Leo the Brave

Tony ducked deeper into the shadow of the bush and watched the entrance with trepidation. It didn’t take long for him to see George the Quick-Tempered and Gregory come out of the dark building. His heart was beating fast, but the two of them were not interested in their surroundings. They had just unanimously allied themselves against Rudolph and were talking to each other in loud, agitated voices.

“Ha, your Leo!” cried Gregory. “I guess he’s not infallible after all!”

“Excuse me?” snorted George the Quick-Tempered. “Don’t you dare call my poor childhood friend Leo the Brave—who died far too young—a liar.”

“I didn’t!” said Gregory defensively. “But maybe he misunderstood the bowling and sailing thing!”

“Misunderstood?” thundered George the Quick-Tempered. “If my childhood friend Leo the Brave assured me that bowling comes from sailing, then you can put garlic on it being true!”

I’d rather not! Tony thought.

Gregory cleared his throat. “But we could give it a try, the rolling thing!”

“What? You want me to defy the memory of my childhood companion—Dracula bless him! Never, never!”

Outraged, George the Quick-Tempered rose into the air and, puffing loudly, flew off.

“Stop! Wait!” shouted Gregory, swinging himself up into the air as well.

Tony was relieved to see their figures getting smaller and smaller, until the night sky had swallowed them up completely.

“George with his stupid Leo!” A hoarse voice came out of nowhere next to Tony.

Startled, Tony turned around, but it was only the little vampire who had sneaked up on him unnoticed.

“Next time, George will also roll the ball. And then he’ll say Leo the Brave told him that a hundred years ago!” the vampire growled. “But it was my idea to roll it!”

“Yours?” said Tony, surprised.

“Let’s not quarrel over details,” the vampire replied majestically. “We should celebrate my victory!”

Tony pressed his lips together angrily and said nothing. He hadn’t expected Rudolph to thank him, but the way he was now simply twisting the facts made him just as bad as George the Quick-Tempered!