The Little Vampire (13 page)
Read The Little Vampire Online
Authors: Angela Sommer-Bodenburg
Tags: #Juvenile Fiction, #Monsters, #General
“That’s a very splendid-sounding name,” said Tony’s father.
“It’s too long,” said Anna, “so it’s been shortened.”
“You sound a funny lot in your family,” said Tony’s father, laughing.
“Do you think so?” Anna looked put out. “Most people who have anything to do
with us don’t think we are the least bit funny.”
“Really?” probed Dad. “What do they think of you?”
“I would prefer not to tell you,” said Anna with dignity. “And now, I must be going.” She stood up and smoothed her cloak.
“You’ll come again soon, won’t you?” asked Dad. “Tony will be so sad if you don’t,” he added mischievously.
“Really?” asked Anna, looking tenderly at Tony. “Well, in that
case ...” She began to blush quickly and went out into the hall.
“Wait a minute!” called Dad. “You’re going the wrong way. The front door’s on the left!”
“Oh, of course.” Anna sounded rather surprised. Out of habit, she had automatically turned in the direction of Tony’s bedroom and the open window. Pulling herself together, she marched out of the front door, and even went down to the ground
floor in the lift.
Epilogue
“W
HAT A NICE GIRL
!” said Tony’s father when they were all once more round the table. “Did you like her, Hilary?”
“I thought she was sort rather odd.”
“Odd? Why?”
“Her pale little face ... the funny cloak ... her voice ... I don’t know. “
“What about Rudolph then?”
“He was even worse! Those bloodshot eyes and bony fingers!”
“But they’re only children,” laughed Dad. “You sound as
if you were frightened out of your wits, my dear.”
“What wits?” giggled Tony.
His father looked at him sharply. “We don’t want any of your cheek,” he said sternly. “It was you who brought up all this vampire nonsense.”
“I did not!” retorted Tony. “Vampires have been around since the Middle Ages!”
“Oh yes? How do you know?”
“I read it in a book.”
“In one of your horror stories, I suppose.”
“No, actually, in a dictionary.”
“Really?” asked Tony’s mother, sounding genuinely interested. “I’d like to see that myself. Is it in ours?”
“No,” answered Tony. “In the one at school.”
“Well, it might be in ours as well,” said his mother hopefully, going over to the bookcase. She took out a book, leafed through it, and read: “‘Vampires: according to myth, these are bodies of the dead, who
leave their coffins at night to suck the blood of humans.’”
“Yes, yes, we know all that. “There are other things according to myth, like ...”
“... witches, dwarfs, ghosts, and fairies,” chanted Tony, who remembered only too well the first conversation he had had with his parents on the subject of vampires.
“So you see, there’s nothing to worry about,” reassured Dad, “unless you’re going to
believe in dwarfs and fairies as well.”
“Of course I’m not,” said Mum crossly.
“And probably Rudolph and Anna will try to look a little more normal when they come next time, won’t they, Tony?”
“Mmm,” said Tony doubtfully.
“Well, as far as I’m concerned, I’d be glad if it were a while before they came again,” said Mum.
“I’m sure Tony won’t agree,” laughed Dad.
“I don’t,” said Tony starkly.
He had almost choked on his cream bun. “I suppose now you’re going to forbid me ever to play with Rudolph and Anna again?”
“No, no, we wouldn’t go as far as that,” said his mother, “but surely we can have our own opinion about your friends, can’t we?”
“Suppose so,” Tony reluctantly had to agree.
“I think they are creepy,” said Mum, “and if there really were such things as vampires, I’m sure
they would look just like your two friends!”
Dad laughed, as though Mum had made a good joke. “But there aren’t such things as vampires,” he said. “The pair of them are nothing more sinister than two normal kids who have delved a bit too deeply into their grandmother’s dressing-up box.” He took a cream bun and munched on it, and for a while nobody said anything.
Then Tony grumbled: “Well, it
was you who kept going on about meeting them, anyway. I did warn you about them.”
“Yes, I must admit, you did,” smiled his mother. “Oh, well, I suppose I’ll get used to them eventually.”
“And you won’t go on any more about this vampire nonsense, will you, Tony?” said Dad.
Tony gave a rueful grin. “O.K.,” he said. Poor old Dad still did not have a clue, and Mum’s suspicions would soon quieten
down. All had turned out well in the end.
“I’m off to bed,” he said. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, dear,” replied his parents.
It was with a feeling of great contentment and satisfaction that Tony finally climbed into bed and pulled the covers up over his head.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2004 by Rowohlt Verlag GmbH
978-1-4532-7044-8
This edition published in 2012 by Open Road Integrated Media
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Visit the author at:
www.angelasommer-bodenburg.com
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