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Jack Pepper Conquers the Green Man
Jack Pepper Conquers the Green Man
Jack Pepper Conquers the Green Man
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Jack Pepper Conquers the Green Man

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‘Jack Pepper Conquers The Green Man’ is an exciting contemporary mystery story for young people. This is the fourth story in the series following on from ‘Jack Pepper and the Whitby Treasure,’ ‘Jack Pepper at Towton, and ‘Jack Pepper’s Greatest Triumph.’ These stories are works of fiction based on historical facts.
Jack, Grace, Emma, Ben and Lucy are ordinary 15 year old youngsters in the same class at their comprehensive school in Leeds. Matthew, Jack’s cousin, is in his final year at primary school, Dfor Dog is their mascot. They are rich after finding Roman treasure and nationally famous after discovering medieval battlefield relics from the terrible Battle of Towton 1461 and solving the mystery of Dick Turpin’s ghost whistle.
Jack receives a very mysterious ‘phone call from a weird old lady called Tabitha Demdike who demands that he and his friends go down to stay at her small Somerset coastal guest house. She wants him to find their missing medieval Green Man stone figure. This Green Man is supposed to hide and move around the village church. The dying words of the curate who last saw him 1814 said that the stone man smiled at him. Tabby thinks that Jack will find the Green Man, save the life of the present parson and discover who he really is.
Jack and his friends the Pepperites talk to old Williams their history teacher, research the Green Man stories and legends and discover that some of Tabitha’s ancestors were burnt for witchcraft in the notorious Kendal witch trials in the 17th century. Jack convinces his friends they can have the adventure of a lifetime, solve the Green Man mystery, save somebody’s life and also have a great day out in nearby Weston- Super-Mare.
At half-term, Jack’s dad hires a mini bus and arranges a three night stay for them at the Green Man guest house; there they meet old George, Parson John and his new wife Pixie. After an incredible adventure Jack finds the Green Man but is so horrified by his appearance that he nearly falls to his death. He recovers and very cleverly discovers the Green Man’s ancient secret which will be used for the future of the church.
They have an excellent day in Weston and save Dfor’s life when he is trapped in sinking mud. Working as a team the youngsters use their wits, humour, friendship and courage to solve their problems. They learn a great deal about themselves and Jack makes another astounding self- discovery.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherMartin Tarpey
Release dateMar 14, 2015
ISBN9781310328831
Jack Pepper Conquers the Green Man

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    Jack Pepper Conquers the Green Man - Martin Tarpey

    Jack Pepper Conquers the Green Man

    Martin Tarpey

    Copyright 2015 Martin Tarpey

    Smashwords Edition

    Smashwords Edition Licence Notes

    This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, the please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

    Table of Contents

    Chapter 1 – In the Beginning

    Chapter 2 – Green for Danger

    Chapter 3 – Lammas Tide

    Chapter 4 – Stranger and Stranger

    Chapter 5 – The Longest Journey

    Chapter 6 – The Green Man

    Chapter 7 – Gasbag George

    Chapter 8 – The Mysterious Pepper Pot

    Chapter 9 – Noisy Friends

    Chapter 10 – Parson John

    Chapter 11 – That’s What Dads Are For

    Chapter 12 – Jack’s Magnificent Hour

    Chapter 13 – The Gift of Ages

    Chapter 14 – What Next?

    Chapter 15 – Fun In The Sun

    Chapter 16 – That’s The Way To Do It

    Chapter 17 – A Tiny Welcome Home!

    Chapter 1 In the Beginning

    It all happened so quickly last Saturday morning and it changed Jack’s life forever. That telephone call altered everything. There was no going back. There never is.

    Jack Pepper was dozing in bed yawning and looking forward to a lazy day ahead. His dad was in the kitchen and the frizzled bacon aroma curling up the stairs told him that he was burning the breakfast again. The phone rang and his father shouted.

    ‘Get that Jack, will you, I’m busy cooking!’

