Burly-and-Grum-The-Secret-City - Free Kids Books

shadows deepened. Max listened intently for any sign of movement - he was
sure the groblins were out there somewhere and had some kind of plan, they
weren’t far from the river now and time was running out....
Groblins use their long arms not only to move quickly along the ground, but to
swing from branch to branch and Grimly and Grum had moved swiftly through
the treetops and were now almost at the picnic spot. The low menacing sound
of wild cats snarling and growling nearby, however, made them stop on a
branch and pause for a moment.
“Uh oh,” said Grimly.
“Uh oh?” echoed Grum.
“The big cats are closing in. They love a forest alarm and a crisis - one way
or another it usually ends up in a meal for them.”
“Well as long as it’s the human with the gun they eat and not me I don’t care,”
said Grum. “Hold on, what’s that?” From below came a loud crashing sound
and it was getting nearer. Grum grinned happily. “Half the forest is coming
down - I know what that is - Burly!!” He jumped to the next branch down and
then on to the ground - and was almost run over by a stampeding bear. Burly
screeched to a halt, leaves and dirt scattered everywhere.
“Burly!” Grum threw his long arms around Burly’s neck in a big hug. “You’re
alright!”
Burly sat down with Grum dangling from him like some kind of odd necklace.
“Grum, you’re alive! Max, where’s Max?” he said.
“Hello Burly,” said Grimly who was standing on the sidelines, a broad smile
across his face. “How are you?”
Burly blew out a large sigh. “My head feels like it’s been trampled on but I’m
okay.”
Grum finally let go and dropped to the ground. “We thought you were still
knocked out!” he punched Burly playfully.
“The two humans have got Max,” said Grimly, “they’re on their way back to
the human road now. Our plan was to wait for them in trees where the track
runs alongside the river and ambush them - they won’t be expecting an attack
from above.”
“And,” said Grum happily, “we’ve slowed them down!”
Burly looked around. “Where’s Gripe?” he asked.
Grum grinned. “Oh they have him as well - he’s what’s slowing them down -
great idea eh?”
Burly was lost for words.
“They’ll be here soon,” said Grum, “we’d better get a move on so we can
find the right hiding place and wait for them.
A sudden roaring and snarling filled the air and a flock of birds screeched
and squawked and took to the air, feathers flying. “The big cats are practicing,”
said Grimly. “We’d better hurry.”
The Captain stopped dead in his tracks and scanned the track ahead, light was