As soon as their two little heads poked out of the tunnel, they saw it!
Only they didn’t recognise it at first. They were looking for a tree with cat-or-dog feet. And this was something quite different – as you know, because what they saw looked very like you. Only a lot bigger.
Their weak little eyes were almost dazzled by the bright sunlight. But standing just a little way away was a – well, what could they call it? A Thing.
A monster. They had never seen or dreamt of anything half as big, awful and scary.
“Is that one?”
“It must be!”
“It’s not – it’s not big like I thought!” crackled Harry.
“No!” George crackled back. “It’s worse!”
The Hoo-Min came towards their tunnel. They shrank back into it.
The huge feet thumped the ground, which shook and trembled. The two centis cowered down. One foot slammed right down over the hole, shutting out the light. For a second there was darkness. Then the foot lifted and the light shone in again.
The thumping got fainter as the Hoo-Min walked away.
George and Harry cautiously lifted their heads above the ground and watched it go.
“It – it makes the mole-cricket look like an ant!”
“I bet even hairy biters and belly-crawlers are scared of Hoo-Mins!”
Then George said something unbelievable.
“Let’s follow it!”
Harry let out a great crackle. “ARE YOU CRAZY?”
“Its eyes must be in that round part at the top. How could it see us? It’s so far up from us. Let’s just run after it and see what it does!”
And without waiting for Harry, George scurried out of the tunnel and took off on all his forty-two legs, after the Hoo-Min.
