bertie wiggins amazing ears

• ' As clever as Prince Cecil 'Five times five!' said Mrs Lil1es Sl1e had a way of saying tl1ings softly that sounded as if she was shouting at you Everyone in tl1e class wrote something down, except Bertie Bertie chewed on the end of his pencil What was the answer? He wished he could work it out But he could11't l11e trouble was, Bertie was no good at sums No matter how hard l1e tried, l1e couldn't remember past l1is tl1ree times table He felt his ears beginning to h~tch agatn Sadie Smith looked at Bertie and started to smile Mrs Li11es looked up and said, sl1arply, 'Sadie! What is tl1e matter?} • Sadie blushed 'Nothi11g, Mrs Lines,' she said But Mrs Lines could see for l1erself that Bertie's ears were wiggli11g The trouble was, Bertie's ears didn't wiggle just a little bit They wiggled and waggled as if tl1ey were waving at you 'Bertie v\Tiggins!' she said 'Stop that at once If you spent as much time on your work as you spend twitching your ears, you'd be as clever as Prince Cecil.' I l - _ ' • I • -~e Vifla,e Everyone in tl1e class grinned They all knew that Bertie looked a bit like Prince Cecil Bertie sighed He was fed up with jokes about looking like a prtnce 'I hope you are all going to watch Prince Cecil this evening,' said Mrs Lines • Everyone kt1ew l1ow clever Pril1ce Cecil was Pril1ce Cecil was very good at sums Prit1ce Cecil kt1ew his tables Every year the King we11t 011 television a11d one of his children went on with l1im Last year it was Princess Maude playing J1er trombone L J ' This year it was goil1g to be Prince Cecil sayi11g l1is tables A huge crowd went to the royal television show Every year at the end, tl1e crowd had to clap and cheer Then the King made a big speech He always began, 'Cleverness shows in many ways It is most wo11derful wher1 it shows in someone young Tl1e royal childre11 ' l ' Every time the royal cl1ildre11 were on television, Bertie's mum and dad would moan at Bertie (You may look like Prince Cecil,' tl1ey would say, but you'll 11ever get 011 televisio11 by flapping your ears.' I l 'I That after11oon Bertie l1ad his tea ar1d started doing his homework After a few mi11utes, he gave up a11d tur11ed on the television A lady was speaki11g 'Tonigl1t, everyor1e must see Pri11ce Cecil.' Bertie turned tl1e televisio11 off He we11t outside a11d sat on tl1e doorstep From 11ext door he could hear music playing 011 the radio Bertie bega11 to wiggle his ears First the left one Then the right one 111 no time at all both ears were wiggling backwards a11d forwards in time to tl1e music Mrs Gree11 from next door came past rrl1at's good, Bertie,' sl1e cried {You're a real little act, you are.' 'No 011e else seems to tl1ink so,' grumbled Bertie The woma11 sniffed 'You do11't l1ave to be clever AJI tl1e answers will be 011 a screen in front of you.' She stared at him 'You ca11 read, can't )'Ou?' 'Of course I ca11,' said Bertie 'Good,' she went on 'No one else will be able to see the scree11 No 011e will k.J1ow that you can't your tables.' ~~.l~7 - ; J The King was pacing up a11d doWl1 il1 the television studio 'I will not wait any lot1ger!' he shouted '111ey must have found someone who looks like Cecil by now.' At that moment, Mr and Mrs Wiggir1s arrived witl1 Bertie Mr Wiggi11s bowed 'T11is is Bertie,' l1e said 'I'm glad we can help out, Your Majesty.' TI1e King looked at Bertie He smiled 1t's amazit1g,' he said (You could be Cecil, apart from the ears Put Cecil's crown on and hide your ears.' But Your Majesty,' said Bertie am 11ot Pril1ce CeciJ I do11't want to prete11d to be him.' Not1set1se,' said the King You Jook like him That's all that matters Just what you're told ru1d read wJ1at's on the scree11.' 1 It was time for the show to start The people were in tl1eir seats Bertie sat on a large chair Music played Then a man with a big smile spoke into the camera 'Good eve11i11g, everyo11e Tonight we are happy to welcome our young prince 011 the show Pri11ce Cecil is goh1g to say his eight times table Wl1at a clever lad~' \ \ ' I Ligl1ts shone on Bertie A lady witl1 headphones counted up to five on l1er fingers A voice in his ear said, 'Now- ' AJ1d Bertie was 011 teJevisio11 Bertie felt his heart beating He looked for the scree11 witl1 the at1swers There it was in front of him He coughed, a11d began to read 'One times eight is eigl1t,' he said loudly Then the scree11 went blar1k Bertie adds it up ( ( { ( _ _, ., , ,._ )) {/ Bertie's tummy feJt as if it had insects buzzing around inside He wa11ted to be sick He knew what came next so he gasped, rrwo times eight is sixteet1.' Wl1at was three times eight? His ears bega11 to twitcl1 Pri11ce Cecil's crown wobbled from side to side Bertie felt the croWl1 slip over his eyes in little jerks He took the crown off This seemed to stop his ears twitchi11g TI1en the man spoke agah1 He did 11ot sou11d so l1appy now 'Well, Prince Cecil, what are three times eigl1t?' Bertie tried to cow1t the a11swer out on his fingers He took off his sl1oes a11d socks and counted on his toes as well But it was no good He just didn' t have e11ough fingers and toes Or1e or two people called out, 'Come on! What are three times eight?' Bertie felt awful He wa11ted to shout, 'I'm not Pri11ce Cecil I'm Bertie v\Tiggins.' But he couldn't say a word ' Then something strange happened Bertie's ears began to move again They slowly flapped back and forwards The crowd began to count alot1g 'One two tl1ree ' The ears flapped twenty-four times, whicl1 is exactly three times eigl1t Someo11e sl1outed, 'What about four times eigl1t?' The ears wiggled thirty-two times ~