Ribticklers!: Funny Stories

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Overview

From a rajah with big ears to an orphan with enormous feet, all sorts of hilarious characters populate the pages of this humorous anthology. Michael Rosen has selected thirty-nine zany tales from around the world. With stories by a stellar ensemble of classic and contemporary writers such as Roald Dahl, Margaret Mahy, and James Thurber, this hilarious introduction to the finest in comic writing will make readers laugh until their sides ache!

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Overview

From a rajah with big ears to an orphan with enormous feet, all sorts of hilarious characters populate the pages of this humorous anthology. Michael Rosen has selected thirty-nine zany tales from around the world. With stories by a stellar ensemble of classic and contemporary writers such as Roald Dahl, Margaret Mahy, and James Thurber, this hilarious introduction to the finest in comic writing will make readers laugh until their sides ache!

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Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature
AGERANGE: Ages 9 to 12.

These funny stories, folktales, caution tales, tall tales, and long jokes are as entertaining today as they were in 1988 when they were first published. Did you hear about the dog who loved to play catch? Well, one day a couple of lazy fisherman lit a stick of dynamite to blow the fish out of a creek. When the dog tried to return his catch, no one would play! Or how about the man who paid the village teacher to turn his donkey into a man so he and his wife could have a son? When he was disappointed that his "donkey" no longer recognized him, he paid the teacher to turn him back into a donkey! My favorite is Rosen's "Handsel and Gristle," a retelling of the folktale which is full of puns and malapropisms. Satire, fairy tales told with a twist, and many, many others make up this entertaining book of timeless, often hilarious stories. For educators, this book would be a good one to have on hand for those minutes between tasks. Reviewer: Diane Carver Sekeres, Ph.D.

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780753461396
  • Publisher: Kingfisher
  • Publication date: 11/15/2007
  • Edition description: First Edition
  • Pages: 288
  • Sales rank: 1,281,758
  • Age range: 9 - 12 Years
  • Product dimensions: 5.10 (w) x 7.30 (h) x 0.80 (d)

Meet the Author

Michael Rosen is a best-selling poet and writer for children, as well as a recognized authority on children's literature. His books include The Kingfisher Book of Children's Poetry, The Kingfisher Treasury of Funny Stories, and Walking the Bridge of Your Nose. He is also the author of the best-selling We're Going on a Bear Hunt.

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Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

"ROBIN WON'T GIVE you any trouble," said Auntie Lynn. "He's very quiet."

and, until Auntie Lynn mentioned his name, she had forgotten that he was there.

"There's plenty of clothes, so you won't need to do any washing, and there's a spare pair of pajamas in case—well, you know. In case . . ."

"Yes," said Mom firmly. "He'll be all right. I'll call you tonight and let you know how he's getting along." She looked at the clock. "Now, hadn't you better be getting along?"

"Perspiration," said Auntie Lynn.

"Hello, Robin."

"What a little troll," said Mom sadly, lowering the tablecloth. "I suppose he'll come out when he's hungry."

"Do you think he's pining?" said Mom. Anthea did not. Anthea had a nasty suspicion that he was like this all the time. He went to bed without making a fuss and fell asleep before the light was out, as if he was too bored to stay awake. Anthea left her bedroom door open, hoping that he would have a nightmare so that she could go in and comfort him, but Robin slept all night without a squeak and woke up in the morning as flat-faced as before. Wall-

eyed Doggy looked more excitable than Robin did.

"If only we had a real backyard," said Mom as Robin went under the table again, leaving his breakfast eggs scattered around the plate. "He might run around."

"Can I take him to the park?" said Anthea.

"No," said Anthea, peering under the tablecloth. "I don't think he wants to do anything, but he can't sit there all day."

"I bet he can," said Mom. "Still, I don't think he should. All right, take him to the park, but keep quiet about it. I don't suppose Lynn thinks you're safe in traffic."

"He might tell her."

"Can he talk?"

"Hold my hand, Robin," Anthea said as they left the house, and he clung to her like a leech.

under the orderly trees that stood in a row like the line at a bus stop. There were bushes in each corner and one shelter with a bench in it. Here and there, brown holes in the grass, full of raked earth, waited for next year's flowers, but there were no flowers now, and the bench had been taken out of the shelter because the shelter was supposed to be a summerhouse, and you couldn't have people using a summerhouse in the winter.

