Sea Monster! Read online

  “But how?” asked Clara.

  “There’s only one way,” said Nanny Louisa. “You must find the sea serpent and let him tell you.”

  Lucas and Clara looked at each other and gulped. But Nanny Louisa was right. How else could they find out what was bothering the sea serpent?

  “We’re up to the task!” said Lucas and Clara together.

  “Will you come with us, Nanny Louisa?” asked Clara.

  “No,” said Nanny Louisa. “I must stay with Queen Sophie until she feels better.”

  Queen Sophie had fallen asleep while they were talking.

  “Then we’ll be on our way,” Lucas said. “Thank you for everything, Nanny Louisa.”

  Nanny Louisa hugged Lucas and Clara. “Be careful,” she said.

  “We will,” promised Lucas.

  Lucas and Clara hurried down the hill to the water. Empty ships bobbed up and down at the dock. Lucas tapped the harbormaster on the shoulder.

  “We need a ship,” Lucas said.

  The harbormaster turned and faced Lucas and Clara.

  “I’m sorry, Prince Lucas,” he said. “But the captains have all gone home for the day. Nobody wants to set sail in this rough water.”

  “But we’re here on official royal business,” said Lucas in his most grown-up voice. “We need to search for the sea monster.”

  The harbormaster stroked his chin thoughtfully. He knew better than to argue with royalty.

  “Excuse me,” said a scruffy-looking man who had been listening in. “May I be of some help?”

  The man had a toothless smile, like a jack-o’-lantern’s. He wore a tattered brown coat and old trousers. His knotted gray beard matched his straggly gray hair. He face was weathered, and he had friendly blue eyes.

  “Who are you?” Lucas asked.

  “I’m Captain Brown,” said the man.

  Clara and Lucas gasped.

  “The Captain Douglas Brown?” asked Lucas.

  “At your service,” said the captain.

  “But how did you find us?” asked Clara.

  “A special friend sent for me,” said Captain Brown. “She said it was urgent.”

  “Nanny Louisa!” cried Lucas.

  “Aye. She may have had a bit of a part in it,” the captain said.

  “I’m not sure I like the idea of the prince and a young maiden hunting for sea monsters,” interrupted the harbormaster.

  “Come,” said Captain Brown, ignoring the harbormaster. “My ship, the Blue Moon, awaits. Have you any payment?”

  Lucas and Clara looked at each other. They didn’t have a single shilling. Then Clara reached into her pocket and pulled out her shell necklace.

  Captain Brown smiled. “That will do nicely,” he said. “Let’s go find ourselves a sea monster.”

  Then they followed the toothless, bearded captain to his ship.

  An Old Friend

  * * *

  * * *

  The ship pulled away from the dock and suddenly leaned to the right. Lucas and Clara held on to the side of the ship to keep from tumbling into the water.

  “How are we going to find the sea monster?” asked Clara.

  “Don’t worry,” said Captain Brown. “The sea serpent is going to find us.”

  “What could be bothering him?” Lucas asked.

  “We shall soon find out,” said the captain.

  Sailing around the mainland, they passed Hobsgrove, Crestwood, and Burth. Saltwater sprayed as they rode up and down the waves. Lucas thought he saw something flicker in the crow’s nest. He looked closely but didn’t see anything. My eyes must be playing tricks on me, he thought.

  When Primlox came back into view, they had seen no sign of the sea monster.

  “Where is that old beast?” the captain shouted over the wind.

  “Let’s go around again!” yelled Lucas.

  “It’s too rough!” said Captain Brown. “We’ll try again tomorrow.”

  “Please!” begged Lucas. “Just one more time around!”

  Before Captain Brown could answer, the ship began to rock violently.

  The ocean rumbled like thunder. The water churned and boiled, like a bubbling broth.

  “Hold on!” Captain Brown shouted.

  Clara and Lucas clutched the side of the ship with all their strength.

  “What’s happening?” Lucas cried.

  “It’s my old friend!” shouted Captain Brown as he pointed to the water up ahead. “The sea monster!”

  Lucas and Clara saw the beast rise out of the water. They both screamed. It had the head of a fearsome dragon and a neck that stretched on forever—just as Nanny Louisa had described! Its green scales shimmered in the gray afternoon light.

  The ship jerked violently this way and that. Lucas lost his grip and tumbled across the deck. He managed to grab hold of a rope to keep from falling into the water. When he looked up, the sea monster towered over the ship. It roared. Then it lunged right at them.

  Captain Brown spun the wheel away from the sea monster, but the captain lost control of the boat. Seawater flooded the deck.

