Page 41 - Jeremiah Lollipop

“This is where I usually live,” said Mr. Flannel, “But the tunnel goes a

lot further than this!” He pointed at the gaping doorway on the other side

of the room. “There’s nearly another mile of it!”

“Where does it end?” asked Jeremiah.

“The beach! But I’m not quite there yet. A few more days and I’ll have

my escape plan finished!”

“Wow!” said Jeremiah. This was about all he could think of saying. It

was a very wow sort of occasion.

“I think you’ll have to go home now,” said Mr. Flannel, “If your

parents start looking for you, they might try my place, and that could

mean the end of my work!”

“Yes,” said Jeremiah, and he walked all the way back with Mr.

Flannel, and then home again. He was still full of wow when he got in

the door, but he was very good at keeping secrets, so nobody found out

where he had been.

And that night he thought what a great granddad Mr. Flannel would

make.

I bet none of the kids at school have a granddad who digs tunnels

through hills!” he thought, and then he wondered if one day there might

be a Granddad Competition. How would they score them?

He imagined a big stadium, full of grandkids, and all the granddads

lined up along one end of a wide playing field. Selected grandkids stood

ready at the other end, and the judges waited for the starter signal.