"Do you want to run, Robin?"

"There's nothing to be afraid of. You can go all the way around, if you like, but you mustn't walk on the grass or pick things."

"You want to walk around the back of the bushes, Robin?"

"Yiss," said Robin.

"All right, but listen." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "You must be very careful. That path is called Leopard Walk. Do you know what a leopard is?"

"Yiss."

"There are two leopards down there. They live in the bushes. One is a good leopard, and the other's a bad leopard. The good leopard has black spots.

The bad leopard has red spots. If you see the bad leopard, you must say, 'Die, leopard, die, or I'll kick you in the eye,' and run like anything. Do you understand?"

"Oh, no," said Anthea. "I'm going this way. If you want to go down Leopard Walk, you'll have to go on your own. I'll meet you at the other end.

Remember, if it's got red spots, run like crazy."

"Did you see the bad leopard?"

"No," said Robin, but he didn't look too sure.

"Why were you running, then?"

"I just wanted to."

"You've dropped Doggy," said Anthea. Doggy lay on the path with his legs in the air, halfway down Leopard Walk.

"You get him," said Robin.

"No, you get him," said Anthea. "I'll wait here." Robin moved off reluctantly.

leopard, die, or I'll kick you in the eye'?" Anthea demanded.

"No," Robin said guiltily.

"Then he'll kill us," said Anthea. "Come on, run. We've got to get to that tree.

He can't hurt us once we're under that tree."

"What's a python?" asked Robin, backing off.

"Oh, it's just a big snake that squeezes people to death," said Anthea. "A python could easily eat a leopard. That's why leopards won't walk under this tree, you see, Robin."

"Yes, but it won't if we walk on our heels." They walked on their heels to the next corner.

"Are there leopards down there?"

"No, but we must never go down there anyway. That's Poison Alley. All of the trees are poisonous. They drip poison. If one bit of poison fell on your head,

you'd die."

"I've got my hat on," said Robin, touching the tassel to make sure.

"It would burn right through your hat," Anthea assured him. "Right into your brains. Fzzzzzzz."

"What's that?"

"That's the Fever Pit. If anyone lifts that manhole cover, they get a terrible disease. There's this terrible disease down there, Robin, and if the lid comes off, the disease will get out, and people will die. I think there's enough disease down there to kill everybody in this town. It's very loose—look."

"Don't lift it! Don't lift it!" Robin screamed, and ran to the shelter for safety.

"Don't go in there," yelled Anthea. "That's where the Greasy Witch lives."

Robin bounced out of the shelter as though he was a rubber band.

"Where's the Greasy Witch?"

"Oh, you can't see her," said Anthea, "but you can tell where she is because she smells so horrible. I think she must be around somewhere. Can't you smell her now?"

"And she leaves oily marks wherever she goes. Look—you can see them on the wall."

"The smell's getting worse, isn't it, Robin? I think we'd better go down here,

and then she won't find us."

"She'll see us."

"No, she won't. She can't see with her eyes because they're full of grease.

She sees with her ears, but I expect they're all waxy. She's a filthy old witch,

really."

"Is the Greasy Witch down here?" asked Robin fearfully.

"I don't know," said Anthea. "Let's investigate." They tiptoed around the side of the shelter. The path was damp and slippery. "Filthy old witch. She's certainly been here," said Anthea. "I think she's gone now. I'll just take a look."

"Frightful Corner," said Anthea. Robin put his cautious head around the edge of the shelter.

"What's that?"

"It's a Bathroom Demon," she said. "Quick! We've got to get away before the water stops, or he'll get us."

and it was almost time for lunch.

with Robin dangling from her hand and Doggy dangling from Robin's hand.

Mom took her into the living room, closing the door. Anthea sat on the stairs and listened. Auntie Lynn was in full throat and furious, so it was easy enough to hear what she had to say.

"I want a word with that young lady," said Auntie Lynn. "And I want to know what she's been telling him." Her voice dropped, and Anthea could hear only certain fateful words: "Leopards . . . poison trees . . . snakes . . . diseases!"

"Won't go to bed unless I leave the door open . . . wants the light on . . . up and down to him all night . . . won't go to the bathroom on his own. He says the—the—," she said, hesitating, "the bathroom demons will get him. He almost broke his neck running downstairs this morning."

"Frightened out of his wits! He follows me everywhere."

"Let's go to the park," he said.

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