  “Hang on!” the captain cried.

  A Swirl of Fire

  * * *

  * * *

  Somehow the ship stayed afloat. But the sea monster roared with fury. It’s going to swallow us whole! Lucas thought. He squeezed his eyes shut.

  “Lucas, open your eyes!” shouted Clara. “I see something caught on the sea monster’s head!”

  “She’s right!” Captain Brown shouted.

  Lucas opened his eyes and looked. He hadn’t seen it before, but the sea monster had a net stuck on its head.

  “How can we free it?” asked Clara.

  “We need to get closer!” shouted Lucas.

  “Too dangerous!” cried Captain Brown.

  Squawk! cried something from the crow’s nest.

  “What was that?” shouted Lucas.

  “Up there!” yelled Clara.

  A streak of red flew from the crow’s nest.

  “It’s Ruskin!” Lucas yelled.

  Ruskin squawked again and flew onto the sea monster’s head. The sea monster tried to shake him off. But Ruskin clung on to him.

  “What’s he doing?” Captain Brown shouted.

  “I think he’s trying to free the sea monster!” said Lucas.

  Ruskin pulled at the net on the sea monster’s head. He tugged and tugged, but the net wouldn’t come free. Suddenly, Ruskin roared, and a little swirl of flame burned away some of the netting. Then Ruskin easily removed the rest of the net and flew a short distance away.

  The sea monster shook its head. Its face became calm, and it sank back into the sea. The water stopped churning, and the boat stopped jerking this way and that. Ruskin flew back to the ship and landed on the deck. He dropped the net at Lucas’s feet.

  Clara leaned over and picked it up.

  “It’s an old fishing net!” she exclaimed. “Just like the ones I use to string my shell necklaces.”

  “The fishermen must be tossing their old nets into the sea,” said Lucas. “And this one got tangled around the sea monster’s head.”

  “No wonder the sea monster was mad!” said Captain Brown.

  “Wow,” said Clara. “If it hadn’t been for Ruskin, the sea monster would have sunk our ship.”

  “Good boy, Ruskin,” said Lucas, patting him on the back. “You used your fire to do something good!”

  Ruskin rubbed his head against Lucas’s legs.

  “How do you think Ruskin found us?” asked Clara.

  “I’m not sure,” Lucas said. “I must’ve left the escape exit open, and then he was able to follow us by flying high above.”

  “Your dragon saved the day,” Captain Brown said as he steered the ship toward Primlox.

  Ruskin squawked.

  “He sure did,” Lucas said.

  A Royal Decree

  * * *

  * * *

  The ship docked at Primlox, and Lucas and Clara
said good-bye to their new friend, Captain Brown. They unhitched Ivan and Scallop and galloped back to the palace. Ruskin flew close behind.

  The sun had gone down by the time they reached the stables. The stable hand began to feed and water their horses. Lucas and Clara thanked him and raced to the great hall with Ruskin at their heels. The king, the queen, and Anna jumped up from the table when the children walked in.

  “Where on earth have you been?” demanded King Caleb.

  “We were so worried!” said Queen Tasha.

  “Just look at you two!” said Anna.

  Lucas and Clara looked like they’d been washed in with the tide. Their clothes were soaked, and they had seaweed tangled in their hair.

  “We went looking for the sea monster,” said Lucas.

  The king raised his hands and looked at the ceiling. “And did you find one?” he asked.

  Lucas and Clara looked at each other and grinned. Then they shared their adventure.

  “And Ruskin freed the sea monster with a little swirl of fire,” finished Lucas.

  Clara pulled the fishing net from her pouch and placed it on the table. The queen and Anna looked it over.

  “Quite a remarkable tale,” said the king. “You two certainly have wild imaginations.”

  Then Queen Tasha put a hand on the king’s shoulder. “I’m not sure they’re making it up,” she said. “Look at this.”

  Caught in the net was a shimmering green scale. The king untangled it and looked at it closely. He turned it over and rubbed it between his fingers.

  “Well, look at that,” said the king.

  “Now do you believe us?” asked Lucas.

  “Yes,” said the king. “I’m afraid I do.”

  Lucas folded his arms. “There’s one thing I don’t get.”

  “What’s that?” asked the king.

  “How come people get scared when they hear rumors of a sea serpent? And then, if someone actually finds one, they don’t believe it?”

  “Well,” said the king, “sometimes you have to see something in order to believe it.”

  “Like you?” Lucas asked.

  “Yes,” said the king. “Like me.”

  “Are you going to tell the people of Wrenly that the sea serpent is real?” asked Lucas.

