Table of Contents
the Ribbajack
A Smile and a Wave
The All Ireland Champion Versus the Nye Add
The Mystery of Huma D’Este
Miggy Mags and the Malabar Sailor
Rosie’s Pet
Evil breeds evil
Archibald sat listening until the chaplain’s heavy, plodding footsteps receded below stairs. A slow smile stole across his spotty face, growing into a maniacal grin. Leaping up, he went into a frenzied dance around the room, his eyes glittering with villainous delight. He had just found a victim for the Ribbajack he was intent on conjuring. Old Reverend Dusty Miller, the Sky Pilot! Revengeful spite and pent-up malice poured from him like sewage squirting from a cracked cess tank. When he first heard of the Ribbajack, all he desired was to see what it looked like. Now he had a definite aim for the horror he was about to create. The removal of his newfound enemy! The moment that dog-collared old buffoon had mispronounced his name, Archibald Smith knew the chaplain was going to be the first victim of the monster. Putting pen to paper, he began composing a verse as an aid to materialising his own personal Ribbajack.
THE REDWALL BOOKS
OTHER BOOKS
TO MY SONS, MARC AND DAVID
PUFFIN
Published by the Penguin Group
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First published in the United States of America by Philomel,
a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 2004
Published by Puffin, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 2006
Text copyright © Redwall La Dita Ltd., 2004
All rights reserved
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HAS CATALOGED THE PHILOMEL EDITION AS FOLLOWS:
Jacques, Brian.
The Ribbajack & other curious yarns / Brian Jacques.
p cm.
Summary: A collection of six short stories which feature a variety of monstrous
creatures by the author of the Redwall series.
Contents: The Ribbajack—A smile and a wave—The All Ireland Champion
versus the Nye Add—The mystery of Huma D’Este—Miggy Mags and
the Malabar Sailor—Rosie’s pet.
1. Monsters—Juvenile Fiction. 2. Children’s stories, English. [1. Horror tales,
English. 2. Monsters—Fiction. 3. Horror stories. 4. Short stories.]
I. Title: Ribbajack and other curious yarns. II. Title.
PZ7.J15317Ri 2004 [Fic]—dc21 2003066448
eISBN : 978-1-101-14395-7
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
http://us.penguingroup.com
the Ribbajack
GENTLE READER, HEED MY PLEA,
pray witness now this shocking tale,
’twas told to me by one, forsooth,
who vowed he spoke the honest truth,
he took an oath, he told no lies,
and swore it on his own three eyes!
Archibald Smifft was worse than any plague or pestilence known to man. This was the unanimous consensus of opinion by all at the boarding school of Duke Crostacious the Inviolate. Teachers, pupils, groundsmen, cooks and all ancillary staff were in total agreement on this, and who, pray, would deny their assessment?
