Bella was bored and Mom had housecleaning to do.

“Take Noodle and get some fresh air,”said Mom.

Noodle followed Bella outside and sat next to her on the pavement. Bella sighed and smelt the air. It did not smell fresh. It smelt of stinky traffic.

Vroom! went a car. Toot! went another. Putta, putta, putta! went a motorbike. Clackity-flapflap! went an old bakkie with its worn out tyres and rusty old body.

Bella started counting the sounds around her. That was four already!

Dugga, dugga, dugga! went a road drill.

Grrrrrrrrrrr! growled Noodle at the drill. Doef, doef, doef! came the loud music from a taxi.

Hanna, hanna, hanna! went a lady talking loudly on her cellphone. Tuk, tuk, tuk! went her high heels on the pavement as she walked by. Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack! went a jogger running passed Bella. Woof, woof, woof! barked Noodle at the jogger.

Twee, twee, twee! whistled a boy on a bicycle.

“TWELVE sounds!” said Bella.

But all the noises were starting to make Bella’s head spin, so she stopped counting and said, “Come, Noodle, let’s go to the backyard where it’s nice and quiet.”