Page 80 - English_Spark_5

‘‘Eek! Look out! Look out! They’re coming!’’ screamed Margo.

‘‘All we need is a book,’’ roared Leslie; ‘‘don’t panic, hit them with a book.’’

Mother, completely bewildered by this sudden and rapid change from peace to

chaos, put on her glasses and peered down the table to see what was causing

the pandemonium, and at that moment Margo, in a vain attempt to stop the
scorpion’s advance, hurled a glass of water at it. The shower of water missed

the animal completely, but successfully drenched Mother, who, not being able
to stand cold water, promptly lost her breath and sat gasping at the end of the

table, unable even to protest.

‘‘Get a knife, hit them with a book!’’ shouted Larry. ‘‘That boy will kill the lot of
us! Bah! Look at the table, knee deep in scorpions! Kill them.’’

‘‘Oh no! Don’t hurt them. I’ll catch them.’’ I pleaded until, eventually, backed up
by Mother, Leslie’s suggestion that the whole lot be killed was quashed.

By the time a certain amount of order had been restored, all the baby scorpions
had hidden themselves under various plates and bits of cutlery. The results of

this incident were numerous. While the family, still feeling angry and frightened,

moved to the sitting room, I spent half an hour rounding up the babies, picking
them up in a teaspoon, and returning them to their mother’s back. Then I carried

them outside on a saucer and, reluctantly, released them on the garden wall.
Roger and I went and spent the afternoon on the hillside, for I felt it would be

wise to allow the family to have a break before seeing them again.

Larry developed a phobia about matchboxes. But, from my point of view, the

worst repercussion of the whole affair was that Mother decided to try to stop
me from exploring the animal world.

‘‘You are running wild again. It is high time you received a little more education,’’

she said. ‘‘I’m getting you a tutor.’’

Excerpt from My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (adapted)

repercussion — unwelcome consequence of an event or action.

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