Harriet Bright in a Pickle

CLAIRE CRAIG wanted to be an archaeologist when she grew up – digging up really old treasures in Egypt.

Instead, she sold chocolate chip cookies, travelled around Europe, and then became a book editor.

She did write poetry when she was little. Some of it is included in this book.

in a pickle

CLAIRE CRAIG

illustrated by MELANIE FEDDERSEN

First published 2008 in Pan by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Limited
1 Market Street, Sydney

Text copyright © Claire Craig 2008
Illustrations copyright © Melanie Feddersen 2008

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the
publisher.

National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

Craig, Claire.
Harriet Bright in a pickle.

For primary school age.
ISBN 978 0 330 42349 6 (pbk.).

I. Feddersen, Melanie. II. Title.

A823.4

Thanks to Sue Butler from
The Macquarie Dictionary
for permission to use the definitions of ‘secret' that appear on page 98.

Typeset by Melanie Feddersen, i2i Design

Printed in Australia by McPherson's Printing Group

The characters and events in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Papers used by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd are natural, recyclable products made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

 

These electronic editions published in 2008 by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd
1 Market Street, Sydney 2000

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.

Harriet Bright in a Pickle

Claire Craig

Adobe eReader format 978-1-74198-225-1
Microsoft Reader format 978-1-74198-284-8
Mobipocket format 978-1-74198-343-2
Online format 978-1-74198-402-6
Epub format 978-1-74262-369-6

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This book is really to lots of people:

To my mum, and in memory of my dad, for a very happy childhood.

To Maddy and Frannie: little pieces of you are in this book too.

To Dick, Tim and Marianne.

To Ange, Kath and Pete who lodged particular phrases in my head that have since been dislodged in
Harriet Bright and the very big fright
. And to Joey – for delegation, and so much else.

To all my friends.

To everyone at Pan Macmillan, with special thanks to Cate and Anna (my very wonderful publisher) who have been unstintingly enthusiastic about Harriet Bright; and to Bri and Ali for all their editorial input.

And, at last, to Mel – Harriet Bright's frontline supporter and a creative champion who has made this book all and more than I ever imagined it could be. You are an inspiring and unique

 

 

 

 

‘HEY
YOU!
HARRIET BRIGHT!'

Oh
no! Not now. She was so close to home.

Harriet Bright felt her stomach slippery dip. Then it hit the side of her ribs.

She thought it was going to bounce right up out of her throat.

She looked around quickly. The street was very quiet. It was the in-between time after school had ended and before people came home from work.

There was no one around.

Only a fat black cat.

Harriet Bright wished that it was a fierce jungle tiger. Snarling through the bush with its jaws wide open, its sharp teeth ready to attack, its roar echoing through the trees.

The black cat opened a lazy eye. Its silky fur glistened in a spotlight of sun. It closed its eye and curled up tight.

Harriet Bright kept walking.

OK. Pretend she hadn't heard. Only 783 steps to go and she'd be safe.

She could hear Paul Picklebottom. He was scuffing his shoes along the pavement.

He was far enough away at the moment.

But he was getting closer.

Harriet Bright's brain was alert. She was t h i n k i n g.

What should she do?

PLAN A
:
Outsmart the enemy. Take a shortcut across Wiley's Creek, sneak through Mrs Pilchard's backyard and climb over the fence to home.

Disadvantage:
Could end up in the creek.
Again
!

PLAN B
:
Run fast. Screaming for

Disadvantage:
Loss of dignity.
Forever
.

PLAN C
:
Think of Plan D.