Roger's game of hide and seek

One day Mum took Roger and his friend Norah to the park for a picnic.

They sat on the grass and had cheese and ham sandwiches and drank lemonade and orange juice.

After lunch Mum said she felt tired and was going to take a nap. Roger and Norah ran off to play.

First of all they played tag, running in between the big old trees. Then they found a derelict old house surrounded by a fence.

"Shall we take a look inside?" said Norah.

"No. I don't want to. It's scary." said Roger.

But Norah said, "Don't be a silly billy", and climbed through a hole in the fence.

Roger followed her. The door of the house wasn't locked. Norah pushed it open and they both went inside. The house was dirty and had a musty smell. There were puddles of water and spider's webs everywhere.

"Shall we go?" pleaded Roger, "I'm scared."

"Don't be a silly billy", said Norah. "Let's play hide and seek."

Reluctantly Roger agreed to hide. Norah began counting as Roger climbed the creeky old stairs.

Roger pushed open the first door he saw and hid behind it. Then he suddenly found a little more courage. He went outside into the hall, walked to the end and pushed open another door. Inside an old lady was lying in bed.

"Hello." she said kindly, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm playing hide and seek." said Roger.

"Oh. Come into bed with me. Your friend will never find you in here."

Roger walked over to the bed and climbed in with the old lady. Together they listened to Norah's footsteps climbing the stairs. She tried one door, and then another. But for some reason she didn't try the old lady's room.

They heard her going downstairs crying and calling Roger's name.

"I'd better go." said Roger.

"Yes, you had." said the old lady. "Will you come and see me again. I don't get many visitors."

"Yes, of course." said Roger.

The old lady handed him a sweet from the jar beside her bed.

Roger went downstairs and found Norah crying. He tapped her on the shoulder and made her jump.

"Where were you?" she asked, "I looked everywhere."

"You didn't look in the room at the end with the old lady." said Roger, still sucking his sweet.

"What room at the end?" asked Norah.

Roger took her upstairs to show her the room and introduce her to the old lady. But he couldn't find the room. Instead, where the door at the end of the hall had been was just bare wall.

Roger and Norah ran back to Mum as quickly as they could.

Next: Roger and the dragon