-shaped stone, missing the bed and hitting the floor with a mouse-like thud.
    â€˜Ouch!’
    He did manage to roll as he landed, the way proper parachutists do. But it still hurt. He gathered the handkerchief together, talking to himself. ‘Back to the drawing board, I think.’
    Then he glanced up at Eric. ‘Did you say someone is going to be locked up?’

BACK TO SCHOOL
    â€˜Of course. Why didn’t I think of that before?’
    Dr von Burpinburger paced back and forth in the cramped prison cell, muttering to himself and pounding a fist into the palm of his other hand.
    â€˜Yes. That could work very well indeed.’

    â€˜You really should take it easy, Master.’ Tikazza Brique lay on his bunk, hands under his head, smiling. He was enjoying the rest. He’d just woken from a little nap. ‘Think of this as a kind of holiday. That’s how I look at it.’
    â€˜You would,’ the doctor sneered, annoyed at having his thoughts interrupted. ‘Fool!’
    â€˜It’s not too bad,’ Brique continued. ‘Nice and cosy, in fact. Like a small hotel room, really. You should make the most of it.’
    â€˜What do you think I’m doing?’ the doctor scowled.
    Brique watched the doctor pacing back and forth for a moment. ‘I know. You’re exercising.’
    â€˜No, you moron! I’m thinking .