CHAPTER 1
THE 130-STORY TREEHOUSE
Hi, my name is Andy.
This is my friend Terry.
We live in a tree.
Well, when I say “tree,” I mean treehouse. And when I say “treehouse,” I don’t just mean any old treehouse—I mean a 130-story treehouse. (It used to be a 117-story treehouse, but we’ve added another 13 stories.)
So what are you waiting for?
Come on up!
We’ve got a soap-bubble blaster,
a non-stop dot level,
a 13-story igloo,
the GRABINATOR (it can grab anything from anywhere at any time),
an extraterrestrial observation center,
a time-wasting level,
a toilet paper factory (because you can never have too much toilet paper),
a giant juggling octopus,
a soft grassy hill, perfect for rolling down,
a super-long-legs level,
a TFB (that’s short for treehouse fire brigade),
a people-eating plant called Petal,
and the best bookshop-in-a-treehouse-in-a-tree- in-a-forest-in-a-book in the whole world!
In addition to being our home, the treehouse is where we make books together. I write the words and Terry draws the pictures.
As you can see, we’ve been doing this for quite a while now.
Things don’t always go according to plan, of course …
but we always get our book done in the end.
CHAPTER 2
BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!
If you’re like most of our readers, you’re probably wondering if we’ve ever been abducted by a giant flying eyeball from outer space. Well, it’s funny you should be wondering that, because that’s exactly what happened to us just the other day!
It all started when I was in the extraterrestrial observation center. I was looking through the telescope trying to spot something that might give me an idea of what to write about in our next book when I came across the strangest-looking alien I’d ever seen!
It had a hairy body with six legs, two wings, and a weird trumpet thing sticking out the front of its face.
It was making a buzzing sound, kind of like a fly. Which wasn’t surprising, really, because after a while I realized that’s what it was—a fly, just an ordinary fly.
“Hey, get off my telescope!” I yelled. It did, but then it started buzzing around and around my head. At that moment I realized that this was no ordinary fly—this was a really annoying fly.
In the end I had no choice but to go and get …
THESWATTER!
I swiped …
and swiped …
and swiped …
and swiped …
and swiped …
and swiped …
but it was no use. I couldn’t swat it. That fly was not only really annoying, it was also really fast! I needed something bigger. So I went and got …
THE SUPER-SWATTER!
I super-swiped …
and super-swiped …
and super-swiped again!
But no matter how much super-swiping I did, I still couldn’t swat that fly.
So I went and got …
THE SUPER-SIZE FLYSPRAY!
I super-sprayed …
and super-sprayed …
and super-sprayed!
I used up the whole can, but the fly was just as alive—and just as annoying—as ever! (I, on the other hand, was not feeling so great.)
I had to get rid of that fly once and for all. It was time to unleash …
THE FLY CANNON!
I had it lined up perfectly. I couldn’t miss.
READY …
AIM …
FIRE!
Like I said, I couldn’t miss. But guess what? I did! When the smoke cleared, there it was: that fly! That REALLY ANNOYING fly.
CHAPTER 3
FIRE!
“Hi, Andy,” said Terry. “What’s the matter?”
“That fly!” I said. “That’s what! I’m trying to get ideas for the next book but I can’t because it keeps buzzing around my head and distracting me.”
“Have you tried swatting it?” said Terry.
“Yes,” I said. “Of course I’ve tried swatting it!”
“Have you tried super-swatting it?”
“Yes!”
“What about spraying it?”
“YES!” I said. “I’ve tried everything, even blasting it with the fly cannon—but it didn’t work. Nothing worked!”
“Maybe I can help,” said Terry. “I could use my laser eyes!”
“Since when do you have laser eyes?” I said.
“Since this morning—when I invented them,” he said. “Look, I’ll show you.”
Terry took a deep breath, focused on the fly, and shot laser beams at it—right out of his eyes!
The fly darted out of the way.
Terry took another deep breath and fired again …
and again …
and again …
Terry’s laser beams were hitting everything—except for the fly, that is—and everything they hit burst into flames.
“Terry!” I yelled. “Stop! You’re setting the treehouse on fire!”
“Oops,” said Terry.
I grabbed an emergency bucket, filled it with water, and threw it on one of the fires.
“Don’t just stand there!” I said to Terry. “Get a bucket and help me!”
Terry grabbed the other emergency bucket and filled it with water.
“Oh no!” he said. “It’s leaking. There’s a hole in my bucket!”
“Then fix it!” I said.
“Hey, that reminds me of a song!” said Terry.
Before I knew it, I was singing, too. (It’s a pretty catchy song.)
Suddenly, Jill came rushing in. “FIRE! FIRE!” she yelled. “Your treehouse is on fire!”
“We know!” I said.
“Then why are you just standing around singing? Why aren’t you putting it out?”
Copyright © 2020 by Backyard Stories Pty Ltd. Illustrations copyright © 2020 by Scarlett Lake Pty Ltd