1. Darkness shrouded the area. Strange screeches
pierced the air; eerie shadows danced in front of them.
“Almost time to go.” whispered Ed. “No one else in
sight, come on.” Lucas followed obediently, knowing
from experience that they needed to be as quiet as
possible. The boys crept forward - cautiously.
What does the word ‘shrouded’ suggest?
What evidence is there that the boys needed to go cautiously?
What do you think is the genre of the piece?
Who

2. As the two boys neared their target they felt the excitement mounting, butterflies
skittered around their stomachs. The thought of getting up close to the tiger really
appealed to them.
They had been sitting in the shadows watching the area around the tiger’s cage
for about twenty minutes. They had grinned silently as Frank (the keeper) fed the
enormous feline, ducking in and out the cage as fast as his stout little legs would
carry him. Soon afterwards a lone female had briskly walked passed giving the
tiger a cursory glance. Finally, a tall, slender lady came around the back of the
cage- the zoo’s Accountant. Neither of the boys liked her, she was cold and
unfriendly. Ed and Lucas often joked that Mrs. Hewitt only worked at the zoo so
that her kids could get in free.
“She’s taking her time - for a change.” Lucas muttered into Ed’s ear. With a grin
Ed replied, “Her watch is wrong she thinks it’s five o’clock!”
“Why’s she here so late? She’s normally gone before the visitors have all left.”
Ed shrugged his shoulders and started to move towards the tiger’s cage. Lucas
followed closely behind.
How do you know who the boys had seen around the cage?
Which sentences tell us about Mrs. Hewitt's character?
Who

3. The moon flickered from behind a cloud lighting up the tiger’s cage. The boys
loved the animal and often sneaked in, after the visitors had left, just to stand and
watch the magnificent creature. Mamba, the tiger, seemed to enjoy their company
too. He would pad softly up to the boundary and stand looking in their direction,
gently purring. Now as they moved forward they could see that Mamba was lying
on his side: deathly still. The water dripping from his fur seemed thick and dark. It
oozed slowly into the drain a few metres away.
“Something’s wrong,” there was an edge to Lucas’s voice. He sounded frightened.
Ed moved forward, out of the shadows and into the half-light given off by the
moon. His foot hit a small object and a hollow clinking noise echoed around the
zoo.
“What was that?” asked Lucas quietly.
“Not sure, felt hard.” Ed’s voice was barely audible.
“It scared me, sounded like someone running a screw driver over the bars of the
cages.”
‘The moon flickered from behind a cloud’. Explain this in your own
words
What evidence is there that something is wrong? Who

4. Standing at the cage boundary the darkness seemed to envelope
everything around it.
“Mamba, isn’t moving, Ed!”
“Lucas,” stammered Ed, “Can you see the reflection coming off the
water that’s pooling by his side?”
“Yes, it looks strange,” Lucas poked his nose through the fencing to see
if he could get a closer look.
“I think it’s…” just then the moon shone out from behind a cloud,
lighting up the zoo and the area around the tiger.
“Blood!” they gasped.
The boys were rooted to the spot staring blindly at the huge tiger and the
river of blood that was seeping out of a wound in his side.
Why do you think the author says the darkness enveloped everything
around it?
What evidence is there that the tiger is hurt?
Who

5. “We’ve got to call my dad,” Ed said, taking out his phone. Lucas caught his
arm. “No! He’ll go mad. Remember last time he caught us talking to
Mamba after hours? He said he’d stop me coming to see you. You can’t call
him now. Let’s just get out of here. “ Lucas turned to go, but his friend
stayed where he was.
“Come on!” he urged.
What would you do in this situation- give evidence for your actions.
Who

6. “I can’t, I have to call my dad and suffer the consequences.”
Lucas was silent, he knew Ed was right. Together they stood
beside the body of the tiger and dialed Mr. Elriento.
What do you think happened?
You MUST give evidence from the text to support your argument.
What weapon did they use?
Say who did it and how.
What do you think happens next?
Who