8 PEEP! PEEP! PEEP!

CHAPTER 8 PEEP! PEEP! PEEP! 'Are we there yet?' says Terry (for about the 50 millionth time). 'Almost,' I say. 'Just a few more steps.' 'Look,' says Jill. 'There's the nest!' 'Can you see my tooth?' I say. 'No,' says Jill. 'Just a bunch of the cutest baby birds I've ever seen!'

We climb up a few more thousand steps until we are right across from the nest. But there's a big gap between the staircase and the nest. And a long drop back down to the ground. 'How are we going to get across?' says Terry. 'It's much too far to jump.' 'I know,' I say. 'It didn't look this far when we were looking up at it from the forest.'

'What about your emergency inflatable underpants, Terry?' says Jill. 'We could whoosh across in those.' 'I'm not wearing them,' he says. 'They got a puncture when we used them to sail to the desert island in the last book. But I am wearing my emergency inflatable ears.' 'Are you kidding me?' I say. 'Emergency inflatable ears?! That's the dumbest thing you've come up with since the Ninja Snail Training Academy.'

'Yeah, but my Ninja Snails saved the day,' says Terry, 'just like my emergency inflatable ears will. Watch this!' He takes a deep breath, concentrates hard and then... his ears inflate to about a thousand times their normal size! 'See?' he says. 'I told you!'

'You look so cute with big ears,' says Jill. 'Just like Dumbo the flying elephant!' 'Yeah, he looks dumb all right,' I say. 'But what use are they?' 'Well,' says Terry, 'they're flappable and really good for getting from, say, the steps of a never-ending staircase across to, say, a bird's nest. Climb into my ear and I'll take us there right now. Everybody ready? Ear we go!' Terry launches himself from the staircase and starts flapping his ears as fast as he can.

THE DAY TERRY TURNED INTO AN EARPLANE. 'Prepare the cabin for landing,' says Terry. 'Please ensure tray tables are closed and seats are upright. Thank you for flying Terry D Earlines.'