Granddad's Magic Dictionary: and more

By Peter Clay

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All Children love Grandparents, magic and animals. Add a magic dictionary to the mix that allows time travel and endless adventures, and the only result is WOW.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Peter Clay
• Release date: Aug 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781802275438

Peter Clay

Peter Clay was born in Leeds and became a Christian in 1985 at his grandfather's funeral. He lives with his wife in Nottinghamshire and has three children and five grandchildren.Peter has been involved in ministry in a variety of settings including coffee bars, church planting and pastoring. He and his wife have also worked with young homeless mothers and Peter has ministered in churches in the Bronx and Queens, in New York, and cities across the UK.

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Copyright © 2022 by Peter Clay

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review.

For more information, email: [e-mail]

FIRST EDITION

978-1-80227-543-8 (eBook)

978-1-80227-544-5 (Paperback)

Other Books by Peter Clay:

Prose and Verse

CONTENTS

Granddad's Magic Dictionary

Questions

The Taught-Oise

Prehistoric Playschool

The Unicorn’s Horn

The Wizard’s Lair

Danny’s Lesson

The Wizard’s Hat

Merlin And The Dragon

The Wizard’s Gnomes

The Penguin’s Coats

The Greedy King

The Zebra’s Stripes

The Siege

The Eagle’s Crown

The Silver Knight

Never Land

The Author

Granddad's

Magic Dictionary

And that was the end of the space menace, Granddad finished his story. What do you think Chris, was I good? Or was I very good?

Cor, you were great, Granddad. Christopher told him. I wish that I could have been there with you. I could have helped you, couldn’t I?

You certainly could have lad, his Granddad assured him. Perhaps you can help me another time, eh?

Christopher loved listening to his Granddad’s stories. Every time that he came to Christopher’s house for dinner, at least twice a week, he had a different story to tell. He had had some terrific adventures. Sometimes they would be about cowboys and Indian’s, or spacemen, monsters, deep sea diving, or anything at all really. But whatever they were about, they were always very exciting.

Earlier this evening, Mum had told Granddad off for filling Christopher’s head with stuff and nonsense. But Granddad had only laughed and asked her, Now how can an adventure be called nonsense?

But he believes every word that you tell him, Mum had scolded him. and you know that as well as I do.

And so he should, Granddad had told her. Everybody knows that Granddad’s don’t tell fibs. That’s right isn’t it Chris? Granddad preferred to call him Chris for short. He thought that Christopher was too much of a mouthful.

Yes Granddad, Chris agreed at once. ’Course it’s true. Can you tell me another story before you go? Pleeease?

Not tonight, Chris, Granddad smiled. You have to have your bath ready for school tomorrow. But when he saw the sad look on Christopher’s face he added, I’ll tell you what though; if you are a good boy for your Mum, I’ll ask her if she can bring you to my house after school tomorrow and you can stay for tea and I will tell you another story then. Would you like that?

GREAT! Can I Mum? Can I?

All right, Mum sighed. If it will give me some peace, but do try and make your stories a bit more believable will you Dad? Mum called Granddad, Dad, because he was her Dad. Christopher had had lots of problems trying to understand that when he was young. But now that he was six years old he understood how someone could be a Dad and a Granddad at the same time.

Fighting spacemen yesterday, Mum continued. Catching crocodiles the day before that. Whatever next? I dread to think what you will say that you’ve been up to tomorrow. Pirate’s and treasure I shouldn’t wonder.

Now that sounds like a good idea to me, Granddad laughed. From now on I will only tell the truth...promise.

About time too, but somehow I doubt it, Mum agreed with a shake of her head.

Just like I always do, Granddad laughed again. You really should believe me you know.

Christopher’s Mum gave a loud TSK as she went to run his bath.

Well I’ll be going now, love, Granddad called. Thanks for the dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow about four o’clock. Then he gave Chris a kiss goodnight before Mum let him out. They both stood at the door and waved goodbye as Granddad drove off in his car.

It was good about the spacemen wasn’t it, Mum? Chris asked as she shut the door. Lucky for us that Granddad was there. I wish that I could have been with him, Chris said seriously. I’d love to go in a rocket.

Christopher, his Mum said, putting her hand on his shoulder. You must not take every story that Granddad tells you as being really true. Sometimes Granddad’s make up stories to keep their grandchildren happy. Not telling fibs exactly, but not telling the truth either.

"But not MY Granddad Mum. He Really, Really is a hero, isn’t he?

When Christopher’s Mum saw the worried look on his little face she decided not to try to explain any further. It wouldn’t hurt if he thought that his Granddad was a superman. There was little enough magic in the world as it was. He would learn soon enough.

Yes son, she said, ruffling his hair. Your Granddad is a hero. He is very special indeed. Now go and have your bath and get ready for bed or no Granddad’s tomorrow.

