Mr Gum and the Cherry Tree. Andy Stanton

      

       For Sandy. W’eeeeeey! Well out of order! Eggs!

      Mr Gum and the Cherry Tree First published 2010 by Egmont UK Limited This edition published 2019 by Egmont UK Limited, The Yellow Building,1 Nicholas Road London W11 4AN

      Text copyright © 2010 Andy Stanton

       Illustration copyright © 2010 David Tazzyman

      The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted

      First e-book edition 2019

      ISBN 978 1 4052 9375 4

      eISBN 978 1 4052 5933 0

      mrgum.co.uk www.egmont.co.uk

      A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

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       Read all of Andy Stanton’s books!

       You’re a Bad Man, MR GUM!

       MR GUM and the Biscuit Billionaire

       MR GUM and the Goblins

       MR GUM and the Power Crystals

       MR GUM and the Dancing Bear

       What’s for Dinner, MR GUM?

       MR GUM and the Cherry Tree

       MR GUM and the Secret Hideout

      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

       Dedication and Copyright page

       Front series promotional page

1 Spring Fever

2 Off to the Forest

3 Who Went Through the Arch?

4 Who Didn’t Go Through the Arch?

       5 The Voice in the Tree

       6 Alan Taylor Gets the Pets

       7 Chapter 7

       8 A Plan is Born, and So Are Some Pets

       9 The Dance of the Cherry Tree Goblins

       10 The Cherry Tree Song

       11 An Old Friend Says Hello

       12 In the Cherry Tree

       13 Babies and Rainbows

       14 Precious Things

       15 Runtus and the Pets

       16 Feasts and Such

       EPILOGUE

       About the Author

       About the Illustrator

       Praise

       Some of the crazy old townsfolk from Lamonic Bibber

       Chapter 1 Spring Fever

      Yes! No! Maybe? What! Hello.

      The whole squeak-mantling mess began on a day so innocent, a day so sweet and pure, a day so splendid, superb and smagnificent it could only be the first day of Spring. Ah, Spring! Or as it is called in France, ‘Le Boing’. It is a brilliant season, definitely in the top five.

      And what a freshial, special Spring morning it was in the town of Lamonic Bibber, my friends! The sun was shining, the birds were playing Quidditch in the treetops and the ground was sort of just laying there letting people walk all over it. It was a glorious, give-me-morious, start-of-the-storious sort of a Spring morning. And as you can imagine with your tiny little brains, everyone was looking forward to it like a rascal.

      ‘I’m looking forward to it like a rascal,’ said Jonathan Ripples, the fattest man in town. ‘I think I’ll celebrate by eating not one, not two, but eight hot cross buns.’

      ‘I’m looking forward to it like a rascal,’ said Martin Launderette, who ran the launderette. ‘I think I’ll celebrate by spitting on not one, not two, but all eight of Jonathan Ripples’ hot cross buns.’

      ‘I’m looking forward to it like a rascal,’ said a little girl called Peter. ‘I think I’ll read my favourite children’s book – “Biffy the Worm Gets Arrested