12 Granny Gadget

GRANNY GADGET

Granny Gadget loved to make machines. "This is my machine to do the housework," she said. "I've got to make a new machine today," said Granny Gadget to her cat. "I've looked high and low, and near and far. I can't find your little kitten anywhere."

So she made a machine for finding lost pets. The machine had big ears to listen for pets. It had a big nose to sniff out pets. It had long legs to run after pets. It had long arms to reach out and grab pets. "Let's start it!" said Ellie. Ben counted, "Five, four, three, two, one, GO!" And off it went.

It ran round the house, upstairs and downstairs. It found lost socks, lost sweets, lost toys, and lots of things that were not lost at all. But it didn't find the kitten. "Oh, no," said Granny Gadget. "What a mess! And I still haven't found the kitten." She went off to have a rest.

Ben and Ellie got out Granny's housework machine. They read the instructions. "Pull string number one," read Ellie. Ben pulled the string. The machine started to hum. "Push button number two," read Ellie. Ben did that, too. The machine grew and grew. When they pulled string number three, it buzzed like a bee. When they pulled string number four, the machine started to roar. But when they pulled string number five, it really came alive.

It jumped up and down and spun round and round. It washed the floor and dried the dishes. It dusted the books and cooked the dinner. It fed the cat and walked the dog. But it got hotter and hotter and hotter. It began to fizz and pop.