10 At The Palace

CLAUDE at the Palace

Hello! Ooh, look who it is! It is Claude. Claude is a dog. Claude is a small, plump dog. Claude is a small, plump dog who is quite the snappy dresser. Claude lives in a house on Waggy Avenue with Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes, and his best friend in the whole world, Sir Bobblysock. Sir Bobblysock is both a sock and rather bobbly.

Every morning, Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes cry, 'Toodlepip!' and skip out to work, and that's when the fun begins. Claude pops on his beret and off go he and Sir Bobblysock on a jolly adventure. Where will they go today?

It was a Friday morning and a wet one too. It had been raining for days. Sir Bobblysock was sitting at the window wrapped up in all his shawls, clasping a mug tightly with both hands. There was nothing in it - he just liked the overall effect. 'Ooh, Claude!' he cried. 'It's ever so damp out there! Let's just stay in today in the dry.'

But Claude had other ideas. There he was - welly boots and cagoule on, with his special little umbrella poking out of his beret. 'Don't be silly, Sir Bobblysock," said Claude, adjusting his toggles. 'We've been stuck in ALL week because of the rain. We can't waste another day's adventuring just because it's a bit wet!'

Sir Bobblysock gasped. 'But my lovely bouncing curls!' he said. His flabber had never been so gasted! "They'll go all floppy!' 'No, they won't, said Claude. 'And besides, our treat tin is empty. There won't be any elevenses if we don't go out and find something' Well, THAT changed everything. Off went Sir Bobblysock's shawls, on went his plastic rain bonnet, and he was out of the door. Claude skedaddled after him.