Austin

A funny and heart-warming tale of friends sticking together when the going gets tough!

"Austin is an extremely enjoyable and exciting book. It follows in the grand tradition of anthropomorphic animal stories. From the first page, it draws the reader in completely with its carefully drawn characterizations of the animals.

The story is also fast-paced and fun, with great flourishes of humour. Young readers will fully engage with the animal characters and the vintage car. It is simply a great read."

Andrea Rayner School Library Association

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All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Smashwords Edition

Exciting Stories. 6A High Street, Chatham, Kent. ME4 4EP

Email: Austin@exciting-stories.co.uk

Website: www.exciting-stories.co.uk

Copyright 2008 Stuart Taylor

Covers and illustrations copyright 2008 Stuart Taylor

The moral right of the author has been asserted

A catalogue record of this book is available from

The British Library

ISBN 978-0-9560345-4-0

Couldn’t put it down!

Fred Potstick – Stick Tester - Acme Glue Company

A tale of extraordinary pluck!

Bernie Broiler – Egg Mender – Acme & Sons (Organic) Chicken Farm

Kept me guessing!

Hilda ‘I see no ships’ Futtock – Clairvoyant.

Sheer Brilliance!

Edison Watt – Luminary - Acme Light Bulb Co

Table of Contents

Chapter 1-Landslide!

Chapter 2-An Urgent Matter of ‘Health & Safety

Chapter 3-The Glimmer of Hope

Chapter 4-The Butchers

Chapter 5-The Very Urgent Meeting

Chapter 6-The End of the Road

Chapter 7-Monty Mouse

Chapter 8-Mission Impossible

Chapter 9-Trapped!

Chapter 10-The Night Rats

Chapter 11-Owl’s Lunch Break

Chapter 12-The Catapult

Chapter 13-The Long Drop

Chapter 14-Death Row

Chapter 15-Hedgehog’s Journey

Chapter 16-Dawn’s Early Light

Chapter 17-Wishing Well Cottage

Chapter 18-For Whom the Bells Toll

Chapter 19-Caught in the Headlights

Chapter 20-The Garage and the One Handed Clock

Chapter 21-Voices in the Dark

Chapter 1

Landslide!

It was a flaming June afternoon and the bus to Piddle Wallop was late. Mrs Patience Butterbee stood boiling at the bus stop behind Oats’ Farm and despite her first name being Patience; she glanced at her watch every second and tutted decidedly impatiently. She was about to look at her watch for at least the one hundred and twenty seventh time, and no doubt tut yet again, when a brown blackbird hen landed on the rickety stone wall beside the bus stop. Mrs Butterbee wondered if the tiny bird landing might cause the old wall to collapse - such was the wall’s precarious lean over the pavement.

The blackbird promptly began singing and Mrs Butterbee was quickly captivated by its delightful melody. She soon forgot all about the bus being late and relaxed into a deep and enchanted daydream.

The blackbird’s blissful harmonies suddenly turned into screeches of distress, as a big marmalade tomcat leapt from nowhere and amid squawking, pecking, and a flurry of claws, teeth, and flying feathers, it seized the poor blackbird in its jaws. The struggle seemed over. The blackbird stopped moving. Then, with a banshee wail, Mrs Butterbee leapt into action - lunging and swinging her handbag at the vicious tom. The startled cat glared angrily at Mrs Butterbee, but shocked by a near miss from the swooping handbag, opened its mouth just long enough for the blackbird to escape. The fear stricken bird fluttered lopsidedly away and the cheated tom stood angrily hissing and spitting at Mrs Butterbee.

DON’T you swear at me! cried Mrs Butterbee taking another swipe at the cheeky cat with her handbag. This time the tom took flight, kicking out a small stone from the wall as it went.

The loose stone fell and rolled across the pavement stopping at Mrs Butterbee’s toe. After a moment, another slightly larger stone fell from the wall. The larger stone was followed by another, even bigger stone, and then another and another, until what started as a trickle of stones became a landslide.

STONE ME! yelled Mrs Butterbee jumping backwards to avoid being buried alive.

When the landslide finally stopped, Mrs Butterbee found herself staring eye to headlamp at a rusty old car through a big hole that had appeared in the old stone wall.

The car was overgrown with weeds and brambles and it stared forlornly back at her. From somewhere inside it, Mrs Butterbee heard the sounds of baby birds squeaking for their mother.

Suddenly a loud chugging and clattering from the road caught Mrs Butterbee’s attention. The number seven bus, desperately trying to make up time, was puffing and blowing its way toward the bus stop. With a start, Mrs. Butterbee turned toward the bus and began frantically waving at it. The bus squealed to a stop and Mrs Butterbee scrambled over the pile of loose stones to clamber aboard.

Well! What’s ‘appened ‘ere then? said the bus, glancing sideways at the remains of the old wall. This great ‘ole wasn’t ‘ere this morning when I did the school run. And look! What’s that behind it? Well I never! It’s an old banger all overgrown with weeds and brambles. To think, went on the bus thoughtfully, I’ve been doing the Piddle Wallop route for years and I bet you’ve been hiding behind that old wall all the time. My name’s Omni; what’s yours, my friend?

