Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy Read online

  HORRID HENRY

  TRICKS THE TOOTH FAIRY

  Meet HORRID HENRY the laugh-out-loud worldwide sensation!

  * Over 15 million copies sold in 27 countries and counting

  * # 1 chapter book series in the UK

  * Francesca Simon is the only American author to ever win the Galaxy British Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year (past winners include J.K. Rowling, Philip Pullman, and Eoin Colfer).

  “Horrid Henry is a fabulous antihero…a modern comic classic.” —Guardian

  “Wonderfully appealing to girls and boys alike, a precious rarity at this age.” —Judith Woods, Times

  “The best children’s comic writer.”

  —Amanda Craig, The Times

  “ I love the Horrid Henry books by Francesca Simon. They have lots of funny bits in. And Henry always gets into trouble!” —Mia, age 6, BBC Learning Is Fun

  “My two boys love this book, and I have actually had tears running down my face and had to stop reading because of laughing so hard.” —T. Franklin, Parent

  “It’s easy to see why Horrid Henry is the bestselling character for five- to eight-year-olds.” —Liverpool Echo

  “Francesca Simon’s truly horrific little boy is a monstrously enjoyable creation. Parents love them because Henry makes their own little darlings seem like angels.” —Guardian Children’s Books Supplement

  “I have tried out the Horrid Henry books with groups of children as a parent, as a babysitter, and as a teacher. Children love to either hear them read aloud or to read them themselves.” —Danielle Hall, Teacher

  “ A flicker of recognition must pass through most teachers and parents when they read Horrid Henry. There’s a tiny bit of him in all of us.” —Nancy Astee, Child Education

  “As a teacher…it’s great to get a series of books my class loves. They go mad for Horrid Henry.” —A teacher

  “Henry is a beguiling hero who has entranced millions of reluctant readers.” —Herald

  “An absolutely fantastic series a d surely a winner with all children. Long live Francesca Simo and her brilliant books! More, more please!”

  —A parent

  “Laugh-out-loud reading for both adults and children alike.” —A parent

  “ Horrid Henry certainly lives up to his name, and his antics are everything you hope your own child will avoid—which is precisely why younger children so enjoy these tales.”

  —Independent on Sunday

  “Henry might be unbelievably naughty, totally wicked, and utterly horrid, but he is frequently credited with converting the most reluctant readers into enthusiastic ones…superb in its simplicity.” —Liverpool Echo

  “Will make you laugh out loud.”

  —Sunday Times

  “Parents reading them aloud may be consoled to discover that Henry can always be relied upon to behave worse than any of their own offspring.” —Independent

  “ What is brilliant about the books is that Henry never does anything that is subversive. She creates an aura of supreme naughtiness (of which children are in awe) but points out that he operates within a safe and secure world… eminently readable books.” —Emily Turner, Angels and Urchins

  “Inventive and funny, with appeal for boys and girls alike, and super illustrations by Tony Ross.”

  —Jewish Chronicle

  “Accompanied by fantastic black-and-white drawings, the book is a joy to read. Horrid Henry has an irresistible appeal to everyone—child and adult alike! He is the child everyone is familiar with—irritating, annoying, but you still cannot help laughing when he gets into yet another scrape. Not quite a devil in disguise but you cannot help wondering at times! No wonder he is so popular!”

  —Angela Youngman

  Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon

  Horrid Henry

  Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy

  Horrid Henry and the Mega-Mean Time Machine

  Horrid Henry’s Stinkbomb

  Horrid Henry and the Mummy’s Curse

  Horrid Henry and the Soccer Fiend

  HORRID HENRY

  TRICKS THE TOOTH FAIRY

  Francesca Simon

  Illustrated by Tony Ross

  Copyright © 2009 by Francesca Simon

  Cover and internal design © 2009 by Sourcebooks, Inc.

  Cover and internal illustrations © Tony Ross

  Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.

  P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567–4410

  (630) 961–3900

  Fax: (630) 961–2168

  www.jabberwockykids.com

  Originally published in Great Britain in 1997 by Orion Children’s Books.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Simon, Francesca.

  Horrid Henry tricks the tooth fairy / Francesca Simon ; illustrated by Tony Ross.

  p. cm.

  [1. Behavior—Fiction.] I. Ross, Tony, ill. II. Title.

  PZ7.S604Hrf 2009

  [Fic]—dc22

  2008047822

  Printed and bound in the United States of America.

  VP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  For Victor and Susan Bers,

  and all our good times

  CONTENTS

  1 Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy

  2 Horrid Henry’s Wedding

  3 Moody Margaret Moves In

  4 Horrid Henry’s New Teacher

  1

  HORRID HENRY TRICKS THE TOOTH FAIRY

  “It’s not fair!” shrieked Horrid Henry. He trampled on Dad’s new flower bed, squashing the pansies.“It’s just not fair!”

