The Big Book of Old Tom Read online

  For Kersti Elliott

  This paperback bind-up edition of Old Tom, Old Tom at the Beach, Old Tom Goes to Mars, Old Tom’s Guide to Being Good and A Friend for Old Tom published in 2014

  ‘Old Tom’ reproduced with permission by Penguin Group (Australia)

  Copyright © Old Tom, Leigh Hobbs 1994

  Copyright © Old Tom at the Beach, Leigh Hobbs 1995

  Copyright © Old Tom Goes to Mars, Leigh Hobbs 1997

  Copyright © Old Tom’s Guide to Being Good, Leigh Hobbs 1998

  Copyright © A Friend for Old Tom, Leigh Hobbs 2008

  Copyright © new illustrations, The Big Book of Old Tom, Leigh Hobbs 2014

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or ten per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.

  Allen & Unwin

  83 Alexander Street

  Crows Nest NSW 2065

  Australia

  Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100

  Email: [email protected]

  Web: www.allenandunwin.com

  A Cataloguing-in-Publication entry is available from the National Library of Australia

  www.trove.nla.gov.au

  ISBN 978 1 74331 844 7

  eISBN 978 1 95253 326 6

  Cover design by Sandra Nobes & Leigh Hobbs

  Text design by Leigh Hobbs & Marina Messiha and Jo Hunt at Penguin Design Studio

  Prelim and endmatter design by Sandra Nobes

  CONTENTS

  Old Tom

  Old Tom at the Beach

  Old Tom Goes to Mars

  Old Tom’s Guide to Being Good

  A Friend for Old Tom

  Angela Throgmorton lived alone and liked it that way. One day, while doing some light dusting, she heard a knock at the door.

  There, on her front step, was a baby monster.

  Angela was curious, so she carried him in …

  and brought him up.

  Angela had never fed a baby before, and what a strange big baby he was!

  She called him ‘Old Tom’.

  Old Tom grew up very quickly. In fact, it wasn’t long before he outgrew his playpen.

  And when he did, Angela gave him the spare room. It was all clean and neat.

  Angela taught Old Tom how to behave.

  ‘Sit up straight!’ she would say.

  ‘Elbows off the table.’

  ‘Not too much on your fork.’

  ‘Chew with your mouth closed.’

  There was so much to learn.

  But Old Tom loved bath time most of all, when he could splash about and make a mess

  He always liked to look his best…

  especially when he went out to play.

  At first, Angela ignored Old Tom’s childish pranks.

  After all, she had things to do and dishes to wash.

  But her heart sank when someone forgot his manners.

  Old Tom tried to be good…

  though sometimes he was a bit naughty.

  ‘Aren’t you a little too old for such things?’

  Angela Throgmorton often asked.

  As the months went by, Angela tried to keep the house tidy.

  It wasn’t easy, as Old Tom seemed to be everywhere.

  There was no doubt about it,

  he was a master of disguise.

  Sometimes Angela heard strange noises coming from the kitchen,

  and whenever she had guests, Old Tom would drop in unannounced.

  Old Tom was out of control.

  ‘When will you grow up?’ Angela often muttered under her breath.

  Sometimes Old Tom went for a little walk to the letterbox.

  But Angela thought it best that he stay inside.

  ‘You mustn’t frighten the neighbours,’ she would say.

  When babies came to visit …

  Old Tom loved to play.

  ‘Heavens, what’s that in the pram with my baby!’ cried one of Angela’s friends during afternoon tea one day.

  It was Old Tom, of course.

  Angela was extremely embarrassed.

  By now, Angela was having trouble sleeping.

  Her nerves were shattered,

  and Old Tom’s fur had given her dreadful hayfever.

  When she finally did fall asleep, Old Tom was often in her dreams.

  Angela longed for the good old days, when her home was in order …

  with everything in its place.

  Whenever it was time to help with the dishes, Old Tom felt sick.

  He liked to sleep in, and enjoy a late breakfast on Angela's favourite armchair.

