The Cave Emu

By Merv Lambert

This fantastic addition to the Colin the Librarian series contains four new exciting stories.


Colin’s Second Chinese Adventure

A question by Colin’s little daughter Charlotte leads to the phoenix on the magic bookmark transporting the whole family plus Sammy and M back to ancient China to the very palace and time Colin and Sammy experienced an earlier adventure. The story unfolds like a pantomime with the Emperor playing crazy golf and his enemies the Ugly Brothers being defeated by Colin and M aided by Fleddy the dragon.


An Emu On Safari

Colin and M find themselves in two different countries more than 50 years apart, as they foil two attempts by Colonel Chumbley a safari leader to kill an elephant as the final item on his list. First M enables an elephant to shoot and wound Chumbley, but still determined to complete his task, the colonel, due to the actions of an invisible emu, only manages to shoot and wound himself. At the end of the story how did Mrs. Biggle get all those excellent photos of African animals on her digital camera? She was dreaming, wasn’t she?


The Cave Emu

An adventure set in prehistoric times. Colin as a 5 year old boy is transported by the magic phoenix bookmark with Sammy and M along with a couple called Audrey and Neville to meet a tribe of cave-dwellers. After Colin, M and Sammy capture two marauding dinosaurs and M creates his own cave painting the phoenix takes Colin and his companions back to Neville’s home in the 1980s. Eventually Colin realises what is so familiar about Neville. This man is his father! Immediately the phoenix sends Colin back to the present day. There is the hint of a further adventure to explain a mystery concerning Colin’s own family.


The King’s New Knight

A middle-aged Colin meets a middle-aged King Arthur at Camelot. Colin’s friend Jez Jellysox suddenly appears in the role of Sir Galahad and survives sitting at the Round Table on the lethal Siege Perilous. He single-handedly accomplishes two tasks, including the rescuing of the king’s cousin Lady Gwendoline from a high tower. Finally he launches a sole attack against the enemy shield-wall facing the castle, but it is actually M walking invisibly behind him in what looks like an empty suit of armour who panics the besiegers. Then with the aid of the magic phoenix bookmark Colin restores Arthur’s hearing. Having arrived safely home again, Colin and Olivia receive a text message from Jellysox informing them that he will be bringing his new lady friend Gwen around to see them tomorrow. Whatever next?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AUK Kids
• Release date: Sep 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781783339525

Book preview

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Colin’s Second Chinese Adventure

Daddy, you’ve been to China, haven’t you?

Colin’s little daughter Charlotte, now three years old, was always asking him questions about the adventures the magic phoenix bookmark and his special book had led him through.

Well, sort of, he replied.

And, Daddy, did you play ping pong?

Well, at that time it hadn’t been invented.

Oh, said Charlotte’s mother Olivia, who had just come into the kitchen, why this sudden interest in China and ping pong?

Well, I like Daddy’s story about how he met the Emperor. I wish I could meet all those people too. Do you think the phoenix would take me there?

Not without us, Olivia quickly said, and Daniel would have to come too, and so would Sammy and M.

At that moment they could see their little dog Sammy in the garden hopping over their unusual, computer-generated emu friend, who was invisible to nearly everyone except certain members of their family. He was lying flat on the lawn, enjoying the sunshine.

You wouldn’t like Glum Pi though, said Colin.

Maybe, if you asked the phoenix nicely, suggested Olivia, winking at Charlotte.

Colin disagreed. No, I’ll try and find the right page in the book.

He opened it on the kitchen table, and ran his finger down the page he had selected, but without warning the magic phoenix bookmark in his pocket gave a bright red flash.

A moment later the whole family, Olivia, Colin, Charlotte and Little Daniel aged 2 plus one small dog and one large emu were standing in a very pleasant garden with cherry trees covered in pink and white blossom. Only Colin and Sammy had been here before, probably 4 years in the present time and also 2,300 years ago.

This, said Colin, "is the imperial garden.

You mean the garden of the Emperor of China? asked Olivia.

Colin nodded his head. Of course, he said.

Sammy was already sniffing round delightedly. He was aware of so many smells ancient and familiar. He gave a little bark, and this was answered by another bark and a sort of questioning growl and a little flare of orange light above one of the flowering shrubs nearby. Suddenly another small dog and a rather larger dragon scampered into sight. The dragon’s face registered pure joy. He recognised his friend Sammy, who woofed, and ran to greet him. Instantly they sniffed each other, exchanging fascinating smells. The other little dog stood looking puzzled.

Then Colin saw some people he knew. On his previous visit he had met Princess Orange Blossom and her husband Si Thru. They were each holding the hand of a little boy about 3 years old.

The princess cried out in delight. Koh Lin! We did not expect to see you ever again!

Si-Thru strode forward to embrace him. Koh Lin, I see you have brought your family with you this time.

Colin quickly introduced his family to the royal couple. As ever, the magic phoenix bookmark was enabling him and the others to speak and understand this particular version of the Chinese language perfectly. It pulsed encouragingly in his pocket beneath the long white robes he was wearing. Olivia was in similar attire, but her robes were bright red. Their children wore white with a red sash tied around their middle.

Orange Blossom then ushered her little boy forward. And this is So Hi, she said.

Her son bowed politely, and then he looked up at his mother before asking, May I play with Cha Lee and Da Nee? He meant Charlotte and Daniel.

Of course, replied Orange Blossom, and the three children ran off gleefully.

Colin glanced round. He couldn’t see M until he looked up. Ah, there he was! Up there, perched on the curved roof at the very top of a nine-storey pagoda that peeked over the top of some tall trees. The dragon was also looking up. He could see M, who began sliding on his bottom down the curved roof to land on the next curved roof below. He did this again, and was then out of sight behind the trees. It did not take him long to appear from between the flowering bushes at the end of the garden. He strode up to the dragon, and then Sammy woofed to introduce them. For a moment both creatures eyed the strange new acquaintance they had just made. Sammy woofed again, and he and his two friends began a mad game