  Moody Margaret had lost two teeth. Sour Susan had lost three. Clever Clare lost two in one day. Rude Ralph had lost four, two top and two bottom, and could spit to the blackboard from his desk. Greedy Graham’s teeth were pouring out. Even Weepy William had lost one—and that was ages ago.

  Every day someone swaggered into school showing off a big black toothy gap and waving fifty cents or even a dollar that the Tooth Fairy had brought. Everyone, that is, but Henry.

  “It’s not fair!” shouted Henry again. He yanked on his teeth. He pulled, he pushed, he tweaked, and he tugged.

  They would not budge.

  His teeth were superglued to his gums. “Why me?” moaned Henry, stomping on the petunias.“Why am I the only one who hasn’t lost a tooth?”

  Horrid Henry sat in his fort and scowled. He was sick and tired of other kids flaunting their ugly wobbly teeth and disgusting holes in their gums.The next person who so much as mentioned the word “tooth” had better watch out.

  “HENRY!” shouted a squeaky little voice.“Where are you?”

  Horrid Henry hid behind the branches. “I know you’re in the fort, Henry,” said Perfect Peter.

  “Go away!” said Henry.

  “Look, Henry,” said Peter.“I’ve got something wonderful to show you.”

  Henry scowled.“What?”

  “You have to see it,” said Peter.

  Peter never had anything good to show. His idea of something wonderful was a new sta
mp, or a book about plants, or a gold star from his teacher saying how perfect he’d been. Still…

  Henry crawled out.

  “This better be good,” he said.

  “Or you’re in big trouble.”

  Peter held out his fist and opened it.

  There was something small and white in Peter’s hand. It looked like…no, it couldn’t be.

  Henry stared at Peter. Peter smiled as wide as he could. Henry’s jaw dropped. This was impossible. His eyes must be playing tricks on him.

  Henry blinked.Then he blinked again.

  His eyes were not playing tricks. Perfect Peter, his younger brother, had a black gap at the bottom of his mouth where a tooth had been.

  Henry grabbed Peter.“You colored in your tooth with black crayon, you faker.”

  “Have not!” shrieked Peter.“It fell out. See.”

  Peter proudly poked his finger through the hole in his mouth.

  It was true. Perfect Peter had lost a tooth. Henry felt as if a fist had slammed into his stomach.

  “Told you,” said Peter. He smiled again at Henry.

  Henry could not bear to look at Peter’s gappy teeth a second longer.This was the worst thing that had ever happened to him.

  “I hate you!” shrieked Henry. He was a volcano pouring hot molten lava onto the puny human foolish enough to get in his way.

  “AAAAGGGGHHHH!” screeched Peter, dropping the tooth.

  Henry grabbed it.

  “OWWWW!” yelped Peter.“Give me back my tooth!”

  “Stop being horrid, Henry!” shouted Mom.

  Henry dangled the tooth in front of Peter.

  “Nah nah ne nah nah,” jeered Henry.

  Peter burst into tears.

  “Give me back my tooth!” screamed Peter.

  Mom ran into the garden.

  “Give Peter his tooth this minute,” said Mom.

  “No,” said Henry.

  Mom looked fierce. She held out her hand.“Give it to me right now.”

  Henry dropped the tooth on the ground.

  “There,” said Horrid Henry.

  “That’s it, Henry,” said Mom.“No pudding tonight.”

  Henry was too miserable to care.

  Peter scooped up his tooth.“Look, Mom,” said Peter.

  “My big boy!” said Mom, giving him a hug.“How wonderful.”

  “I’m going to use my money from the Tooth Fairy to buy some stamps for my collection,” said Peter.

  “What a good idea,” said Mom.

  Henry stuck out his tongue.

  “Henry’s sticking out his tongue at me,” said Peter.

  “Stop it, Henry,” said Mom.“Peter, keep that tooth safe for the Tooth Fairy.”

  “I will,” said Peter. He closed his fist tightly around the tooth.

  Henry sat in his fort. If a tooth wouldn’t fall out, he would have to help it. But what to do? He could take a hammer and smash one out. Or he could tie string around a tooth, tie the string around a door handle, and slam the door. Eek! Henry grabbed his jaw.

  On second thought, perhaps not. Maybe there was a less painful way of losing a tooth.What was it the dentist always said? Eat too many sweets and your teeth will fall out?

  Horrid Henry sneaked into the kitchen. He looked to the right. He looked to the left. No one was there. From the living room came the screechy scratchy sound of Peter practicing his cello.

  Henry dashed to the cupboard where Mom kept the candy jar. Candy day was Saturday, and today was Thursday. Two whole days before he got into trouble.

  Henry stuffed as many sticky candies into his mouth as fast as he could.

  Chomp Chomp Chomp Chomp.

  Chomp Chew Chomp Chew.

  Chompa Chew Chompa Chew.

  Chompa…Chompa…

  Chompa…

  Chompa…

  Chew.

  Henry’s jaw started to slow down. He put the last sticky toffee in his mouth and forced his teeth to move up and down.

