Harry and Jonny the Spider

go to Rosemarkie

by

Uncle John Bonthron

(with lots of help from Auntie Margaret)

Jonny’s Secret Plan

Jonny the Spider’s full name was Jonathan Tickler Spider and he

lived in Harry’s big house in Auchterarder. Jonny was very small but

had long legs and very tickly feet.

One day Jonny the Spider was looking out the window, watching for

Grandma coming to take Harry to Rosemarkie. Harry wanted to make

sand castles on the beach. Jonny did not want to be left behind and

the little spider had a secret plan.

‘Harry, Grandma Judy is here,’ said Mummy, ‘be a good boy and do as

your told.’

‘Are you ready, Harry?’ said Grandma. ‘Do you have Twin Ted and all

your toys in your rucksack?’

Jonny threw out a web line and dropped from his hiding place on top

of the curtain, ran across the carpet on his long thin legs, and

climbed up into Harry’s rucksack.

On the Train

Jonny the Spider peeked out from the top of the rucksack. There

were sheep everywhere and Jonny wondered what it would be like to

live in a sheep’s warm woolly coat.

The Conductor with a name badge “Tom” asked to see their tickets.

‘I’m going to Rosemarkie to make sand castles. But Jonny is staying

at home.’

‘Is Jonny your brother?’ asked Tom.

‘No, silly, he’s my spider.’

‘Your spider! Do you know spiders travel free on trains?’

‘Yes, just like me. Jonny’s only little but I’m nearly four.’

The train arrived at the station and Tom’s voice said from the

overhead speaker:

“Dear passengers, we arrive soon in Inverness where this train

terminates.

‘Please take all your belongings and spiders with you when you leave

this train.”

‘Grandma, did Jonny come with us?’

‘Who’s Jonny?’

‘Jonny the Spider, don’t you know anything, Grandma.’

‘Oh that Jonny. No, Jonny’s a house spider, he wouldn’t like the

seaside, it’s too wet and sandy.’

‘Well I think Jonny would like it. He likes running about in my

bathroom, and it's wet in there, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, especially when you splash about it is.

‘Come on, Harry, time to get our bus to Rosemarkie.’

On the Bus

The bus driver was a lady with a badge which said “Amy”.

‘Hello, off on your holidays young man?’

‘Yes, thanks. I’m going to make sand castles. And I’m going to ride my

bike too.’

‘Your bike? Got it in that rucksack, have you, ha, ha?’

‘No, silly, Papa has it at his caravan. Are there spiders at the

seaside?’

‘Yes, but they have to watch out that the crabs don’t eat them, ha,

ha.’

‘I told you Grandma, we should have brought Jonny.’

‘Who’s Jonny?’ asked Amy.

‘He’s my spider, from my house, in Auchterarder.’

‘Right, I’ve got it now - Jonny the Spider from Auchterarder. Did

you know that spiders travel free on this bus?’

‘Yes, just like me. Jonny’s only little but I’m nearly four.’

‘OK everyone, time to get going,’ said Amy. Remember to fasten your

seat belts.’

Jonny sees the Dolphins

Amy’s bus was zooming across a long bridge. Jonny the Spider

looked out from the rucksack. Far away in the distance, near a

lighthouse, dolphins were leaping out of the water. Jonny wondered

what it would be like to ride on a dolphin’s back and twirl over and

over and land with a huge plop.

‘WATCH OUT’ shouted Amy, standing hard on her brakes and

peeping her horn.

‘What was that?’ said Grandma.

‘It was an elephant called Frank who escaped from a circus and ran

away to the seaside,’ invented Harry. ‘Amy had to stop the bus hard

to miss him.’

‘Sorry about that, is everybody all right?’ called Amy.

‘Yes, thanks,’ everyone shouted back.

‘Here we are at Rosemarkie folks, safe and sound. Remember to take

all your things Harry, especially your spider, ha, ha.’

‘Did we bring Jonny, Grandma?’

‘No, Harry. Jonny’s a house spider. He wouldn’t like the salty sea or

the wet sand.’

Jonny meets Eric Fat Claw

At the caravan Papa Paul was waiting for them. Harry put on his

helmet and zoomed his bike along to see if Uncle John and Auntie

Margaret had arrived, but their space was still empty. Jonny was

hiding inside Harry’s helmet and saw everything.

‘Harry, let’s make sand castles,’ whispered Jonny, tickling Harry’s

ear.

‘Jonny, so you are here after all,’ said Harry.

‘But don’t tell anyone I’m here,’ whispered Jonny, ‘or they might lock

me up, OK?’

‘OK, Johnny.’

‘Grandma, let’s make sand castles. Grandma, Grandma, let’s make

sand castles, now.’

They had made nine sand castles when Grandma said:

‘Look, Harry, Uncle John and Auntie Margaret are here.’

Jonny the Spider decided to stay on the beach with the sand castles

and dropped down off Harry’s shoulder.

