Danger Dan Traces the Perilous Poison Read online

  Danny brought the bowl to a nearby table. He picked up the “dragon tail” and took a big bite.

  The prawn was superbly crispy and the spices made his taste buds tingle. A burst of flavours filled his mouth. Yummi-licious! However, he discovered that he was still full, having just eaten a whole bowl of noodles in 1972. Which was 30 minutes ago...or was that 40 years ago? Shouldn’t he be really hungry by now? Hmm… Danny could never quite make sense of this time travel business.

  At that moment, Danny spotted Candy, who had just arrived at the hawker centre. She was probably there for lunch. He seethed when he remembered how she had eaten the last of the chocolate spread and stolen his food during recess.

  An idea popped into his head. Carrying the bowl of noodles, Danny hurried back to the stall. He opened the container of chilli sauce on the counter and started scooping the spicy condiment into the bowl. Three scoops! Maybe more…

  “Careful, that’s very spicy!” warned the stallholder. “Don’t put too much!”

  Danny stopped. Okay, maybe just one more scoop. He hurried back to his seat and used the chopsticks to coat the noodles evenly with the chilli mix. The noodles were now a fiery concoction. Danny saw Candy approaching but pretended not to see her. Standing up, he exclaimed dramatically, “Oh! I forgot to buy a drink!” He left the bowl of noodles on the table and made his way to the drink stall nearby.

  Danger Dan has laid a trap for the Colossal Candy-saurus. The Spice Bomb is all set. Will she take the bait? Yes! The Colossal Candy-surus lumbers over to the Spice Bomb.

  The Colossal Candy-saurus greedily gobbles up the Spice Bomb without stopping for air. When she is done, she gives a loud burp and slumps in her seat.

  Nothing happens for a few seconds. Then suddenly, she sits back up with a jolt. Her eyes widen and her pupils dilate. Beads of sweat start streaming down her face, which has become as red as a tomato.

  The Colossal Candy-saurus wheezes and puffs. She looks like an enormous fire-breathing dragon.

  Danny sauntered back to the table, sipping a tall glass of iced Milo Dinosaur. “Feeling the heat?” he asked coolly. Candy couldn’t reply. She couldn’t even muster a glare. Tears were spilling down her round cheeks.

  Danger Dan shows her the glass of thirst-quenching elixir in his hand. “Promise you’ll never, ever steal my food again!” he declares loudly. The Colossal Candy-saurus nods vigorously and crosses her heart. Danger Dan generously hands her the drink. She snatches it eagerly and takes enormous gulps.

  Danger Dan has taught the Colossal Candy-saurus an important lesson! She will never steal his food again. No one gets the better of Danger Dan. He is the smartest and sharpest of them all!

  Toa Payoh was Singapore’s second HDB estate, after Queenstown. It was brand new back in 1972. The current library, stadium and famous dragon playgrounds hadn’t even been built yet! Block 53 was a specially built Y-shaped block with a viewing gallery on the roof. It was shown to many important guests from other countries. Queen Elizabeth II was one of them! As far as we know, Dragon Tail Noodles don’t exist. But don’t they sound delicious?

  Queen Elizabeth II was in Singapore from 18 to 20 February 1972. She visited Toa Payoh on the first day of her trip. Throngs of Singaporeans turned up to catch a glimpse of her! She visited a flat on the 18th floor of Block 53 and Mr Thomas Pung’s on the ground floor of Block 54. Mr Pung did offer the Queen some fizzy lemonade in a floral glass. And no, it wasn’t poisoned. If you don’t believe us, check with him. He still has the glass today!

  The Queen did indeed have a banquet dinner at the Istana on 18 February 1972, hosted by President Benjamin Sheares. After dinner, the Queen enjoyed a cultural performance on the Istana lawn which, of course, included a dragon dance. The dragon tail probably behaved itself back then.

  The Istana is the official residence of the Singapore President. It is located along Orchard Road and the main Istana building sits on top of a hill. If you are interested in seeing what it looks like, you can visit it during its open houses several times a year. At other times, it is heavily guarded. There’s no way you can simply strut through its gates—even if you’re dressed in dragon dance pants.

  The dragon dance is usually performed during Chinese New Year for good luck. Some dragon dance moves include the Cloud Cave and the Whirlpool (but not the Moonwalk). Dragons with different colours represent different things. Red symbolises energy and excitement. No wonder Danger Dan’s favourite colour is red!

