The New House Villain

Story by Margar Illustrations

by Elizabeth Fuller

The New House

Villain

©1986 Story by Margaret Main ©1986 Illustrations bj Elizabeth ©1986 Applecross Ltd. The

SUNSHINE

b\ the

Fuller

Reading Series was created and designed

Wendy Pye Team.

All rights reserved No pan of this book ma) be reproduced or transmitted in an> Form without

written authorization from

The Wright Group

permissions department Published [Tie

the United States

in

Wright

(

19201 120th Avenue Bothell,

m

1993

i

n

iroup

WA9801

M

1-9512

Hong Kong

Printed b) Colorcraft,

in 9 8 7

ISBN ISBN ISH\

t-0143 '60

K6 !

'I

pack) evel B

Set of

1

1

titles)

The New House Villain by Margaret

Mahy

*r

When Mr.

and Mrs. Robinson and Julia saw house, they all said the same thing:

"Look

The

at

tree

that

their

new

tree!"

looked bigger than the house.

"Goodness, we could almost live in the tree," Mrs. Robinson cried. "I think someone is living there already," said Julia.

"Some villain or tree pirate!" While her mother and father were looking at the bathroom and saying they would need new shower

m

curtains, Julia ran outside

and branching "I

know

and looked up into the green

tree.

you're there," she called.

T

MB

I 81

-

-V...

'

"Where

are

you?"

The

Villain looked

He had

down

out of the tree

whiskers that looked

her.

at

green and brown

like

and fierce eyes suitable for a Villain. "Are you coming to live here?" he asked. "Yes," said Julia. "This is our first visit." "I shall get out my Villain's Book," said the

leaves,

"It

is

called

The

Villain's

Encyclopedia of Tricks,

Villain. Tortures,

and General Wickedness. Then when you come here will

be able to practice on you."

villainous fashion, but the laugh

"That wasn't very good,"

He

tried to

went

a

Julia said.

bit

"Try

laugh in

I

a

wrong. again."

"I wasn't trying very hard," replied the Villain in a

snappy voice. He went back among the Julia went inside again.

£<£

leaves.

¥/ *%&***

'

H

i

fV

$

Ki

"It's saying.

a

good house

"It's

off quite

a

sunshine," her mother was a pity about that tree, though. It must cut lot of sunshine to the little bedroom, for

particularly in the winter

when you need

it

most."

'There's a Villain living in that tree," Julia said. "Is there, dear? Well, don't worry about it too much,"

her mother replied. about the tree."

"He's looking up

"We may tricks

have to do something

and tortures

to

try

on me,"

said Julia.

"We

won't

let

him hurt you,"

said her father in a

not-listening voice.

"Well," thought Julia, "as though ordinary parents could do much to protect me from a Villain in a tree. They don't realize that I'll have to be watching every single minute of the day." She went outside again, back to the tree.

Is

w

tf

/

t

/ 4

I

1

/

'

rift

"So there you are," the Villain cried, looking down through the leaves at her. "Feeling pretty scared, I expect. Well, just you wait until you see what I've planned for you. If I were to mention just one of my plans, your hair would fall out from sheer terror." "I've got some plans, too," Julia shouted back. "I'm the toughest one in

the boys, and

I

my

know

class

at

school.

better words.

I

I'm tougher than

can bite an iron

bar in half with a single crunch."

"I can set things on fire with my mere burning glance," the Villain yelled. "I can knock over a grizzly bear with a single punch."

"A "A

8

single

crunch!" shouted

single

punch!" yelled the

Julia.

Villain.

-
"Even my teacher at school is scared of me," Julia said. "He's nine feet high, my teacher, with red and he's covered with long black hair, but he's terrified of me because I can throw him through a window with a mere toss." The Villain went back to his Villain nest. Julia went back inside. They both had something to think about, glittering

eyes,

10

I

1

'

P

*N

'--,_ I

£*f

I

li

mother had made

Julia's

a

cup of

new, empty-looking kitchen. The

in

tea

plastic

the strange,

picnic cups that

looked all right on the beach or in the grass looked funny on the kitchen table. "The Villain says he can set things on fire with a single burning glance," Julia told them. "He says he can kill

a

grizzly bear with a single

punch."

"Well, he won't be bothering us for long," said Julia's

"That

mother. to

have

to

let

the sun in a

little

more."

more sun, wouldn't you?" asked her would get rid of that Villain you've been

a bit

like

father.

"And

telling

us about."

Julia

shades your bedroom. We've decided

down

cut

it

"You'd

tree

it

sighed.

from too much sun," she mumbled, but her parents began talking about the plumbing.

"You can

get

sick

-*as^

12

»•

Kt

»

••

13

Julia

down

went back at

to

The

the tree again.

