Imagine That: Bruised hero

hatchet. He made three slits in the carpet before Miss Trollop took the little axe off him.

"We don't need the wood chopped," she said.

"But its too big to go in!"

"No it isn't."

"I'm cold," grizzled Tamzina.

"Well you're the only one, and we're not lighting the fire for you."

"Michael loves Daphne!" shouted Roland.

Miss Trollop blew the whistle and waited for quiet.

Jeff ran past the window waving a long stick and swearing at George. Mr Gamper ran after him and the kids waited until he came back. Jeff was smiling. Mr Gamper had fallen over in the mud.

"We have about five hours before we go home," said Miss Trollop, "And if everyone does what they're told, this trip will be enjoyable. Samuel put the poker down. Who's in the kitchen? Lawrence? You don't need a bandage for that. Sit down and stop being such a ... Now, we are going to have a quick snack, and then we will form into our teams and go for a bush walk. No! Not yet. Sit down. I didn't tell you to move."

The bus engine churned and spat black bubbles of smoke as the driver started it up again. He backed into the bottom step, cracking it in half, then he slid the bus, wheels spinning uselessly, across the lawn and round to the twin ditches he had made on his way in. Having parked the bus with its bull-dog snout facing the bridge, he switched it off and stayed in the driver's seat. White clouds drifted about him as he puffed his pipe.

"You three. Yes you. Come back here and sit down. No I don't know where the couch came from. Donald, put the poker back in the bucket. Yes, I know Samuel had it, but he wasn't allowed to have it either. Tamara, take your shoes off and stop flicking mud ... I want you all to form into your three teams. Team one will be on kitchen duty first, then team two at lunch time. Team three is on tea duty. It doesn't matter Donald, you can't have it totally fair."

A sparrow shot across the room and slammed into the glass door. It fell to the floor and fluttered helplessly for a moment, then it shot back to the ceiling and squeezed through a hole.

"Daphne, come back here and sit down. It's gone. You'll never catch it."

"Thomas is staring at me," said Tamzina.

"Thomas, sit over here."