That was enough for Chris. He had his bath, cleaned his teeth, pyjamas on and was tucked up in bed faster than a dog could wag its tail. As you have probably guessed, he was really looking forward to going to his Granddad’s.

The next day went by much quicker than most Mondays did. All that Christopher could think about all day was going to his Granddad’s after school.

When his Mum arrived at the school gates at a quarter past three Christopher was the first boy out, and that was a wonder in itself. Normally, she had to go looking for him. He was always the last one out.

When they were in the car and on the way Mum told him, I won’t come in with you today Chris; I told Granddad when I spoke to him earlier on the phone that I’d just drop you off on my way to the shops. He said that you should just go in the back door instead of knocking at the front in case he is busy when you get there, and he will bring you home later.

OK Mum, Chris answered. Perhaps he is getting ready for an adventure and I can help him.

Perhaps he is cleaning the hen’s teeth as well. Mum sighed. But adventure or not, you be sure and keep out of mischief. All right?

Yes Mum, Chris groaned. I will. He wondered why Mum’s always thought that boys got up to stuff.

When his Mum stopped the car outside Granddad’s house Chris left his school bag on the seat, and after giving her a quick kiss, he was gone. His Mum could not help smiling as she watched him race up the path and round the back of the house. I don’t know who’s worse, she thought. Christopher or his Granddad.

Christopher had already forgotten about his Mum as he rushed into the kitchen shouting, GRANDDAD! ...GRAAAANDDAD...I’M HERE.

But there was no answer. Chris wasn’t bothered. Being a practical six year old he assumed that his Granddad had popped round to the shop to get something for their tea.

As Christopher had the same attributes as any other six-year-old lad, he had eyes like a hawk. Even if he hadn’t, he could not have failed to see the glass of milk on the table next to the plate of biscuits.

Custard creams, they were his favourites. As he picked up two, I’ve yet to meet a child who can only take one, he saw the note. When he looked closer he saw his name at the top so guessed that it was for him. Picking it up he read,

‘Chris, I have popped out for a minute. Have the milk and biscuits and turn on the TV if you want to watch cartoons or anything. Back soon, PS. Don’t touch the dictionary on the table. It is a magic book.’ Love, Granddad. Xxx

Well, Granddad had done three things wrong hadn’t he? One, he was out. Two, he had used the word ‘don’t’. No child under the age of ninety understands THAT word do they?

Three, he had said that the book was magic and that word on its own would have been enough to make the dictionary Christopher’s first stop after the milk and biscuits.

Brushing the crumbs off himself he put his empty glass into the sink and went into the front room. The book that he was supposed not to touch lay in the centre of the dining table. It did look old, but not especially magic. Although even Christopher would have admitted that he had no idea what a magic book should look like anyway.

It was open on one of the ‘P’ pages. There was part of a torn leather bookmark under a word. He was quite a good reader for his age, and after picking up up the bookmark he put his finger under the word he read ‘Pirate’ Instantly his mind was dreaming. Cor, he said aloud. I wish that I was a pirate.

As soon as he had said it, the room started to spin round and round. He felt himself kind of flying through some misty stuff. It cleared at just the same second that he landed with a thump on his backside on the wooden deck of an old boat like the one’s in his comics.

WOWEE. He was on the deck of an old sailing ship. He wasn’t at all frightened, although I think that I would have been. Bet it’s a pirate ship, he thought as he looked around from where he sat in the middle of the deck.

There were men clearing up rubbish all over the place. He saw that there were holes in some of the sails, and bits and pieces of broken wood seemed to be lying about everywhere. Cor! he thought. Mum would have a fit if she saw all this mess. And I bet that she’d think that I did it.

He was still not at all worried about what had happened to him or where he was. Though even if he had of been, before he could spare it a thought he felt himself lifted to his feet. A very big sailor indeed had hooked him by his collar and raised him up so as to be able to look him in the eye.

Now if someone were to stick a metal hook through my collar and lift me off of my feet I am quite sure that I would say more than ‘gosh’, but not Christopher. He felt the hook holding him up and before a word was spoken to him he said, Gosh, a real pirate.

The pirate even had a patch over his eye as well just like they do on TV. An’ what ‘ave we ‘ere then? he growled rather than asked. A stowaway is it or a Spanish spy per’aps? With his good hand he made sure that Christopher was well and truly secured onto his hook because his feet now dangled two feet above the deck.

Now there he was, goodness knows where, hanging off of a pirate’s hook on a real pirate ship, and all he could think of was, Mum will go mad if my shirts torn. She’ll never let me come again.

All he was worried about was his damaged shirt. That was when he realised that he wasn’t wearing his own clothes anyway. It really was a magic book. He wondered if his Granddad would know where he was, or how to find him.

The pirate walked across the deck towards some stairs going up to another level at the back of the boat holding Christopher out in front of himself like a fish on a hook, which is just what he was in some ways. A small fish amongst