The Clumsy Crocodile - Felicity Everett

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Contents J
t4
Chopter J 20

2a

3A
t8

Chopte.r

Everglodes
6

CossgGreenwos on her wog to
It was.he vergfirst dou

Shcw.s.roiog ro vork dt
liverqloclcs.drc bigqcstood

It soldthinqsgou justcoutdnr
bug onswhereelse-So,whenCossg
qor o job there,shewdsdspleosed

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7t,)
\\-e=-t
-
: :,4,t'

li.sr, Ldssq wds seDtm \qk ln
rhe(.l,i,u I)cfarrmcor Alier o.Lq
(1 r n rlf! '.s . s l i .l r dd sol .ls i x r r l
.!t: d,i(lnr!(crs ro ( !er! ri.h
l(r[r. Shr wdsdoingwcLl.

.'r.)

6

Co\r!rtocked the.hino.dr eli ,LlLl
in r od b o t. S b e$ d s d s q c n tl ca s o
('o(oditccon b!. but ho!be jui
d t,tde skw. ]'he tcrdqb.qdD to

A{(

..v7\4

CdssUguicktqriedo big bos
on rhc lt)x. Shedidd't wonr rhe
Lcrdlto becrosso, ot her verg6rst
(ustomer.But (rsCossspickedup
thc l)ox,d;sosterstruckl

,,'c. ,

8

Shedpockedit upsidedown.
Sixtgcupsodd soucersmoshed

The curtomer stomp€d her fool
ongrilgond lefr.

E e.-1t . " ,
i:

o'\^,

9

N.rt (..$sLwr osse.t to rheTo!
l)cp,rrrm(or.Shcbopcdtherewds
l.ssr) Lrre.,kS. hedjdn t wdnt dn!

' I nus t p u t t hi sbo Uowo g,'
shctlu:crht. Someoncouldtrip
oler tr ondhdlea bddtuLL.'

t0

But osshcbcnt down,her
roil swudgout beh;ndher.Th.
T o U t o w nE x p r c s sw o s k n o c k e d

5<jpg

tl

>\

€ r\1ntrn

Cdssutrippcdoverd
r ,oq lo f n , tc , dn ewi n fo

l2

...on[rdest rverqtodes heod
ErncstEvcrqtodeowred dre
depaitde.t store.He {as Co$qk
bossond hewosnot o hoppsmon.

' 'Got o m s of f ic e, 'helreL te d .
"NOW!"

Trenbling, Cos!! obe!,ed.

t3

1.-

n crossDoss

b u r D oro r h ;she od .

IA

''I doot

lf \.

C.$! bcqq.d ond pLeoded : iJ.5l
Shepleode.lond bcaqcd

Jusr !iv( nrc odenMe
.hdnce. I LIhe ve.q corcful,

i2l-
nbl"

But Nlr. rverglodcwosmore
i rt r e r c s 'r { l ih! i su e w s p d p eHr.e
sosn't eventirreningro C.rss!.

b

_-

r---"i$l -(

\{- 7

hesjghcd.
tsogs.'

CossggospedE. vergonehod
heordofthe GreedsBogs.But
sberilL wooterlher job bock.

t8

Noe, Mr. Everglodecoutdn'r
stoodc.!ing. Hc noutd do

.OK, OK, lie said. Go ro the
L u x u r uG o o d sD e p q r t n e n r f i r s t
rhi.q Mondo! mo.rinq.

Getting it right

1,'

Sheenpried her.upboardsood
stockedercrgthinginsidethen.
Shesrdckedeverut]or.pLarec, up,
ond souccrin the house.

Thestock!9orwobbli.. ond

cn,lhigher ?

2l

Nextsh€found pqp€r, scissors,

22

\rhen she'dfinishedwroppins,
Cosg wc *housted. All she
wontedto dowossitdowb.

But vhen shetookedfor her
comfiestcboir, therewosiust
onesmollprcbtem...

23

Sosh€setup her inirror od

seF€dimoginorg cusromels.

dep^arnrmurenftgFsrirg..r.rI'rm9 rhep€r
sorfg,

mqdaJn,wedont s€llcmcodile-

,kin hordbqgs."

