…how an ordinary schoolgirl became an

INTERNET VOYAGER!

"Foodles... foodles... foodles... foodles..."

Dot's favourite word for when she was fed up - and had had ENOUGH! - echoed round Mopple Towers. She felt herself go pink with embarrassment. At her feet Wizzie gave a little yip and covered his eyes and his ears with his paws - a favourite trick when he wanted to do his "She's not with me" act (which he usually did when Dot was doing her 'Girls Aloud' impression!)

What was it she was supposed to ask for, to keep the squidglet? She just COULDN'T remember!

Then she heard a hoarse whisper behind her. It was Ron. "It's 'Permission To Remain' Dot" he said. " 'Permission To Remain' - go on, ask 'im! 'E won't bite ya!"

Dot cleared her throat and tried again. Old Hieronymus was still staring down at her, his face not moving at all.

"I would like to ask for Remission To Pertain for Callum, the squidglet!" she said in her loudest voice - and then realized what she'd said. Oh NO! She'd got it all wrong AGAIN!

There was another silence. Dot wanted to disappear into the ground - she felt more stupid than ever. But then, suddenly, one of the towers next to Old Hieronymus started to shake and tremble. And then - well there's only one way to say it really: it went "Tee-hee-hee-hee! Tee-hee-hee-hee! Tee-hee-hee-hee!"

It was giggling! And it just couldn't stop!

Dot stared at it with her mouth wide open. How could a tower be laughing?! But it was - she hadn't heard so much giggling since the time her friend Annie noticed Mr Manjula had come to school with two different shoes on and hadn't noticed. No-one else had either till Annie saw it when he was telling Dot's class about some sums on the board. Annie had had to go out in the end - she just couldn't stop herself!

Then, just as suddenly Dot heard another sound. "Hee hoo hee hoo hoo ha haa!" It was the tower next to the one that was giggling already - and this one was laughing so hard it was bouncing up and down.

And then, all eight of the towers were doing it! The funny thing was they all made different noises - tee-hees and ha-has and woof-woofs and even a heehoohaha sound! - but you could tell it was laughter right away. It looked so funny too, they were all jiggling about like jellies.

And all the time, Old Hieronymus just went on staring down at them.

The trouble was Dot could feel she was going to start giggling too. You know what it's like when someone's laughing away like that - you just cant stop yourself. And she couldn't!

And Ron and Deirdre couldn't either!

"Ho ho ho!" went Ron, snorting away through his funny squashed-up bulldog nose. "Hee hee hee hee!" went Deirdre, covering up her curved owl's beak with a tawny golden wing. Even Wizzie couldn't stop himself - he made that snuffling noise he does when he thinks something's really funny, only it went on and on. "Sorry Dot" he gasped between snuffles "but you should see your face!"

And now the laughter was spreading - looking back, giggling away, all Dot could see through the windows of the Mopple vans were laughing faces. Foxes, swans, penguins, even a bloodhound with a big sad old face - all having a good old chuckle. Some the Mopples were laughing so hard their vans were rocking from side to side!

Meanwhile Callum the squidglet - the cause of all the kerfuffle - had gone back to sleep again...!

Dot didn't dare look up at Old Hieronymus. He must be SO fed up she thought...

But he wasn't! Suddenly a booming noise came from the throne up the steps from where Dot was standing, a sort of "hooff hooff hooff" sound. Dot looked up, and yes - it was Old Hieronymus himself. And he was laughing his head off, his eyes behind the big round glasses twinkling away, his big white moustache going up and down, his feet in their big boots thumping on the floor of the throne. Dot thought he looked exactly like Santa Claus, only without the beard!

Just then the squidglet woke up. He moved around in Dot's hand. "Prrrrp?" he went, as if he wanted to know what was going on. He seemed quite comfortable now - no more of the squeaky moaning noises he'd been making only a few moments ago. Dot gave him a little stroke.

Ron peered round her shoulder at him. "Ah!" he said (Dot could hardly hear him with all the laughing going on round Mopple Towers.) "He's comfy again - must mean The Shield's off! Come on!"

And he led the way up the stairs towards Old Hieronymus, who'd just about stopped laughing - he was wiping his eyes with a big silver handkerchief, shaking his head and chuckling to himself "Remission To Pertain! Oh dear me! Oh dear me!"

Dot started walking up the steps again following Ron and Deirdre, who'd gone on ahead too. And now, with The Shield off, it was easy to go up the stairs - they didn't seem to get you nowhere and be just as far away from Old Hieronymus no matter how far you climbed. Well at least that's one problem solved, thought Dot.

But just as she got near the top step, the squidglet decided things were going a lot too slowly. Suddenly, with a quick "Prrrp!" he jumped out of Dot's hand, and before she could stop him, he'd hopped up the two steps left before Old Hieronymus' throne and went straight up to the see-through tube all round the Mopple leader's throne.

And stuck out a big pink tongue and - licked it!

FZISSH! Up went the tube - and up hopped the squidglet - right into Old Hieronymus' lap!

The squidglet looked at Old Hieronymus - and Old Hieronymus looked at the squidglet. The laughter all round Mopple Towers died down again. There was a pause.

Then -

"Oh - ZIBBLE!" went Old Hieronymus!