Agatha Parrot and the Floating Head Read Online Free Page B

just dragging on the ground. We sat down on the bench with the Other Martha between us.
    â€˜It’s numeracy next,’ said Ivy. ‘Miss Pingle’s testing us on the six times table today. Does anyone know it?’
    â€˜Six times four is twenty-four,’ said Ellie. ‘That’s my favourite because it sort of rhymes. And sixtimes six is thirty-six rhymes even more. And then six times eight is forty-eight so that rhymes too.’
    And so Ellie ended up offering to do Martha’s times tables test. Yahoo , go for it Ellie! After that it would be quiet reading time, then in the afternoon we were going to have a class history project. I couldn’t see what could possibly go wrong but then . . . arghhhh panic panic! Guess what I saw outside the railings?

    It was the real Martha waving at me.
    I ran straight over. ‘Move you clot! Quick, go before somebody sees you!’ We both ran along the railings until we got to the high wall at the end where we could whisper round the corner to each other.
    â€˜Why am I hiding?’ asked Martha.
    â€˜Because you’re already here!’ I pointed at the Other Martha in the bright spotty anorak on the bench. ‘You’re supposed to be sick.’
    â€˜I’m better now,’ grinned Martha. ‘I’m meant to stay off but Mum’s dropping me into school sometime after lunch because she’s got to go out.’
    â€˜But you can’t walk into class if you’re already sitting there!’ I told her. ‘When you come into school, you’ll have to hide in the toilets.’
    â€˜What, for the whole afternoon?’
    â€˜It’s not my fault,’ I told her. ‘If it hadn’t been for you and your pineapple and olives and octopuspaste . . .’ Martha’s face suddenly looked green again, so she wasn’t
completely
better. ‘OK OK!’ I said. ‘When you come in, get to the toilets. I’ll try and switch you over. But now go, before anyone sees you.’
    After playtime Ellie managed to stay brave and keep her promise to do Martha’s times tables which was a bit brilliant. Halfway through she whispered to me:
    â€˜Doing this times tables test is THE most exciting thing I’ve EVER done in my WHOLE LIFE.’
    YO! GO ELLIE! After that it was reading time so we just got a big book and propped it up in front of the Other Martha. For one happy moment I thought I could relax but . . .
    Miss Pingle was sitting at the front marking everybody’s tests and writing the results down in a big book.

    She was making some funny little ‘mmm’ and ‘ar’ noises, but then she went ‘ooooh!’
    Miss P looked down again, checked some more results, then went ‘oooh!’ and this time she looked up and gave the Other Martha a long stare. Eventually she got up and started to walk across the room towards her. I had to stop her, so I jumped up to get a new book from the shelf which blocked her way.

    â€˜Sorry,’ I said. ‘Is everything all right?’
    â€˜Martha doesn’t seem herself today,’ said Miss Pingle. ‘Her handwriting looks different.’
    â€˜Is that a problem?’ I asked.
    â€˜No, not really,’ said Miss Pingle. ‘But she’s also got top marks in all the tests.’
    â€˜That can only be because you’re such a good teacher,’ I said, but it didn’t seem to work this time.
    â€˜Thank you,’ said Miss Pingle. ‘But if she’s so good at tests, how come she’s so bad at reading?’
    â€˜Reading?’
    â€˜She’s been looking at that book for the whole lesson and she hasn’t realised it’s
upside down
!’
    Oh no! How stupid was that? But then Ivy put her hand up. ‘I’m reading mine upside down too,’ she said. ‘It’s the new fashion.’
    â€˜Me too!’ giggled Ellie. She wasreally getting into this.
    â€˜Tee moo,’