  About the Characters

  Name

  Danny aka Danger Dan

  Age

  11 (but often behaves like he’s eight)

  Distinctive feature

  Big ears

  Signature items

  Fantasy Squad comic book. Red sling bag.

  Likes

  Anything cold and sweet. All of Melody’s gadgets. Comic books and superheroes.

  Dislikes

  His three older sisters.

  Vegetables in any form.

  Cockroaches, especially big, flying ones.

  Strengths

  Imaginative. Brave. Acts quickly in any situation.

  Weaknesses

  Doesn’t think before he acts. A magnet for trouble (and danger).

  Name

  Melody aka Gadget Girl

  Age

  14 (in the year 2135)

  Distinctive feature

  Silvery voice

  Signature items

  Silver hair clip (actually a mega computer which also conveniently keeps her hair in place). Grappling hook watch.

  Likes

  Gooey Gooberberry Gummies in all flavours except Coconut Explosion. Virtual jetpack tennis.

  Dislikes

  Danny being annoying. Birds.

  Strengths

  Smart. Usually calm (unless with Danny). Able to think under pressure.

  Weaknesses

  Terrible aim. Sometimes a little bossy.

  Name

  John/Johnny/Jong/Jonah aka the Sinister Spyder

  Age

  Who knows?

  Distinctive feature

  Impressive moustache

  Signature items

  Spider-like watch (a time machine)

  Likes

  Messing up Singapore’s history

  Dislikes

  Unknown

  Strengths

  Avoiding capture

  Weaknesses

  A ferocious temper

  About the Authors

  Monica Lim and Lesley-Anne Tan are a mother-daughter writing team (in that order). If Lesley-Anne could have a super power, she would choose the ability to stop time, so that she can study and write books in no time at all. Monica’s preferred super power is mind control, so that she can make Lesley-Anne stop dreaming about time freezes and get back to work.

  About the Illustrator

  James Tan is an illustrator living in the western part of Singapore. He likes to draw animals and loves cats. He enjoys reading and drawing, garnering inspiration from daily life and travelling. James’ most heroic acts involve saving snails from being crushed by joggers and cyclists when he goes for walks.

  The Inside Scoop on Danger Dan – Meet the Boy Hero Himself!

  It’s hard to get a hold of Danny since he’s a secret superhero and everything but he dropped by Epigram Books one day and the editorial assistant, Dan (yes, Dan, but just plain Dan), grabbed the opportunity to interview him.

  Dan: Hi Danny! I’m Dan. How did you come up with the name Danger Dan and your awesome superhero persona?

  Danny: Hey, your name is Dan too? That’s awesomely awesome! Isn’t Dan the best name ever? We can be the superhero duo! We can be the Danger Dan…s. Danger Dans! Oh hang on, I forgot Melody. We can be the superhero triplet! Wait, that’s not right. What comes after duo? Never mind! What’s the question again?

  Dan: Okaaay... moving on. I have one older sister and you have three. Can you tell us a little about them?

  Danny: Amy i
s a blabbermouth. Betty is a geek. Candy is a pig. They’re all mean to me.

  Dan: That’s not very nice, Danny.

  Danny: They’re not very nice! Hey, why are we talking about them? They’re not important! Talk about me! Me, me, me!

  Dan: In your adventures, you travel back in time to old Singapore. What discoveries did you make there and which time period did you like best?

  Danny: 1947 wasn’t very fun. There wasn’t any food! But I got to meet Zubir Said and he said I had musical ears! 1964 was better. I went to the Van Kleef Aquarium! It was quite cool but we umm…had a little accident. 1819 was the best because I went on a pirate ship and got to meet Raffles! The human Raffles, not the statue!

  Dan: Actually, what does it feel like to time-travel?

  Danny: Weird.

  Dan: Can you elaborate?

  Danny: Very weird.

  Dan: Your time-travelling adventures happen just as you get off the MRT train. Do you have a favourite train station?

  Danny: Braddell.

  Dan: Aww! Is it because Epigram Books is there?

  Danny: Huh? What books? No, it’s because there’s a big McDonald’s there! I’m hungry! Do you have any food?

  Dan: Umm…no.

  Danny: But I’m hungry! Soooooo hungry! Can you buy a burger for me? Please? Pretty pleeeeease?

