Just Woolly Trousers

Early next morning, Belle takes Terence and Hedley shopping.

We'll try Target, says Belle.

They go down the escalator to the children's clothing department.

Everyone, look for sheep shorts, says Belle.

She starts looking.

I'm not looking for sheep shorts, says Terence.

Me either, says Hedley. I'm looking for dinosaur shorts.

Me too, says Terence.

Maybe we should look for sheep shorts first, says Hedley. And if we see any we could hide them.

Good plan, says Terence.

So they're all looking for sheep shorts.

But there are no sheep shorts.

We'll have to try somewhere else, says Belle.

They go back up the escalator and out of the shop.

Hey, says Terence. There's Sweezus!

He'll be handing out flyers, says Belle.

Can I help him? asks Terence.

And me? asks Hedley.

Maybe after we've bought the sheep shorts, says Belle.

Found any? asks Sweezus.

Not yet, says Belle. But there's other shops we can try.

They can stay and help me hand out flyers, says Sweezus.

Yay! says Terence.

Hedley's mother mightn't like it, says Belle.

She would like it, says Hedley.

Okay, says Belle. It'll be way more efficient if I go by myself.

Sweezus gives Terence and Hedley each a handful of flyers.

Give these out, says Sweezus. But keep together.

Oh how cute! says the first person to be handed a flyer by Terence. What is this for?

A play, says Terence. We're both in it.

Candide, or What They Saw In The Country Of Eldorado, reads the person. 

We're playing the sheep, says Hedley. 

Sheep? says the person. I'd forgotten sheep were in it.

Yes, says Terence. We'll be wearing a red cardboard sheep's head and dumb old sheep shorts.

But we'd rather wear dinosaur shorts, says Hedley.

A costume needs to be appropriate, says the person. There wouldn't have been dinosaur shorts in those days.

What days? asks Hedley. Dinosaurs are a million years old.

I mean the days of Candide, says the person. It was written in 1758, if I remember. No dinosaur shorts around at that time, I imagine.

What about sheep shorts? asks Terence.

No sheep shorts either, says the person. 

Well, that's good news.

Just woolly trousers, adds the person.

Terence hopes Belle won't come back with woolly trousers.