Goat. And the Terror Birds by PJ Gilbers - HTML preview

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The moving truck was almost full. William was happily packing the last of his family al-bums when Dylan walked in.

“Hello. I understand I owe you my life.”

“Oh, tut, tut. Just made a few calls. You know how it is…”

William smiled. “How did it go in court? How is Mac?”

“The judge really blasted the boys, told them she could send them to juv-ie. But instead they have to clean the whole field, haul all the trash and junk out of there. It’ll take all summer.

And she showed them pictures of kids who had been burned…scarred…lost their hands, one child was blind. Scared them. Nothing worse than burns. Hopefully they won’t ever play with fire again.”

Dylan stared at him, trying to put it all together.

Finally he said, “When I was six. My dad was dying. You…”

“I was wondering if you’d remember.”

“No one believed me that a talking goat was following me around, making me laugh, helping me to sleep every night.”

“Sometimes adults have to see it to believe it. Children only need to believe, and they see everything.”

“Who are you?”

“I am William, a goat. My father was a goat…”

“…as was his father,” Dylan laughed, remembering. “And you just go all over the place helping kids who are in trouble?”

“Something like that. I have a marvelous time. Marvelous adventures.”

“How…how do I thank you?”

“Ah, my dear boy, by simply finding joy and then sharing it. That’s the secret of life. Just as you have discovered with Maddy.” He grinned a knowing grin.

“I do love her,” Dylan confessed. “’Always have. But I didn’t know that she always loved me.”

“Then, you have thanked me. More than you know.”

Dylan helped him carry the last two boxes out to the truck. William gave him a nod then climbed into the cab with the two movers.

“Turn on Willie Nelson, gentlemen…’On the road again,’” he sang out the window, waving, “’just can’t wait to get on the road again…’”

THE END

Join us for our next adventure, Goat. And the Very Bad Dragons. We would love to

read your reviews of Goat. And the Terror Birds.

Thank you,

Sir William

Learn more about the Goat series by going to www.PJGilbers.com.

Questions, Discussions, and Jibbly Bits

About

Goat And The Terror Birds.

We receive a lot of questions…here are a few you may enjoy.

1. How did PJ Gilbers and Sir William meet?

That’s a very interesting story. They both happened to be judges at the springtime Lock Ness Monster Highland Scottish Jamboree. The monsters were involved in many events, but one especially caught the eye of both PJ and Sir William, and that was the incredible Caber Toss. The large serpent creatures came on land and took hold of huge poles and threw them. It was a spectacle to be seen.

Over dinner PJ and William became quick friends and have since gone on many exciting adventures together.

2. Many children have written in about the bully, Rhett. Here are some bully handling suggestions. You probably have some ideas you’d like to share, too.

It might make you feel better, if you have a “bully”, to know that you’re not the only one. Look around your class. Three out of four of your classmates have dealt with (or will deal with) a bully. Two points of advice William wants to share: as much as pos-sible stay away from this bullying kid. Second (and this is what Mac did) give your-self a pep talk and show this annoying kid that you are powerful and fantastic. Many bullies are actually scared of assertive kids and will probably back down if you “call them on it.” But William also suggests that if things get out of hand, tell an adult you trust. Mac went too far in proving he was brave by jumping over fire. He could have been badly injured or even killed.

So be assertive but keep it reasonable.

What are your thoughts on bullies?

3. One of the things most of us go through in life is grief. We all feel sorry for Mac with the loss of his Mom. We can understand how sad and angry he is.

How do you deal with grief? Here are some tips:

 Feel your sadness. Cry when you need to and don’t hold feelings back.

 If you are feeling guilty you need to talk with someone about this. It is most likely you have nothing to feel guilty about.

 Although you may not feel like doing your routine activities it will help you to at least participate a bit. If you went bowling every Sunday, perhaps start getting back in there by just stopping by for a soda and a chat.

 Writing letters or making special gifts for the one you’ve lost can let you know you’re still connected with the person who has died. A wonderful activity is to write a note to the person, tie it to a helium balloon, and release it.

 William encourages you to find a grief center or a therapist if you need help.

4. Is William magical?

Many people have asked this. PJ definitely thinks he is.

What do you think?

5. One of the reasons that children who know Sir William and like him so much is that he always respects people, big and small.

Did you see examples in Goat And the Terror Birds where William shows respect?

We hope you have enjoyed this chat about Sir William.

We would love to hear a review from you about this book.

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Just go to www.pjgilbers.com

Upcoming books include:

Goat. And the Komodo Dragons.

And

Goat. And the Space Snake and the Meteorite Named Bob.

Cheers!