  Henry started to feel sick. His teeth felt even sicker. He wiggled them hopefully. After all that sugar one was sure to fall out. He could see all the comics he would buy with his dollar already.

  Henry wiggled his teeth again.And again.

  Nothing moved.

  Rats, thought Henry. His mouth hurt. His gums hurt. His tummy hurt.What did a boy have to do to get a tooth?

  Then Henry had a wonderful, spectacular idea. It was so wonderful that he hugged himself.Why should Peter get a dollar from the Tooth Fairy? Henry would get that dollar, not him.And how? Simple. He would trick the Tooth Fairy.

  The house was quiet. Henry tiptoed into Peter’s room.There was Peter, sound asleep, a big smile on his face. Henry sneaked his hand under Peter’s pillow and stole the tooth.

  Tee hee, thought Henry. He tiptoed out of Peter’s room and bumped into Mom.

  “AAAAGGGHH!” shrieked Henry.

  “AAAAGGGHH!” shrieked Mom.

  “You scared me,” said Henry.

  “What are you doing?” said Mom.

  “Nothing,” said Henry.“I thought I heard a noise in Peter’s room and went to check.”

  Mom looked at Henry. Henry tried to look sweet.

  “Go back to bed, Henry,” said Mom.

  Henry scampered to his room and put the tooth under his pillow. Phew.That was a close call. Henry smiled.Wouldn’t that crybaby Peter be furious the next morning when he found no tooth and no money?

  Henry woke up and felt under his pillow. The tooth was gone. Hurray, thought Henry. Now for the money.

  Henry searched under the pillow.

  Henry searched on top of the pillow. He searched under the covers, under Teddy, under the bed, everywhere.There was no money.

  Henry heard Peter’s footsteps pounding down the hall.

  “Mom, Dad, look,” said Peter.“A whole dollar coin from the Tooth Fairy!”

  “Great!” said Mom.

  “Wonderful!” said Dad.

  What?! thought Henry.

  “Should I share it with you, Mom?” said Peter.

  “Thank you, darling Peter, but no thanks,” said Mom.“It’s for you.”

  “I’ll take it,” said Henry.“There are tons of comics I want to buy.And some—’

  “No,” said Peter.“It’s mine. Get your own tooth.”

  Henry stared at his brother. Peter would never have dared to speak to him like that before.

  Horrid Henry pretended he was a pirate captain pushing a prisoner off the plank.

  “OWWW!” shrieked Peter.

  “Don’t be horrid, Henry,” said Dad.

  Henry decided to change the subject fast.

  “Mom,” said Henry.“How does the Tooth Fairy know who’s lost a tooth?”

  “She looks under the pillow,” said Mom.

  “But how does she know whose pillow to look under?”

  “She just does,” said Mom.“By magic.”

  “But how?” said Henry.

  “She sees the gap between your teeth,” said Mom.

  Aha, thought Henry.That’s where he’d gone wrong.

  That night Henry cut out a small piece of black paper, wet it, and covered his two bottom teeth. He smiled at himself in the mirror. Perfect, thought Henry. He smiled again.

  Then Henry stuck a pair of dracula teeth under his pillow. He tied a string around the biggest tooth, and tied the string to his finger.When the Tooth Fairy came, the string would pull on his finger and wake him up.

  All right,Tooth Fairy, thought Henry. You think you’re so smart. Find your way out of this one.

  The next morning was Saturday. Henry woke up and felt under his pillow.The string was still attached to his finger, but the dracula teeth were gone. In their place was something small and round…

  “My dollar coin!” crowed Henry. He grabbed it.

  The dollar coin was plastic.

  There must be some mistake, thought Henry. He checked under the pillow again. But all he found was a folded piece of bright
blue paper, covered in stars.

  Henry opened it.There, in tiny gold letters, he read:

  “Rats,” said Henry.

  From downstairs came the sound of Mom shouting.

  “Henry! Get down here this minute!”

  “What now?” muttered Henry, heaving his heavy bones out of bed.

  “Yeah?” said Henry.

  Mom held up an empty jar.

  “Well?” said Mom.

  Henry had forgotten all about the candy.

  “It wasn’t me,” said Henry automatically.“We must have mice.”

  “No candy for a month,” said Mom. “You’ll eat apples instead.You can start right now.”

  Ugh.Apples. Henry hated all fruits and vegetables, but apples were the worst.

  “Oh no,” said Henry.

  “Oh yes,” said Mom.“Right now.”

  Henry took the apple and bit off the teeniest, tiniest piece he could.

  CRUNCH. CRACK.

  Henry choked.Then he swallowed, gasping and spluttering.

  His mouth felt funny. Henry poked around with his tongue and felt a space.

  He shoved his fingers in his mouth, then ran to the mirror.

  His tooth was gone.

  He’d swallowed it.

  “It’s not fair!” shrieked Horrid Henry.

  2