Oliver Twist

3. Nancy and Bill Sikes Look for Oliver

Fagin was afraid "Oliver will tell the police that we're thieves!" he cried. "Find the boy for me and bring him back - quickly!"
Fagin sent a poor girl to the police. Her name was Nancy and she lived with the thieves. Nancy told the policeman that she was Oliver's sister. "Oh,sir!" she said,crying. "I've lost my little brother. My poor,dear little brother ran away from home - and I can't find him. Oh,sir,do you know where Oliver is?"
The policeman smiled. "Yes - I found him in the street," he said. "A boy stole money from an old gentleman. I saw Oliver running away. So I thought he was thief - and I put him in prison."

"A thief!" Nancy cried. "Oh,no - my brother isn't a thief! He's good boy."
"I know,my dear," said the policeman. "A man told me that Oliver didn't steal the money,so I let him go." "Where is Oliver now?" Nancy asked. "The old gentleman took the boy to his house and gave him a home," the policeman thought for a minute. "He lives at Pentonville but I don't know the name of the street."

Nancy ran back and told Fagin the news. Fagin sent Nancy and a thief called Bill Sikes to Pentonville. "Go to the man's house and take the boy away!" he said to Sikes.
Nancy walked trough the streets of Pentonville alone. Sikes - a big strong man - followed her with his large white dog.
Nancy smiled sweetly and asked people in the street: "Please,can you tell me where Mr Brownlow lives?" The did know the gentleman. Nancy and Sikes looked in every part of the town,but they could not find the house. "We'll never find Oliver" they thought.

Then one day Mr Brownlow sent Oliver to the bookshop. He gave the boy some books and a £5 note for the shopkeeper.
Oliver walked happily along street. He wore good new clothes,and he was very pleased with them. "Mr Brownlow is very kind to me," he thought. "I have a good home now"
But the boy lost his way and walked down a dark back street.

Suddenly a girl ran and put her arms round him.  "Oh,my dear brother!" she cried. "Oh,Oliver - I've found you! Why did you run away? Come home,dear!"
"Who are you? Why are you stopping me?" Oliver cried. He could not see the girl's fave in the dark street.
"Oh,Oliver - you're a bad boy!" she said. "come home!"
People stopped and looked at them. "What's happend?" they asked. "This boy is my brother," the girl told them. "He ran away from his dear mother and father. Now he's living with thieves!"

"I don't know her!" Oliver cried. "I have no sister - or mother or fathe. I don't live with thieves! I have a good home with a kind gentleman."
"Don't believe him!" said the girl. She took her arms from the boy and showed him her face. "Nancy!" Said Oliver. He tried to run away. The big man with the large white dog now stopped him. "Now we've got you!" he said. He took the books from the boy. "Where did you get these books? You stole them! You're a thief!" he cried. He banged Oliver on the head with the books.

Oliver called to the people in the street. "Help me! I don't belong to them! Help!" But the people in the street believed Nancy's story. "You're a thief!" They said. "Go home!"
Sikes and Nancy took Oliver back to Fagin's house. "We've found him!" they cried.
The boys danced round Oliver and laughed  at him. "Look at his clothes,Fagin!" they cried. "He's gentleman now!"
"Oh,yes - a real gentleman!" said Fagin. "We must call him 'sir'."

The Artful Dodger put his hand in Oliver's pocket and took out the £5 note. "Look!" he said with a smile. "He's got money;too!"
Fagin quickly took the note from him. "Give me the money!" sikes cried. "It's mine! I found the boy!" He tried to take the note.
The boys danced about and enjoyed the fight. They forgot about Oliver.
Oliver ran to the door and tried to escape. But the dog stopped him.
Poor Oliver had to stay with the thieves.

❇ Happy reading guys ❇