24

"You dotr't like gour+o$€d
socki,sn?I'll chog€ them ot

Aod shesnihd hertootLg
cmcodilesmit€until herghole
foceoched.

26

F;noll!, Cassgput on he.
Everstodebsddseond admired
beretf in $e mirror.She

27

On Monddqmordng, Cossu
wos.hefirsrto arrivr in the
LuxuruGoodsDeportnenr.

28

guardins

ak

-_,v-;d

29

The guordwosfinirhins his
breoldost.He wosvergpleesrdto
seeCossgN. ow hecouldgo home

C"osswg osnetvous.Shedidn't
r.drr to be l€ft alonein the store-

''Youll befinc, soidthe
(tuard. .lusrkeepon egeon
the EverglodeEs nerotd."

l)

ij

32

The quordleft. Cossswosnt
nervousoDsmore.ShefeLt
important.Shewosin chorge.

The EversLodeEsneroLdwasrhe
mostexpensiverhirg in the store.
It woskept in o coseofextro

cqssvthoughiir wasrh€most
b€ourifuljevel shehod everseen.

34



But Coslgwas'ir dre ontgone
ddm;ringrheemerold.llidin{l
bebindo pot wereNiget ond
Itupert rheGreedgBousl

''Whot o beourg, sighedNigeL.

" r\rl!) ? /

i "' c/
V
. /
!-

36

Rupert.'How will

''Neverfeor,' Niget shispere.l.
Ard osCossgwonderedowog
from rheemerold,NigeLtook
somethingfiom his pockct.

37

Chopte. 5

Disoster!

Nigel heldup o saoll whistlc.
"M9 s€crewt €apon,h" esaid.

"k can't b€hedrdbg humonr,

38

He put rhc whistteto his lips
o.d blei'. Thecos€ej(plod€d.

''...shortesrlds!!"hefinished.
H€ grinnedT. heEvcrgtodes
Emerqtdwosth€irsfor th€ rokidg.

{hs$

gcped RuF.r. "I (ont
mUhoodron ir!"

39

NiqcLdn.l Ruperr snedked
out fron theirhidihgt)Lo(c

.Now ro collc(t orr prlze,
sdid N;9el

/';", ".;

\l'*'1-

$
A]

The thicvescreptcloserto the
emerold.But Nigci hod madeo

He wosright obouthumcnsnot
beinqobleto heorhiswhisrlc.
vhor hedidn r knolvwdsdrot
( n; m d l s.ou tdhea ri r

42

,:{

1J

I

_\r

o 1)'->

''He!l tholght Cassg.The
TogtownExpresslShespun
oround,re0dqro ro(e ro dreTo9

Depdnmror fo.gefting her tdil,

whi.h swungo.oundtoo.

This time it hookedo priceless
Cossgtuggedher toil.

The necklocesndppedp, eqns

went everyplefe ond Cursrl

weot flqing.

,.*

Sodid the GreedsBoUsT. he
rollinq peorLsentthemskiddinq
ro the floor.The! tumbLedto the
qround,bringingthe Ev€rglodes
EmeroLdwitb tllem.

Coss! rurned to seeihe Greed!
B o gsl! in9 in o hr op.

.Oh nol Custome6l sheoied
dnd n6hed overto help rhcm up.

.....:

Rupeftwosqroaoinqi0 dqorq.
Niqel stiLthod hiseseon rhe
enerotd.Hc wouldnr let ( clunsu
crocod;Lreuin histtons. He'd
waitcd qeo.sto stec,rlhisgidrt gen.

d"";D

;.";;\

{'""i,,'

47

I! herhurg to help,
oipped.Sheslidocross
herormsthrust out-.-

4a

ond collidednosefi6t with
o roble,a robtewhichbeld
[vergtodesAncientTreaslres.

The tobtewobbted..t.he
treosurews obbted...

Thenthes <roshedto rhe floor.

49

Cass! qot up. Shewqs hof;fied.
\vhot hdd shedoDe?

O r e oft hc on ci c ntpor shod
toptled oil the rdbte...

50