Petronella and the Janjilons Read online

  Nearly a week had gone by and the Judge and sisters were still human. If they didn’t drink soon, they would die of thirst. Nobody wanted that to happen.

  By now news had reached every corner of Westshire that Betty was the new Duchess and that the Judge and the two weird sisters were about to cave in. Indeed, the very next day, an awful stomping noise could be heard coming from the first floor of the Janjilon Education Centre where the three were locked up.

  This time, three boys would not be enough. Another seven boys had to go and help them. Soloman unlocked the Judge’s door. There with its back to the window facing them and the door, they saw a big monkey-like creature grinning at them. It let out a howl and scratched its chest with one paw, and its head with the other paw.

  Judge Ormerod made a most wonderful Janjilon. He shook his head making his earrings jangle.

  Then the boys went to the sisters’ rooms and this time, of course, they were faced with female Janjilons. The two were even uglier than they had been as humans. Nobody had ever thought that to be possible.

  The three adult Janjilons were let out of the house and were free to go around the gardens, lake and woods of the Janjilon Education Centre. This is where they would spend the rest of their lives.

  It was not a bad life. The Janjilons could, of course, go to the village if they liked, but they would be too embarrassed to do that. They had the house and grounds all to themselves and plenty of food and water could be found on the estate. There were mushrooms and plenty of berries and leaves. And even banana trees. But no more yellow liquid. Some Janjilons had cleaned that up – spick and span. Others had been to the hut to destroy the evil recipes.

  Betty, Petronella with her husband, Percy, and all the boys left the estate. Gasmina left with them. The heavy gates were left wide open.

  “So how does it feel to be a Duchess,” Soloman asked Betty.

  “No, I can’t be the Duchess yet. The Judge was right. I am too young. I need to be twenty-one. That’s twelve years away. I need to go to school and there are so many books I want to read before I settle down into the adult world,” Betty said.

  “So what are we going to do?” Petronella asked.

  “I will have to name a person to take my place for these twelve years. Westshire must have a Duke or Duchess,” Betty said.

  They all looked around. Who was she going to pick?

  “I nominate you,” Betty said, pointing to Petronella. “You will make a wonderful duchess.”

  Petronella blushed. All eyes were on her. Edmundus put his arm around her shoulder to encourage her to accept.

  “Do you accept, Petronella?” Betty said.

  “Yes, I do.” Petronella had tears of joy in her eyes. Then she went on to say: “But only on one condition.

  “What’s that?” Betty asked.

  “That whatever decisions are taken, I will talk them over with you first, Betty. And that you will be my advisor and sit next to me at any meetings. We’ll take decisions together. You and I.”

  “Yes, I agree,” said Betty. Then a thought struck her and she cried out:

  “The horse, the horse! We must go and untie Janjilon Ormerod’s horse.”

  THE END

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