When he was sure he was alone Jonny ran over the wet sand to

watch the waves.

‘HOY YOU! Yes you, spider boy. Get off my beach, will you! We don’t

allow spiders here, unless they are sea shore spiders, then we eat

them.’

‘Well, you’d better not eat me, or Harry will get you! Who are you

anyway?’

‘Me? Me? Everyone knows ME! I’m Eric Fat Claw, the King of

Rosemarkie beach. This whole beach is mine, all the way from the

swing park over there, right round to the White Lighthouse where

the Dolphins are. Now spider boy buzz off, do you hear. NOW!’

Eric the Crab snapped his huge fat claw at Jonny who ran away, back

to the safety of Harry’s caravan and climbed up onto the top of the

curtains for a rest.

Later that night Jonny was wakened by the sound of Harry laughing

and giggling. Someone was tickling him. It was Uncle John,

pretending to be a tickling spider.

Jonny the Spider yawned and zzzz’d off back to sleep. He was

exhausted. It had been a long, busy and scary day for the little

spider.

Harry and Jonny meet Rocco

Harry was pedalling hard along the narrow track heading from

Rosemarkie to Avoch. Jonny was hiding in Harry’s helmet and could

see everything. Coming out along the track towards them was a lady

with a small brown dog. Harry stopped to let them pass.

‘Is that a Labrador? I’m getting a puppy called Hamish Jonathan

soon.’

‘This is Rocco, he’s a Border Terrier.’

‘Can he get off his lead to run after a ball?’

‘No, Rocco has to stay on his lead or he runs away, chasing after

deer.’

‘Are they Santa’s deer?’

‘Maybe they are. I’m not sure. My eyesight is not good.’

‘Jonny has good eyes, he’s my spider.’

‘You have a toy spider?’

‘No, silly, he’s a real spider, from my house, which is far, far away, in

Auchterarder.’

‘Good. I don’t like spiders. They make me scream.’

‘Because they tickle you?’

‘Yes, something like that. Oh, here’s your Grandma. Bye-bye.’

Jonny goes to Sea

Harry and his grandparents went off to Uncle John and Auntie

Margaret’s caravan for dinner.

Jonny the Spider slipped out after them and ran across the grass

onto the beach. It was windy and the waves were high, crashing onto

the shore and wetting the sand.

Jonny climbed onto a big rock to get a good view. There were people

launching their canoes and kayaks nearby.

A hairy dog which looked like a giant sheep was chasing a stick into

the water, swimming through the waves to grab it in his teeth.

‘HOY, YOU, SCRAM! I told you before, this is my beach,’ shouted

Eric Fat Claw.

He snapped his claw at Jonny who jumped off the rock to land on the

hairy dog and hide in her curly furry coat.

‘Right Tessa, FETCH!’ shouted a man, throwing a stick far out to sea.

The dog splashed into the water and swam out to the stick just as a

yellow canoe arrived, its paddle swishing into the water beside

Tessa.

Jonny saw his chance and jumped from Tessa’s nose onto the front

of the canoe and grabbed tight to the pointed end.

Now Jonny the Spider was riding high on the canoe, slicing through

the waves towards the White Lighthouse.

There was a large crowd near the White Lighthouse where the

Dolphins were leaping out of the water. A Dolphin swam near the

yellow canoe and Jonny jumped again to land on the Dolphin’s back.

Its skin was very slippy and Jonny had to hold on extra tightly.

‘Look Donna, you’ve got a spider on your back,’ shouted Ronnie

another Dolphin swimming nearby.

‘Oh, it’s too, too tickly,’ giggled Donna.

Donna dived deep and Jonny’s eyes filled with salty water, making

them sting. Donna flicked her powerful tail to jump up and out of the

sea again, twirling over to land with a huge “splosh”.

Jonny’s toes began to slip and he slid off Donna’s back just as a wave

came in and threw him onto the beach.

Jonny makes it back to Harry

Jonny landed at the feet of Rocco and his lady owner. Rocco was

sitting watching the Dolphins and did not see Jonny running across

the wet sand. Jonny climbed up his back and hid behind Rocco’s ear

where it was warm and dry.

Jonny was exhausted and fell fast asleep.

When he wakened it was nearly dark. He was still behind Rocco’s ear

but now Rocco was asleep in a tent and the lady was sitting outside

drinking a cup of tea, reading a book, using a head torch.

‘Right Harry,’ said Grandma, ‘say “nightie-nightie” to Auntie

Margaret and Uncle John. It’s time for us to head for bed.’

Jonny looked across the grass and saw Harry and his grandparents

walking past. Jonny ran to follow them into their caravan. When no

one was looking, he climbed up to the top of the curtains.

Jonny waited until Papa and Grandma were fast asleep, snoring.

‘Nightie-nightie, Harry James Ward,’ whispered Jonny.

‘Nightie-nightie, Jonathan Tickler Spider,’ whispered Harry.