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Nanny Piggins.
    ‘We’re supposed to be launching the space shuttle this Saturday,’ explained Peter, ‘but we’re going to look pretty silly, with the whole world’s media watching, if we can’t even turn the engines on.’
    ‘So you want me to come and put on a tap dancing show to distract them?’ guessed Nanny Piggins.
    ‘No,’ said Peter. ‘We were wondering if you could help us fix the space shuttle?’
    ‘Of course! Why didn’t you say so?’ said Nanny Piggins. ‘I’ll just have to pop home and pack some cake.’
    ‘No need,’ said Peter. ‘When I knew we were going to try to recruit you, I took the liberty of hiring a team of pastry chefs to be on stand-by at all times.’
    ‘This is why you were such a great assistant,’ praised Nanny Piggins.

    And so Nanny Piggins, Boris and the children were flown out to Houston to see if they could rescue thespace program. But when they arrived at NASA they were not given the welcome they’d been expecting.
    ‘When you said you knew a flying pig who might be able to help,’ yelled the head of NASA, ‘I thought you were talking metaphorically!’
    ‘Oh no,’ said Nanny Piggins. ‘When they say I am a flying pig, they mean I am a flying pig. I won’t stand for false advertising.’
    ‘We can’t let a pig into the space shuttle!’ raged the head of NASA. ‘It is a scientifically controlled environment.’
    ‘It’s all right, I am prepared for the worst,’ said Nanny Piggins. ‘I know astronauts have terrible body odour. But I have a strong will, so I will tolerate it.’
    ‘What choice do we have, sir?’ reasoned Peter. ‘Nobody else has been able to fix the problem.’
    The head of NASA considered this. They had tried everything short of turning to circus animals, and he was desperate. ‘All right, but let’s assemble a topnotch team of experts to work with her, so they can watch her like a hawk.’
    ‘No need,’ said Nanny Piggins. ‘I’ve brought my own team.’
    ‘Where?’ asked the head of NASA, trying to look around Boris and the children to see if there were any top scientists behind them that he had not noticed.
    ‘Derrick is in charge of supplies,’ explained Nanny Piggins (which, to her mind, meant cake), ‘Samantha is in charge of taking down notes,’ continued Nanny Piggins (which, to her mind, meant taking down orders for cake), ‘and Michael is second-in-command for both supplies and taking down notes – he’s very versatile.’
    ‘And I suppose next you’ll be telling me your bear is of vital scientific importance,’ said the head of NASA sarcastically.
    ‘Oh yes, he is the morale officer,’ said Nanny Piggins. ‘If we can’t work out your problem right away, he will be in charge of cheering us all up by doing a little ballet.’
    ‘This is ridiculous – I am not letting a pig, three children and a dancing bear get into the space shuttle – it is a multi-billion dollar piece of space exploration technology.’
    ‘If you don’t let me fix it for you,’ said Nanny Piggins, ‘it’s a multi-billion dollar paperweight.’
    ‘She’s right, sir,’ agreed Peter. ‘What have you got to lose?’
    ‘My dignity, my respected place in the scientific community, my position as head of NASA,’ said the head of NASA.
    ‘Pish!’ said Nanny Piggins. ‘Who cares aboutsilly things like that? Now, has anyone got a crowbar and a wrench they can lend me so I can sort this problem out? I’d like to get on with it so I can get home in time to see The Young and the Irritable .’

    And so the head of NASA went to sulk in his office, while Nanny Piggins, Boris and the children were led away to the space shuttle. They had to put on orange jumpsuits before they were allowed inside, which delighted Nanny Piggins.
    ‘What a brilliant idea to wear a jumpsuit over your clothes,’ she enthused. ‘Now if any of my chocolate falls out of my pockets, it will gather around the elasticated ankles and not be lost.’
    Nanny