Read Mr Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire for Free Online Page A

with Mr Gum and Billy William tied firmly to Jake’s furry back. When finally theyreached the top of the cliff Alan Taylor cleared his throat to make a speech and also to get rid of a whelk that had got in there.
    â€˜Polly,’ he began, ‘if it weren’t for you I never would have discovered the true meaning of friendship .’
    â€˜Eh?’ said Polly in surprise.
    â€˜It’s true,’ said Alan Taylor, holding up a small shiny object for all to see. ‘For you gave me this fifty pence piece, though it was all the moneyyou had in the world. And as I lay in bed feeling sorry for myself I realised it is friendship that is important in life, not money.’
    He handed Polly back her coin and then continued.
    â€˜Now,’ he speeched. ‘Time to do something I should have done a long time ago. This –’ he said, holding up the biscuit tin, ‘this has brought me only misery and it’s stopped me from seeing what true friends are, and things like that.’
    And before anyone could stop him he took the lid off the tin and flung its contents into the wind. Everyone watched in awe as the money tumbled out and went flying over the ocean like expensive seagulls.

    All those millions. It seemed to take forever but eventually Alan Taylor was left with an empty biscuit tin – and something else. For a moment Polly couldn’t think what it was but then she understood.
    Why,
she thought,
I never once seen him smilin’ before! Not a proper smile from the heart.
    For a great burden seemed to have fallen from Alan Taylor’s shoulders. As the sun came out, he grinned from ear to ear and he looked to Polly like the richest man alive.

Chapter 10
The Spirit of the Rainbow
    A ll of a sudden Mr Gum and Billy William started straining at their ropes and trying to escape, their faces pale with fright.
    â€˜It’s h-him,’ stuttered Mr Gum, pointing to a great haystack he could have sworn hadn’tbeen there a moment earlier. A little boy was climbing out of it, laughing with delight, and as he approached the last of the clouds seemed to disappear from the sky.
    And now, a lovely warm feeling came over Polly as if someone were baking lasagne in her veins. She felt that all the wrongs of the world would be righted and all the rights of the world would carry on being right and perhaps become even more right somehow. She looked at AlanTaylor and Friday and saw they felt it too.
    â€˜Spirit of the Rainbow!’ laughed Polly, clapping her hands. ‘Can it really be you?’
    â€˜Yes, child,’ he said, though he was no older than she. ‘You and your friends have done well and learned lessons. Once more the world is glowing with happy colours.’

    â€˜Sir, we have never met before,’ said Alan Taylor with a respectful bow. ‘Yet you seem familiar, as if I have seen you in brief moments of happiness.’
    â€˜It may be so,’ replied the Spirit of the Rainbow with his honest mouth. ‘For whenever a baby dribbles with joy, I am there. Whenever a cat jumps into a cardboard box and makes everyone laugh, I am there. Whenever someone blows a bubble and it rises on the wind anddoesn’t pop for ages, I am there. And now, old man,’ he said, turning to Friday, ‘look around this cliff top for I believe there are plants of healing to be found which will ease your wounded legs.’
    Looking around Friday saw a clump of enormous green dock leaves which he could have sworn hadn’t been there a moment earlier. He rubbed them on his legs and instantly the angry white blisters were gone and his legs were better than ever and not so hairy.
    Then the Spirit of the Rainbow turned to address the robbers.
    â€˜Robbers,’ he began earnestly, ‘when will you realise that the world is a place of harmony and getting along with people? For your greed has undone you and now –’
    â€˜Spirit! ’called a voice from over