  Dan: *mutters to himself and stomps off*

  10 mins later…

  Dan: *returns and hands Danny a bag* Here’s your burger.

  Danny: Thank you, Dan! You da bomb! Wait, I see something green. Ewww…you didn’t take out the pickle! *gingerly peels out the pickle* Did you get fries?

  Dan: You seem to have a…huge appetite. So how did the food of the past taste to you?

  Danny: munch The laksa was great! munch The ice ball was great! munch The shark meat was great! The vegetables…not so great. MUNCH

  Dan: You travel back in time with Melody, a mysterious girl from the future. What’s she like? And…do you secretly have a crush on her?

  Danny: Yuck! Yuck! Why would I have a crush on her? She has such bad aim! The person I like will be funny, sporty, have fantastic aim and play computer games!

  Dan: I think you just described yourself.

  Danny: You’re right! That’s why I love me!

  Dan: Your creators, Lesley-Anne Tan, Monica Lim and James Tan, look like interesting folks! Share with us about them.

  Danny: James should draw me with more muscles. How can I save Singapore with these scrawny arms? And I don’t think it’s fair that Lesley-Anne and Monica gave Melody all the gadgets and gave me nothing. Must be because they’re girls!

  Monica: *calls out from the next room* Behave yourself, Danny! Or I’ll start calling you Ding Dong Dan in the last book.

  Danny: Oops! I didn’t know she was here too! *whispers to Dan* See? They bully me! And Lesley-Anne is an older sister, right? I don’t like older sisters!

  Lesley-Anne: *pops into the room* I heard that! How would you like another sister in the next book, Danny?

  Danny: I thought I was the one with big ears! Alright, alright! Fine, you win! You guys are awesome, okay? *sulks in corner*

  Dan: *moves interview to corner* I heard you went to the Hong Kong International Young Readers Festival! Tell us how that went.

  Danny: Lesley-Anne and Monica did all the talking! I didn’t get to say anything! They left me in the hotel room and went to eat roast goose without me!

  Lesley-Anne: We would have let you speak… if only you could sit still for five minutes.

  Danny: What’s that? Hey look! Oreos!

  Dan: *runs after Danny* Focus, Danny! Focus! Your last adventure’s titled Danger Dan Creates the Ultimate Utama Uproar. What can we expect?

  Danny: Oh, it’s very exciting! We go back to the very beginning and meet Sang Nila Utama. If Danger Dan doesn’t stop the Sinister Spyder, Singapore will be wiped out! And Gadget Girl’s aim is as bad as ever! If you want to find out how Danger Dan saves the day, you have to buy the books! And you have to like my Facebook page! Not just the page, you have to like every post! And every photo! And spam all your friends! And—

  Dan: I think we’re done for the day. Thank you, Danny for that very…interesting interview.

  Danny: You’re welcome, Dan! Thanks for the burger!

  If you can’t get enough of Danger Dan, check out a very special YouTube video of Lesley-Anne and Monica giving the low-down on the Danger Dan series! Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZs4UqPoKXg or search “Danger Dan 10 things” at youtube.com!

  It all started four time-travelling adventures ago and now, Danny and Melody have to go back to the very beginning! The year is 1299 and the legendary Sang Nila Utama has just landed on the island of Temasek. Does he really see a lion in the jungle? Or is it something more disturbing?

  In Danger Dan Creates the Ultimate Utama Uproar, Danger Dan and Gadget Girl prepare for a final showdown with the Sinister Spyder, who is dead set on destroying Singapore. Will it all end in triumph or tragedy?

  “I don’t want to get stuck in the jungle!” wailed Danny. “There’s nothing here! I will starve! I can’t even open coconuts! We’re never going to catch the Sinister Spyder! We’re dooooooomed! We’re—”

  “What was that?” Danny’s Big Ears tingled anxiously.

  “What’s what?” asked Melody impatiently.

  “That!” Danny pointed at the bushes. “Maybe it’s a wild boar! Or a lion…” His voice started to quake.

  “Don’t be silly!” said Melody, even though she sounded uncertain. “There aren’t any lions here...I think. Anyway, what happened to all that big talk about fearless Danger Dan? Where is he now?”

  “Danger Dan has fled!” replied Danny in a small voice. “Only a very scared Danny is left!” His voice got higher with each word and ended in a squeak.

  The bushes shook and the leaves trembled, as if a creature was trying to push its way through. Danny froze and stared at the bushes in fear.