  Angela was fed up.

  Old Tom had to go.

  ‘At last I have the house to myself!’ cried Angela Throgmorton.

  It was a bold move,

  but Angela thought it for the best.

  Now she was free to scrub … and polish, sweep and mop.

  With Old Tom gone, her house would be spick and span once more.

  By now Old Tom was in town,

  where there were places to see and people to meet.

  In a pet shop nearby, he found new friends to play with.

  Some had feathers and one had fins.

  But Fluffy the puppy was Old Tom’s favourite.

  In the cinema next door the film had just started.

  When Old Tom wandered in …

  he was mistaken for a monster on the screen.

  It was a wonderful surprise when Old Tom found Happyland.

  There were swings and slides,

  places to hide,

  children to play with …

  and an elephant to ride.

  Old Tom was having a lovely time.

  But not everyone was happy in Happyland.

  When darkness fell, Old Tom was alone.

  And when the storm came, he tried to be brave,

  even when the thunder boomed.

  For Old Tom there was no breakfast or lunch,

  or afternoon tea…

  while far away, Angela was alone in her clean tidy home.

  Old Tom tried and tried to find someone to play with.

  But he couldn’t find one friendly face.

  There was no fur on her floor, but Angela still couldn’t sleep.

  And neither could Old Tom.

  He had nowhere to go and nothing to eat,

  until at last he found food at the bottom of a bin,

  where he dreamt of his warm safe bed.

  Angela was worried sick.

  For poor Old Tom …

  the future looked bleak.

  Suddenly there was a news flash: ‘ORANGE FURRY MONSTER CAUGHT.’

  ‘That monster is my baby!’ cried Angela Throgmorton.

  In no time at all, she was off to the pound to rescue Old Tom.

  ‘Be quick!’ Angela shrieked.

  Inside his cage, Old Tom had just begun to cry,

  when suddenly he heard a big voice boom: ‘I’m here for my baby!’

  Angela was overjoyed.

  And so was Old Tom.

  Early one morning, Angela Throgmorton and Old Tom left home.

  They were off to the beach.

  It had taken hours to pack.

  Old Tom had never been to the beach before,

  and he was eager to see the
sights.

  Angela soon made herself comfortable.

  ‘Go and play,’ she said.

  ‘Don’t wander too far, and stay where I can see you.

  Most importantly…

  ‘BE GOOD!’

  Angela went to sleep immediately and Old Tom set off across the sand.

  Nearby was a castle,

  where he admired the view.

  Old Tom decided to dig for treasure.

  And, sure enough, he found lots straight away.

  All this work made Old Tom hot,

  so he ran to the ice-cream stand.

  ‘What flavour do you want?’ asked the ice-cream man rudely.

  Old Tom tried them all.

  The ice-creams were good, but the games looked better…

  Old Tom joined in.

  UP in the air,

  DOWN on the ground,

  and UP in the air again.

  People were startled by Old Tom’s strength.

  The sand was getting hot and the sun had gone to Old Tom’s head.

  Now was the time to test the water.

  At first it felt a little strange,

  but Old Tom soon floated like a leaf, far out to sea.

  He passed a friendly mermaid,

  and bounced above a whale,

  while Angela relaxed in the warm midday sun.

  Suddenly…

  Old Tom felt a nibble down below.

  His pants had disappeared.

  Adrift in an angry sea,

  Old Tom was hooked by a flipper,

  and hoisted high above the waves.

  ‘What have we here?’ asked Percy the Pirate.

  Old Tom was afraid, but only a little bit.

  The pirates soon made him feel welcome.

  Percy the Pirate gave Old Tom a hat and a telescope.

  It was Percy’s birthday,

  and the pirates were having a party.

  They danced and they sang.

  Pirates certainly knew how to have fun.

  Though, during the party,

  Percy the Pirate forgot his manners,

  then caused a commotion

  when he blew out the candles.

  Later, Old Tom climbed the crow’s nest,

  and through his telescope spied Angela dozing in the sun.