    ‘That’ll be the fire brigade dad, they’ve seen blue smoke pouring out of the house. Don’t set yourself on fire!’ Jack laughed, as he tumbled out of bed to answer the upstairs phone.

    ‘Hello,’ he said, speaking into the receiver. But nobody answered, so he spoke again. ‘Hello.’ There was still no answer, but Jack could tell that there was somebody on the other end of the line.

    ’Who’s there?’ he said, but there was still no reply. A strange feeling suddenly swept over him as an old woman’s faint voice crept out of the phone.

    ‘Is that little Pepper?’ Jack was amazed, nobody had ever called him that before. He was puzzled and confused, was somebody playing a trick on him?

    ‘Who are you and what do you want?’ He asked loudly.

    ‘Don’t take that tone with me young man,’ cracked the tiny weak voice. ‘I want to speak to little Pepper, what’s his name, Jack, it says here in the papers I think, let me see, oh yes, Jack Pepper, that’s his name, yes, he’s the one. I’ve got a very important message for him.’

    ‘Well I’m Jack Pepper, please tell me who you are and what you want!’

    ‘Oh, you’re a little cross patch, are you? I see, well I want you to come down here and find our Green Man for me.’ Jack’s confusion was growing.

    ‘I don’t understand. Who are you? Where are you, who is the Green Man and why should I want to find him?’ The lady’s reply startled him.

    ‘I live in Somerset young man, by the sea and our Green Man’s been missing for hundreds of years, but you will find him for me, I know that. Surely you know something about the Green Man; he’s all over the country!’ Jack coughed and hesitated, he didn’t know what all this was about. The thin voice continued.

    ‘Look, if your father’s in the house, put him on, I’ll get more sense out of him than you.’

    ‘Why should I do that?’ asked Jack, who was becoming angry.

    ‘Because I want to prevent somebody from being killed and you need to find out who you are,’ whispered the trembling voice. ‘Put him on, I tell you. Make him to speak to me.’ Jack paled, this sounded serious.

    ‘Who are you? He asked cautiously.

    ‘Tell him that Tabitha Demdike will speak to him and tell him now.’ Jack was bewildered, but he put the ‘phone on the table and scampered downstairs. His dad was coming in from the garden, having just thrown out the burnt bacon for the birds.

    ‘Sorry about that Jack,’ smiled Phil to his son. ‘You have a go son; you’re a better cook than me. I was reading the paper and clean forgot all about the frying pan.’

    ‘Never mind that dad,’ said Jack. ‘Pick up the downstairs phone, and talk to this crackpot on the line. She says she’s ringing from Somerset and I’ve got to go down there to prevent somebody from getting killed and to find out who I am. She’s told me her name, but I couldn’t make sense of what she said. She sounds a nutcase to me!’ Phil looked at his son and told him not to worry; he would speak to this lady and sort it all out. He picked up the phone and began to talk while Jack slipped upstairs to replace the handset and get showered.

    His dad was still on the line when Jack came down twenty minutes later. The lad was confused. What was all this about? Of course he knew who he was, he was Jack Pepper; his picture was in all the papers and on television. He was now the famous Jack Pepper. Everybody knew that. What was this crazy old woman on about?

    And that was how it all started.

    His dad looked very serious when he came into the kitchen and switched the kettle on to make the breakfast coffee, Jack could tell that something important was happening.

    ‘What’s it all about Dad, what’s happening?’ Jack looked anxiously into his father’s eyes. His father always laid things on the line for him, they were always truthful and honest with each other. There was a great bond of love and trust between them which had grown particularly since his mother left them to live with someone else. Phil sat at the kitchen table as Jack made the coffee.

    ‘It’s all very odd Jack. I don’t know what to make of it. We have just been talking to a very strange old lady called Tabitha Demdike who keeps a small country seaside guest house in Somerset called ‘The Green Man’ She wants us all to go and stay there for a few days. She has a job for you.’

