Pip Bird - The Naughtiest Unicorn on the Beach

For Elliot – LB

For Joshua – RLO

For Samantha – David O’Connell

Cover and interior illustrations by David O’Connell

Special thanks to Liz Bankes and Rebecca Lewis-Oakes

Text first published in Great Britain in 2020

by Egmont UK Limited

2 Minster Court, London EC3R 7BB

Text copyright © 2020 Egmont UK Ltd

Illustrations copyright © 2020 David O’Connell

ISBN 978 1 4052 9718 9

eBook ISBN 978 1 4052 9719 6

www.egmont.co.uk

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

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Contents

Chapter One:Summer at Unicorn School

Chapter Two:Who Sees the Sea?

Chapter Three:Horseshoe Bay

Chapter Four:Splashing, Swimming and Scary Inflatables

Chapter Five:Beach Tidy Time

Chapter Six:Pirate Thief . . .

Chapter Seven:On the Treasure Trail!

Chapter Eight:Unexpected Treasure

Chapter Nine:Lost at Sea?

Chapter Ten:Happy Families

Mira Desai stared out of the classroom window. The sun was beating down from the bright blue sky, and in the distance she could hear splashes and shouting. One of the other Unicorn School classes must be having their lesson in the swimming pool! Mira wished her class – Class Red – could be outside. It was VERY hot, and quite hard to concentrate on the lesson. And they were doing a test.

A tiny bit of breeze blew through the window and Mira smiled to herself. Even doing something a bit boring at Unicorn School was basically better than doing anything else in the real world. Because at Unicorn School everyone had a UBFF (Unicorn Best Friend Forever), and you got to hang out with them all day!

When they had been matched with their unicorns on their first day at Unicorn School (which felt like ages ago now), Mira hadn’t been expecting a unicorn like Dave. Everyone else’s unicorns had trotted out all glittery, elegant and magical, while Dave had to be dragged out on his bum. That’s when Mira started to realise he was a bit different . . .

Dave was more definitely grumpy than glittery. He never did what he was told and he liked to spend most of his time either eating or having a nap. He was also the Unicorn School record holder for eating the most cakes in a minute (fifteen) and doing the most farts in an hour (1,074). But Dave was Mira’s UBFF – and she loved him just the way he was. Going on adventures with him was Mira’s favourite thing in the world, and she always brought a bag of doughnuts to help persuade him to do things.

Currently Dave was lying on his back next to the open window with his legs stretched out, snoring and farting weakly. And Mira was finding it hard to concentrate, because as soon as the morning lessons were over, the whole school was going on a very special trip – to the beach! Mira couldn’t wait to paddle in the sea, build sandcastles and have loads of ice cream.

But even more exciting than that: they were going to Horseshoe Bay, which was famous for being the place where all the unicorn pirates used to hang out. They’d recently spent a whole lesson reading about all the different pirate legends and writing their own pirate stories. Mira had written about a pirate called Captain Mira Glitterbeard and her trusty First Mate Dave. In the story, Captain Glitterbeard found a giant box of buried treasure and made her annoying sister walk the plank five times.

Mira was secretly hoping that they might find some real buried treasure at Horseshoe Bay . . . and she knew Dave would love the beach (especially the ice cream).

But first of all, Mira had a test to finish. She looked down at her paper.

Question 10. Which animal is known as the ‘Unicorn of the Sea’?

‘Dave,’ whispered Mira. ‘Do you know the answer?’

Dave’s ear twitched and he gave a little grunt.

‘Dave!’ Mira hissed again, but he didn’t respond.

‘Complete the seaside quiz in silence, please,’ said their teacher, Miss Glitterhorn, from the front of the classroom. She was sitting back on her chair and fanning herself with a unicorn science textbook.

Mira stared down at the question and thought hard. Was it a sea horse? Or maybe a swordfish? Next to her, her best friend Darcy put her hand up.

‘Yes, Darcy?’ said the teacher.

‘Can we open another window?’ said Darcy.

‘All the windows are open, Darcy,’ said Miss Glitterhorn.

‘Can we open the roof?’ said Darcy.

Miss Glitterhorn ignored Darcy. Mira put her hand up.

‘Mira – what is it?’ said Miss Glitterhorn.

‘Is it time to go to the beach yet?’ said Mira hopefully.

‘No, not quite yet,’ said Miss Glitterhorn with a sigh.

‘It’s so hot I can’t even THINK,’ said Darcy. ‘I can’t possibly work.’ She put her head on her desk and signalled for her unicorn, Star, to fan her.

‘I’m really thirsty,’ croaked Seb.

‘You have a bottle of water on your desk, Seb,’ said Miss Glitterhorn.

‘Yes, but I’m thirsty for ice lollies,’ said Seb.

‘I’m sweating so much I can’t hold my pen!’ said Mira’s other best friend Raheem, panicking as he tried to write and his pen slipped from his hand.