CHAPTER 16
"Hand Over The Kid"

Ratcop was a frequent visitor to the Croc family's home on the GollyGum River. He never just popped in for a friendly cup of tea and a scone. There was always trouble in the air when Ratcop arrived.

Not that his visits were very successful from a policing point of view. Although Ratcop had visited Mumsie about 137 times over the years, he had never once gone away feeling successful.

Which was another reason why Ratcop was a worrier. Mumsie's 'head in the mud' logic always confused poor Ratcop, who was only trying to get everybody to keep to the rules. On the way to the Croc's place, Ratcop would always go over and over the rules in his mind. Then he would go over and over what he would say to Mumsie.

But somehow, once he pulled up and stepped out of the Copcar, the mere presence of Mumsie would start to cloud his mind. Perhaps it was her bulk and the wicked looking teeth. Perhaps it was the fact that she always seemed to have an answer to anything he was likely to say.

The pattern was always the same. Ratcop would start off with a very straightforward explanation of why he had come and what he wanted. Mumsie would then totally disagree. Ratcop would try to explain further with a series of perfectly logical reasons, following which Mumsie would totally disagree again.