    ‘Yes, I know,’ interrupted Jack. ‘She’s going to tell me who I am. But is that before or after I save somebody’s life? And what’s all this about a Green Man who has been missing for centuries. He’ll be getting hungry by now I expect. But that makes three of us. Carry on talking dad while I make the breakfast, seeing that you have given up cooking,’ he joked. Phil Pepper leaned back in his chair admiring Jack’s ability as he got cracking with the bacon, eggs, beans and bangers. He spoke quietly.

    ‘A great deal has happened to you and your pals very quickly in the last few years Jack. It’s just the way it’s worked out. First there was the Whitby Treasure business when you saved Matthew’s life and discovered all that fabulous Roman gold, which made you all very rich and famous. Then you found those rare battlefield items from the Battle of Towton, and last Sunday you solved the mystery of Dick Turpin’s ghost whistle. The newspapers have called this ‘your greatest triumph.’ It seems that every time I switch on television I see photos of you all grinning and laughing as Lucy pulls horrible faces at Dfor dog while he’s playing with Matthew, Grace, Emma and Ben.’

    ‘Here you are dad, tuck into this lot and give your brain a rest,’ smiled Jack as he tipped up the frying pan and saucepan on to the two plates he had just warmed.

    ‘This is grand Jack,’ murmured Phil as he sliced up his crispy bacon before dipping it into his yellow runny egg and covering it with tomato sauce and beans and this banger’s lovely and tender. ‘You have a way with breakfasts Jack. I’ve always said so,’ he smiled and munched away as Jack sat down to eat.

    ‘Where was I? Oh yes, now I remember, so you’re all famous. Remember how that reporter asked you how it was possible for ordinary 15 year old youngsters to achieve so much. You said that you’re just ordinary for most of the time, but sometimes you’re all very special, then Lucy said,

    ‘And when we’re special, we’re really something else.’

    And now the whole world knows about you young lions from sunny Yorkshire. So what do you expect? They’ve even heard about you in some dark corners of rural Somerset. And from the sound of it the woman we’ve just spoken to lives in a very dark corner indeed, a black hole in fact. Eat your breakfast son we’ve a lot to talk about.’

    Jack could tell that his dad was about to go on and say that he didn’t like the sound of all this and that it was very strange and dangerous. Parents are like that, they don’t want their kids mixed up in things they don’t understand, they worry about them and want to keep them safe. Fair enough, Jack understood all this dad stuff and lived with it, but he was determined to get involved in this. It sounded exciting. But he didn’t want to upset his father who was looking him straight in the eye.

    ‘All right, I’ve tried my best son, but I guess you’ll do your own thing. What do you want me to do?’ Jack laughed. ‘Good old dad, I knew you’d understand. Well, I think that you should ‘phone this mad woman to ask about accommodation, but don’t make any firm arrangements just yet. Then find out if we can arrange to hire a mini-bus for a three night stay there in a week’s time which is half term and then drive us down to Somerset. We’re all going on our hols! We can do with a break.’

    ‘What all of you?’

    ‘Yes, Matthew, Ben, Grace, Emma, Lucy and Dfor Dog. The girls can sleep in one room and the boys in another. You could sleep in a single room.’

    ‘With the dog,’ I suppose grinned Phil.

    ‘You’re a very understanding father, I’ve always said so,’ laughed Jack.

    ‘But Jack, you’re assuming that these kids will all want to go and that their parents will let them.’

    ‘They will dad, they will, they’ll want to go, don’t worry about them and their parents will be glad to be rid of them for a few days. All kids know that the secret is to ask in the right way, and to keep banging on about it, most parents then give in! The girls are the cleverest at all this; they always get what they want.’

    ‘And what’s the right way, clever clogs? Tell me then I can spread the word to the Parents’ Union, to put them on their guard, so to speak.’

    ‘You don’t want me to spill all our secrets, do you dad? But it will help if the parents know that it will be a free holiday, because we will pay

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