Villain

looked

her.

"So there you are," he said. "Shaking with fright by now, I suppose." "Well, I've got something for you to think about," said Julia. "My mother and father say they might have your tree cut down." "What?" yelled the Villain. His beard went all bristly for a moment and then began to wilt. "Why would they cut down such a good tree?" "To let more sun in," Julia explained. "Sun!" cried the Villain. "People can get ill from too

much

sun.

Do

they

know

that?"

"I told them," Julia sighed.

The

Villain sighed,

"I will have to

come down from

i

I

14

too.

the tree," he said.

£ah

K

15

. The

Villain

was not very

tall.

He came up

to Julia's

shoulder.

"Hello/' he

said.

"You're not very

tall/'

remarked.

Julia

"Well, some are and some aren't," the Villain replied in

a

very stuffy voice.

They

beneath the

sat

why

"That's tree,

I

need

a

tree."

thinking hard. At

last

the

Villain spoke.

"First of

all,

you must

tell

them

that

character to the house. People like

a

the tree gives

house

to

have

character."

"Okay,"

"And that

Julia said.

then," the Villain went on, "you must

the sunlight will be

more

window through a few leaves around your window." "I can remember that," Julia into

16

the

interesting if leaves.

agreed.

Say that

them it comes you like

tell

17

"Say

it's

a

native tree,"

think twice before they cut "Shall

I

the Villain added.

down

say that you need

it

a

for

"People

native tree." extra height?"

asked

Julia.

"Oh,

wouldn't mention that at all," replied the Villain. "People have no sympathy for Villains. They prefer them small and weak. They don't realize how a bit of danger brightens things up. And how would you know who the good people were if you didn't have the bad people to compare them with? We Villains do a lot of good in a quiet way. But nobody ever thanks us. It would be a dull world if everyone were virtuous."

18

I

A;^,;

19

?

mm

-''

'-''

**£**

went inside again. Her mother and father were packing the cups. "We're on our way now/' her father said, "but we'll be back. How do you like our new house, Julia?" "The house is all right for a house," Julia answered, "but what about that tree?" "Well, what about it?" said her father, looking Julia

surprised.

much sun,"

"I don't need

way sun

freckly

when

looks

it

cried.

Julia

comes

"I like the

through

in

a

lot

of

leaves."

"Do you mean you want

us to keep the tree?" asked

her mother, looking surprised, too. "It's

native tree," Julia said.

a

"It adds a lot of

character to the house."

"I

suppose

it

does,

mother

her

really,"

said

thoughtfully.

"And

tree

a

"especially if

is

a

tree

it's

a

native tree.

after

all,"

said her father,

But what about the

Villain?"

"Oh,

I

can manage a Villain!" cried

beaten him, then he'll

can do

a

lot

let

me up

Julia.

into the

of useful things together.

keeps things from getting dull.

How

do

"When tree,

And I

a

know

I've

and we Villain if

I'm

being good without having a Villain to compare myself

with?"

you want the tree so much, we'll leave declared Julia's father. "Keeping the Villain in order be your job." "Well,

20

if

it,"

will

*

~mM

\

21

>--:"'*-

When

Julia

went

out,

the Villain was back in the tree

again.

"They

"Of really I

say they'll keep the tree/' Julia told him.

course they will!" the Villain cried. worried.

can wrestle a

CC

I

wasn't

You're the one that should worry, because

mad

gorilla

very easily. I'm not

tall,

but

I'm strong and wicked."

"Well, that's okay," shouted Julia, "because I can make such horrible faces that gorillas get giddy when they see me. They get giddy and have to sit down with damp cloths on their foreheads. But I've got to go now. I'll

be back."

"You'll be sorry," was the Villain's

be sorry you ever

set

eyes on this tree."

22

*J«OT

last

BaSH

cry.

"You'll

l

I

A/ 23 \

looked out of the back window of the car, she saw him, shaking the thin top branches, tossing and singing high in the tree, very pleased with himself. "Well, things won't be dull at that house," Julia said

But

as Julia

"There's nothing

herself.

to

like

a

Villain

to

keep things

interesting."

And

she practiced terrible faces

I

24

all

the

way home.

CIO J) EIGHT

LEVEL FICTION

A

Pet to the Vet

The King's Treasure The New House Villain The Funny, Funny Clown Face Leap Year The Haunted House Princess Harimau and the Tiger

The Big Fish

NONFICTION

Animals

The

at

Work

Battle for Survival

Billy's

Truck Diary

The Happy Birthday Book

Make Things That Move The Book of Monsters Straight From the Horse's Mouth What a Plant!

PLAYS

In the

Dark

Ze King

COLLECTION

A

Shall Sing

Wallet on the Path

Po£