BORIS THE BRAINY BOOK
This is a story all about Boris and yes, he’s a book.
"You can ask Boris about anything," said Felix "He can tell you why custard is yellow, why frogs are green and why milk shakes.
Boris knew the name of everything, the size of everything, where it was from – where it was going to – and how to say it in Latin.
He also knew the best jokes.
"What do you get if you cross a kangaroo with an octopus, a sheep and a zebra?"
"A striped woolly jumper with eight sleeves!" he laughed.
"His jokes drive me up the wall!" said Benny just as an envelope landed on the mat.
"Hello bill," he laughed.
It was addressed to Boris and inside it had a question from his brother Bart who lived in Ontario. The question was, ‘How long is a piece of string?’
"Hmmm…" thought Boris, "I can’t say I know the answer to that one?" Benny had no idea either but he thought Elsie might know.
Boodlebobs [EP-04] - BORIS THE BRAINY BOOK 49 
He found Elsie swinging in the apple tree, "Do you know how long a piece of string is?"
Benny sat patiently while Elsie thought about it but then suddenly the air was filled with a terrible noise as a big black shadow swept over him.
"CAWWW!!"
With it’s sharp talons and horrid black beak Crow had spotted Benny from high up in the tree-tops.
"CAWW!! A lovely fat worm for my hungry chicks!"
"HELP HELP!" cried Benny as he was carried higher and higher.
Fedora, holding a big red balloon, was on her way to a party when she heard the commotion.
"Oh poor Benny!" she gasped, "He’s about to become lunch!"
Boodlebobs [EP-04] - BORIS THE BRAINY BOOK 50 
Crow deposited Benny in front of three hungry chicks then flew off to find two more juicy worms. The greedy chicks with their yellow beady eyes looked hungrily.
"He’s mine, he’s mine, no he’s mine!" squabbled the chicks giving Benny just enough time to clamber out of the nest and onto a rather thin branch which sagged under his weight.
"Talk about being out on a limb," he thought.
Benny looked down and wobbled. Then he looked back at the three wide-open beaks. "Between a rock and a hard place." He thought.
Fedora, Elsie and Boris looked up. "If only I could fly," said Fedora wistfully.
"If only my trunk was longer," said Elsie.
"If only I’d known the answer," said Boris but then had an idea.
He took hold of Fedora’s big red balloon. "Grab hold of the string when I let it go!" he called up to Benny,
"Got it!" shouted Benny grasping it with both hands and started floating down to the ground but then…
"CAWW! CAWW!"
Boodlebobs [EP-04] - BORIS THE BRAINY BOOK 51 
Crow came back carrying another fat worm and was so surprised to see Benny floating away she dropped it.
Lucky fat worm.
The lucky fat worm reached out and grabbed Benny in passing. But the crow had no intention of either – or both – escaping.
POP! She burst the balloon with her horrid black beak and both Benny and Lucky Fat Worm hurtled headlong. Seconds before they hit the ground, Elsie’s long grey truck reached out and sucked them up.
"Are you alright in there?" asked Fedora peering down Elsie’s trunk.
"Yes, we’re fine," grinned Benny emerging. "What an adventure!"
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Boris was so pleased to have his friend back – and a new friend besides – and so pleased too that he was able to answer his brother’s question.
"A piece of string is long enough to save two worms," he said happily.
"I shall let my brother Bart in Ontario know that."
The end