Austin, replied Austin, feeling rather hurt at being called an ‘old Banger’.

In truth, Austin had lived in the overgrown gap between the old stone wall and Farmer Oat’s dilapidated barn for longer than he could remember. All he knew, it was many, many summers and many, many winters. Now he could see Omni; the winding lane that ran behind Oat’s Farm; the bus stop; a shady wood beyond the bus stop and last but by no means least - Mrs Butterbee’s ample rear disappearing on the bus.

Oh well. Can’t stand here ‘gassing’ all day, said Omni. I’m late and I won’t meet my Punctuality Targets at this rate. I don’t want to be replaced by a newer faster bus and end up on the …, Omni’s voice trailed away as if he’d said more than he should have. He glanced pitifully at the overgrown old car behind the wall for the last time. Well, jolly nice to meet you, Austin. Good luck! and with a ring of his bell, Omni revved his motor and chugged away.

Despite being able to see so much more of the world than just the mossy stones of the old stone wall and weeds and brambles and the parched, cracking wooden planks of the old barn – it didn’t make Austin any happier. In fact, seeing more of the world only made him feel sad. He watched Omni disappear into the distance and thought sadly: I’ll never drive on the open road again, and Omni was right; he was nothing but a useless old banger. Why, it was only yesterday his left headlamp had finally rusted right through and fallen off. Now it dangled forlornly in the breeze held only by a frayed electric wire from his equally rusty front mudguard. A tear welled up in his other headlamp and sploshed to the ground.

Hey! Watch it, Austin! called a squeaky voice from below, some of us are trying to sunbathe, you know. You’ve soaked me right through! I’ll have to put on more sun-blocker now.

Austin peered down from his hanging headlamp. It was Vole. Vole was only tiny and Austin’s tear had soaked him right through. Vole stood on his hind legs to shake himself dry.

What are you crying for, Austin? he asked.

I’m not! It’s a fly making my headlamp water, replied Austin, unable to stop his bumper quivering.

Yes you are. You’re blubbering! What’s the matter?

Well, since you ask - plenty. Just look at the state of me! began Austin. My left headlamp’s hanging off - so I can only see the ground on that side. I’m rusty. I’m overgrown with brambles. I’m not a car anymore - I’m just a dilapidated, old hotel. Blackbirds nest under my bonnet. You live in my boot. Hedgehog lives in my glove box. My tyres are flat like pancakes. My seats are all torn and their stuffing’s been nicked by thieving Chav-Finches for their nests, and to add insult to injury, my paintwork‘s all dull and flaking off! In short Vole, continued Austin at last taking a breath to point at the old stone wall with a drooping wing-mirror. I’ll never be driven again by an owner who loves me – I’ll be stuck here for ever – and just like this old stone wall – I’ll slowly fall apart!

Vole rather wished he hadn’t asked Austin what was wrong now, and although he tried, he couldn’t think of anything helpful to say. It was sadly true. Austin was a wreck.

Vole was relieved when, after an uncomfortable silence, Brownie Blackbird landed with a bump on Austin’s bonnet. She was limping and carrying a couple of juicy worms wriggling in her beak for the Twins. Brownie lived with her husband, Blackbird and their chicks in a nest inside Austin’s bonnet, behind his radiator.

Mmmm! Mmmm! She nodded politely at Vole. Mmmm! Mmmm!" she nodded at Austin, before fluttering inside Austin’s bonnet to her nest. At once her hungry fledgling twins, waiting for their long overdue afternoon feed, began squeaking. Brownie unceremoniously stuffed each of their open beaks full of worms and hopped back out onto Austin’s bonnet before they had the chance to start squeaking again.

Phew! I’m pooped! she gasped, wiping her forehead with the back of her wing. They’re ALWAYS hungry! I’ve quite forgotten what a good night’s sleep is, she chirped. And… Do you know? I was nearly eaten alive by Marmaduke this morning!

NO! Really! Oh dear, said Austin, forgetting all about his hanging headlamp for a moment.

Yes. All I saw was this flash of orange fur and he leapt at me from nowhere! Look! I’ve lost loads of tail feathers. Goodness knows what Blackbird will say when he gets home from work today. Tell me honestly. Does my bum look big now or what?

That bully of a cat caught me once, said Vole solemnly. All teeth and claws he was. Big hairy and mean! I thought I was a goner for sure! He kept tossing me in the air until I was quite dizzy. Then the farmer’s wife called him in for his dinner and I escaped. I’m only thankful the rust hole in Austin’s boot is too small for Marmaduke to crawl through.

Me too! agreed Brownie. We’re all safe inside you Austin.

Austin cheered up a bit. The rest of world might think he was a useless old banger, but at least his friends still thought he was good for something.

Well, this won’t get the Twins their supper will it! groaned Brownie, wearily launching herself from Austin’s bonnet to find yet more worms. She hadn’t been gone long when Hedgehog woke up. He stretched and yawned in his cosy nest behind Austin’s dashboard.

Hedgehog usually slept until evening. Then, as the sun went down, he would go out looking for insects and the daily saucer of drinking water the nice-lady-next-door left in her front garden for him. Hedgehog poked his head out from his front door (Austin’s glove box) and