Nick and Pat's Diary Chapter 8

Chapter 8

PAT'S FIRST BOOK

When I was very small, my parents read books to me in the evening. Nick could already read.

So he read to himself.

Then Mum started teaching me to read. When I became six, I could read too, but I didn't want to read books myself. I liked listen- ing to my parents.

One day Mum said to me: 'Pat, it's time to start reading yourself.

Look! I've got a beautiful book of funny stories for you.'

She gave me the book. It was very colourful. So I started looking at the pictures. Later Mum came up to me and asked:

'Do you like the book?'

I looked at Mum and answered:

'I like the pictures,' and added,

'Please, read it to me. I like how you change your voice. Your princesses have beautiful voices, your princes have brave voices and your witches have scary voices. I can't change my voice like you.'

'OK,' Mum agreed, 'but it's the last time.'So Mum read me the first three pages, and it was very interesting.

I asked her to go on, but she said she was very busy.

The next day I asked Mum to continue reading, but she said:

'No, dear, you must read yourself.'

'Why can't you read to me?'

I cried. 'Is it so difficult?'

'If it's easy, why can't you read yourself?' asked Mum.

'I told you why,' I answered an- girly. 'But if you have no time for me, I'll ask Dad.'

So I went to Dad and he agreed to read to me. Dad never changed his voice, so his stories sounded more boring than Mum's.

But I didn't want to read myself, so I was happy with Dad's voice.

He stopped at the sixth page. Later that night Mum talked to Dad.

They talked a long time. I couldn't hear the words, but I could hear their voices.

The next evening I ran to Dad and asked him to read the story up to the end. But, as soon as he opened his mouth and said a word,

I looked at him in horror.

'I'm sorry,' barked Dad in a strange voice, 'but I've got a sore throat. I can't read today.'

Then I tried to ask Mum, but she started coughing. It was strange.

Both my parents were ill. And Nick couldn't read to me because he had a lot of homework. So I went to bed without reading.