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George’s Marvellous Medicine

  Grandma

1

‘I’m going shopping in the village,’ George’s mother said to George on Saturday morning. ‘So be a good boy and don’t get into mischief.’
This was a silly thing to say to a small boy at any time. It immediately made him wonder what sort of mischief he might get into.
‘And don’t forget to give Grandma her medicine at eleven o’clock,’ the mother said. Then out she went, closing the back door behind her.
Grandma, who was dozing in her chair by the window, opened one wicked little eye and said, ‘Now you heard what your mother said, George.’
‘Don’t forget my medicine.’
‘No, Grandma,’ George said.
‘And just try to behave yourself for once while she’s away.’
‘Yes, Grandma,’ George said.
George was bored to tears. He didn’t have a brother or a sister. His father was a farmer, and the farm they lived on was miles away from anywhere, so there were never any children to play with. He was tired of staring at pigs and hens and cows and sheep. He was especially tired of having to live in the same house as that grizzly old grunion of a grandma. Looking after her all by himself was hardly the most exciting way to spend a Saturday morning.

2

‘You can make me a nice cup of tea for a start,’ Grandma said to George. ‘That’ll keep you out of mischief for a few minutes.’
‘Yes, Grandma,’ George said.
George couldn’t help disliking Grandma. She was a selfish grumpy old woman. She had pale brown teeth and a small puckered-up mouth like a dog’s bottom.
‘How much sugar in your tea today, Grandma?’ George asked her. ‘One spoonful,’ she said. ‘And no milk.’
Most grandmothers are lovely, kind, helpful old ladies, but not this one. She spent all day and every day sitting in her chair by the window, and she was always complaining, grousing, grouching, grumbling, griping about something or other.
Never once, even on her best days, had she smiled at George and said, ‘Well, how are you this morning, George?’ ‘Why don’t you and I have a game of Snakes and Ladders?’ ‘How was school today?’
She didn’t seem to care about other people, only about herself. She was a miserable old grouch.
George went into the kitchen and made Grandma a cup of tea with a teabag. He put one spoon of sugar in it and no milk. He stirred the sugar well and carried the cup into the living room.
Grandma sipped the tea. ‘It’s not sweet enough,’ she said. ‘Put more sugar in.’
George took the cup back to the kitchen and added another spoonful of sugar. He stirred it again and carried it carefully in to Grandma.

3

3

Some of us know secrets that would make your hair stand straight up on end and your eyes pop out of their sockets…
George wanted to run away, but his feet seemed stuck to the floor.
We know how to make your nails drop off and teeth grow out of your fingers instead.
George began to tremble. It was her face that frightened him most of all, the frosty smile, the brilliant unblinking eyes.
We know how to have you wake up in the morning with a long tail coming out from behind you.
Grandma!’ he cried out. ‘Stop!’
We know secrets, my dear, about dark places where dark things live and squirm and slither all over each other.
George made a dive for the door.
It doesn’t matter how far you run, he heard her saying, you won’t ever get away
George ran into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him.