The Pi Sisters at Malory Towers

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE: THEY ESCAPE!!

'Goodnight, girls,' said Matron, shutting the door to the San.

'Goodnight Matron,' the Pi Sisters said in feigned sleepy tones. Tonight was their time for escaping, and they were not going to sleep no matter what.

When Matron left the room, the Pi Sisters immediately got out of bed and started putting on layers of clothing.

'No point in trying to look fashionable, Fanny,' sneered Doris. 'We have to be practical about this and stay as warm as possible, even if it means that we look like overbundled snowmen!'

Soon, the girls were finished dressing. Quietly, they tiptoed out of the San, and slipped out of the side door leading to the stables. They made a quick dash into the big barn where all the horses were sleeping.

'Heavens!' exclaimed Doris in fright, looking at the enormity of the beast in front of her. 'This horse must have eaten some steroids in his slop to swell to such a demonic size!'

'Yes,' said Fanny, shivering with fright. 'Let's find a normal-sized horse, shall we? I simply can't think of riding atop such a monstrous beast.'

After examining all the horses in the pens, they finally reached a pair of old donkeys.

'Well, this horse looks normal,' breathed Doris with relief. 'We'll take these.'

'They're still awfully frightening!' whimpered Fanny.

A swift kick from Doris silenced her, and the girls led the donkeys out of the stables. Gingerly, they mounted their backs (taking three tries each to do so), and started pulling their reins in the direction of their Auntie Nigella's house. Initially, the donkeys complied with the twins, but soon got tired of their constant kicking and screeching. They weren't used to such fussy riders, and being treated so badly!

One donkey had an idea near Farmer John's muddy marsh. He reared back, causing Fanny to scream with fright, and then calmly tipped her into the muddy ditch.

Doris tittered. 'Golly, you're going to look like a fright when we reach Auntie Nigella's. Mummy always did tell me I was the well-groomed one.'

But Doris's laughs were soon to be cut short! Her donkey, deciding that his friend had done a rather good thing by tipping his annoying rider, reared back and tipped Doris into the very same ditch. Alas, both Pi Sisters were soon howling in agony and were completely dripping with mud.

'Do let's try and get out of this miserable ditch,' grunted Doris.

'I – I can't,' whispered Fanny. 'I think I've twisted my ankle.'

Doris, not wanting Fanny to steal all the attention with her twisted ankle, made up an injury of her own.

'Now that you've mentioned it, I think that my ribcage is cracked,' she cried in fake desperation.

And so the Pi Sisters waited hours in the ditch until the sun rose, just because of Doris's drama and obstinacy!

Back at school, the girls' disappearance was discovered in the morning. Matron had entered the san to give Doris and Fanny their dose of black tonic, and had found two empty beds. The stable-boy had also reported two missing donkeys, so the whole school soon knew the basic details of the Pi Sisters' escapade.

'Golly,' said Alicia. 'I don't like those two at all, but I can't help wondering where they are. And fancy taking donkeys instead of horses! What ninnies.'

WHEN WILL THE PI SISTERS BE FOUND? READ ON TO FIND OUT!