  Without warning the ship swayed.

  Poor Old Tom fell into the sea.

  He held his breath and sank beneath the waves.

  Then he tickled a monster,

  and saw a sea-beast wearing his pants. They fitted perfectly.

  When Old Tom ran out of air,

  he was tossed about by a friendly octopus,

  and delivered back to the beach.

  It had been a big day for Old Tom,

  and he needed a nap.

  Angela looked at her clock.

  It was time to go home.

  Old Tom had lost all his things,

  and someone was cross.

  A few days later,

  a mysterious box arrived.

  When Old Tom unwrapped his parcel,

  he found two flippers, one telescope and his favourite pirate hat.

  Then he taught Angela the Pirate Polka.

  One day, Angela Throgmorton saw a sweet little house for sale. ‘I must have it for my big baby’ she said.

  ‘Do you deliver?’ she asked.

  ‘Of course, madam,’ came the reply.

  ‘Good, then I’ll take it.’

  Soon afterwards, Old Tom’s little house arrived.

  ‘I’ve a surprise for you, Old Tom,’ said Angela, interrupting his late-afternoon nap.

  ‘It’s called a playhouse.

  You can keep all your things in there.’

  Old Tom loved surprises, and this one was very special.

  There were buttons and levers and dials and switches.

  So Old Tom pressed,

  and pushed,

  and turned,

  and fiddled.

  ‘This little house could do with a clean,’ said Angela Throgmorton.

  So she dusted

  and swept,

  sponged, and scrubbed.

  She was certainly fussy

  when it came to her cleaning.

  And it was while she was wiping

  that Angela discovered Old Tom had a secret.

  He had found a map, and was going to Mars.

  Angela tried to change Old Tom’s plans.

  She thought a nice story might distract him.

  But his mind was made up.

  Old Tom was off to outer space.

  So Angela decided to help.

  She made pretty curtains,

  and sewed a special cushion for his trip.

  She even made smart striped awnings in case Old Tom flew too close to the sun.

  ‘What an improvement,’ said Angela,‘even if I do say so myself.’

  Angela baked a cake for Old Tom’s journey,

  and his favourite biscuits too.

  Helping in the kitchen made Old Tom tired.

  So he relaxed a little, and thought about his trip.

  He couldn’t wait to meet a Martian, and make new Martian friends.

  And if they made him King of Mars …

  he could eat and drink …

  everything that he wanted.

  Just then a Martian spoke, and Old Tom woke up.

  ‘I wouldn’t mind some help around the house!’ it said.

  So while Angela cleaned up someone’s mess,

  Old Tom assembled his essential Mars survival kit.

  Angela had made Old Tom a splendid space suit.

  ‘You can wear this on Mars.

  Try it on now!’

  ‘And here’s a lovely helmet to go with it!’

  ‘You look wonderful!’ said Angela, as she wiped away a little tear.

  In the evening, Old Tom did some last-minute packing,

  and then got ready for bed.

  ‘You’ll need a good night’s sleep if you’re off to Mars tomorrow,’ snapped Angela Throgmorton.

  For once, Old Tom did what he was told.

  But Angela tossed and turned all night.

  After breakfast, she reminded Old Tom to be careful,

  then farewelled her brave little spaceman.

  It was time for him to go.

  ‘Don’t forget your lunch!’ said Angela Throgmorton.

  She was already missing him terribly,

  when suddenly Angela spied spot she hadn’t scrubbed.

  So she scampered up a ladder …

  as Old Tom prepared for blast off.

  At last the time had come!

  He turned his dials and pressed his buttons.

  With a bang and a roar and a flash, Old Tom left earth,

  bound for Mars at last.

  Old Tom’s essential Mars survival kit rolled about

  as he activated the extra thruster to escape earths gravity.

  As Old Tom shot through the sky,

  he peered out for one last look,

  and saw something frightful.

  Old Tom was not alone.

  Angela Throgmorton was Mars-bound too.