  “Yes,” said the king as he laid the scale on the table. “Since we have proof, I will tell the people, and I will also make a new decree. I shall call it the Rule of the Great Sea Serpent. From now on, no fishing nets shall be thrown into the Sea of Wrenly. They must be mended or thrown away properly. Lawbreakers will be sent to the dungeon for ten days.”

  Then Lucas made his own royal decree. “Hear ye! Hear ye!” he said in loud voice. “I hereby proclaim that I am as hungry as a sea monster!”

  “Me too!” Clara chimed in.

  Everyone sat at the table—except for Ruskin, who sat on the floor beside Lucas’s chair—and had a dinner of pork roast, vegetables, and Ruskin’s favorite: apple fritters. Ruskin ate five apple fritters and burped. A little ball of fire slipped out and charred the tablecloth.

  Everyone laughed—even the king.

  Hear ye! Hear ye! Presenting the next book from The Kingdom of Wrenly! Here’s a sneak peek!

  Stefan presented the Witch of Bogburp to the king and queen.

  Ruskin took one look at the witch and scampered behind Lucas. Lucas remembered her slightly from when she had worked at the palace.

  The witch had a short, stubby body, a large hooked nose, and elfish ears. She wore a black cloak, and wet pointy leather shoes on her feet. A bonnet with a tail and a tassel sat on top of her scraggly black hair, and where her left eye should have been, the witch had a glass eye. To top it off, she had a black raven perched on top of her walking stick.

  “What brings you to the castle, Tilda?” asked the king in a calm but not-so-friendly tone.

  The Witch of Bogburp smiled, revealing a missing tooth on one side. She bowed slightly. “I have come to mend my ways, Your Majesty.”

  “And how do you plan to mend your ways?” asked the king.

  A crooked smile swept over the witch’s face as lightning flashed outside the throne room windows.

  “Why, I can put an end to all this rain,” she said sweetly.

  Thunder boomed and rumbled around the castle.

  King Caleb looked at the witch suspiciously. “And what do you know about the rain?” he asked.

  “I know it’s a curse,” said the witch.

  The king leaned back in his throne. “And what do you want to do about it?” he asked.

  The witch’s glass eye bulged in its socket. “I don’t want to do anything,” she said. “I like the rain. But if never-ending rain isn’t good for your kingdom, I may be able to help.”

  The king desperately needed help. He had no idea how to stop the rain, and the witch knew it. He couldn’t allow all the crops to be ruined.

  “I suppose I will have to accept your offer,” said the king.

  “Of course you will,” said the witch, who now knew that she, not the king, had the power. “But there will be a small price to pay.”

  JORDAN QUINN grew up in a fairy-tale castle in England. It had a spiral stone staircase, a moat, and a dungeon. As a child she liked to play hide-and-go-seek and ride her beloved horse, Prince Charming. When she wasn’t riding, she wrote stories about fairies, trolls, dragons, and wizards. Today, Jordan lives on a ranch in California with her husband, son, and a golden retriever named Sir Toots-a-Lot.

  ROBERT MCPHILLIPS has been involved in a wide variety of projects over the years—from illustrating greeting cards to animation. But he has always loved children’s books, and after many years he has turned his attention back to that. Robert makes his home in Wiltshire, England, with his wife, Sam, and their beloved cat, Silkie, who rules the roost.

  KingdomofWrenlyBooks.com

  authors.simonandschuster.com/Jordan-Quinn

  authors.simonandschuster.com/Robert-McPhillips

  Little Simon

  Simon & Schuster

  New York

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  LITTLE SIMON

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  Copyright © 2014 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Quinn, Jordan.

  Sea monster! / by Jordan Quinn ; illustrated by Robert McPhillips.

  pages cm. — (The kingdom of Wrenly ; 3)

  Summary: When a legendary sea monster starts making waves in the Sea of Wrenly, Prince Lucas and his friend Clara travel to the Island of Primlox seeking information that might help them calm the beast.

  ISBN 978-1-4814-0072-5 (pbk) — ISBN 978-1-4814-0073-2 (hc) — ISBN 978-1-4814-0074-9 (eBook) [1. Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. 2. Sea monsters—Fiction. 3. Dragons—Fiction. 4. Princes—Fiction. 5. Friendship—Fiction. 6. Kings, queens, rulers, etc.—Fiction.] I. McPhillips, Robert, illustrator. II. Title.

  PZ7.Q31945Se 2014

  [E]—dc23

  2013020707

  Jacket design by Laura Roode

  Jacket illustration copyright © 2014 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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