Rating: 4/5
** spoiler alert ** Danny lives with his father in a small, rickety caravan. I think it is rather clever, for the caravan is based on the caravan which was in Roald Dahl’s garden. His mother died at childbirth. His father, a wonderful, sparky young chap, seemed completely normal. But not until later on did Danny realise that he was breaking the law.
Not disobeying the ‘law-law’, but disobeying animal cruelty orders. Quite a long time ago, poaching pheasants – or poaching anything, to be frank – was highly illegal. But William couldn’t resist the temptation of the roasted pheasant. He crept out into the woods, which was an hour and a half away, when he was sure Danny would not wake.
But it’s one of those days when he did. He wasn’t sure where his father was. He wasn’t in the workshop by the filling-station fixing up the Baby Austin, a car they had been working on. He wasn’t in his top bunk, either. Danny called all round, up the streets, through the farm, and shouted to passing neighbours. But they did not know where he was or didn’t hear him. It was looking like it was all dead to Danny.
Then he saw his father, walking back from Hazell’s Wood, an hour and a half away. He saw him coming through the gap in the hedge in the tiny distance, and saw him making his way up the road. He dashed towards him – he couldn’t wait for such a long time – and questioned him and asked him and persuaded him to tell him what he had done up in the wood so far away.
“Poaching pheasants,” he replied flatly; “Don’t tell anyone, Danny. It’s a real major thing, that. Illegal – but I don’t think I can resist that wonderful taste of… roasted pheasant. Delicious.”
Danny soon forgives him, and therefore decides to poach with him. They come up with a marvellous sleeping plan to kill them all – every one of the 200 pheasants, so that the Shooting Party won’t be able to shoot the pheasants. Then miserable old bucket Mr. Victor Hazell won’t be shaking his finger anymore!
But will a disaster strike..?
Great read, interesting and funny, hilarious and so stickstriking I could not put it down!