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Category:
Children
Publisher: Lulu.com
Type: Fiction
Pages: 93
Copyright: April 6, 2001
Misty Isabelle and Harry The Caterpillar find friendship and acceptance in this warm, wonderful story.
Big Red Fred and Caramel Bear find adventure and excitement in this wonderful tale.
Misty Isabelle Barnum
by Dale Hudgins
Chapter 1
"Misty Isabellyyy, where are you, come out come out wherever you are!" Petey her brother said, calling out to his sister, they were playing a game of hide and go seek and he was trying to find her, hoping she would bark or say something, when he called her name like that, because he knew that she couldn’t stand for him or her other brothers or sisters to call her that, or any one else for that matter.
Misty Isabelle squirmed and pushed herself further down into the pine needles that was covering up the bed of Marigold flower plants so he couldn’t see her and she bit her tongue and didn’t bark once or say anything, she was determined not to let Petey find her, even though she knew what he was doing by calling her Misty Isabelly, she wasn’t going to let him make her mad this time and lose this game of hide and go seek, and he wouldn’t have found her had it not been for the fuzzy rainbow colored caterpillar that was creeping along on those Marigold flower leaves beside her and that was heading straight for her, or so it seemed. The caterpillar didn’t even notice the little black Dachshund puppy that was covering itself up in the pine needles, he was too busy eating his lunch, just munching along sampling each Marigold leaf as he went and was making his way straight for Misty Isabelle as he sampled the leaf buffet, although it was only the one course buffet, all Marigold leaves, but to this caterpillar, he was very much interested in sampling each and every leaf on that plant, to him, they all tasted just a little bit different, and he loved to gobble them all up, one bite at a time, he didn’t know it, but his gluttony was about to get him in big trouble and cause himself to have a big fright, because he was about to run right into Misty Isabelle, but the caterpillar didn’t know how determined Misty was, not to be found by her brother Petey, and she wasn’t going to bark, or run and hide, or do anything, even though caterpillars scared her silly. She didn’t like the way they looked, the way they walked or pulled themselves along, with their backs moving up in the air, it made her want to run and hide, ‘cause they were so scary looking with all that fuzz sticking up in the air off their backs when they moved along, "Creepying along is more like it," she thought, and they had those strange looking bug eyes, and made her very nervous when they looked at her with them, when she had on occasion met up with one or two, here and there.
Chapter 2
"Man, oh man, these are some very scrumptious leaves, I want to eat you all up, yum yummy, for my tummy." Harry the rainbow colored caterpillar said, while he was munching the last bite of the leaf he had bitten off, and was rubbing his tummy and began to stretch, he was getting a little bit sleepy from this big lunch he had just had, and as he leaned back stretching each part of his body, he began to slip on the leaf he was standing on, there was still some dew left on it from that night before when the dew fell onto the leaves and everything else. Harry tried to grab the leaf above him, but just missed it as he was sliding off the wet leaf he was on, and then he let out a big bug yell, "Whoa, helppp," and as he came to a stop and wasn’t sliding anymore, he saw the face of this huge black monster, it was looking right at him with it’s teeth bared, and he could hear it saying to him in a whispered voice, making a hissing sound as it spoke, "You be quiet or I will bite that leaf off right out from under you, and toss you over into the neighbor’s yard, they have a cat, and she just loves caterpillars, she will eat you all up, so, don’t you say a word, because I don’t want Petey to find me, I bet him a T-bone that he couldn’t find me this time." The monster said to him, and Harry began to quiver and shake, and then said in a very shaky voice, "I know who you are," then as he recognized the monster, he said in a much braver tone of voice, "Yes, you’re Misty, Misty Isabelly, the Dachshund puppy, with the ‘round about tummy."
"Grrr, my name is not Misty Isabelly, it is Misty Isabelle Barnum, and I don’t have a ‘round about tummy, and I warned you to be quiet, grrr." Misty growled again at Harry, and then without warning, she bit off the Marigold leaf that he was on, and while holding the leaf with him still on it and hanging on for dear life now, she stood up and then tossed him over the fence, leaf and all, and as Misty heard a hissing sound, it was Jerry the Siamese cat, and he had woken up from his nap when Harry and the leaf landed on his tail, and he then jumped up and arched his back and began hissing at Harry and was about to pounce on him and eat him all up, but Harry was lucky this time, because Jerry’s master, Brandie, picked him up and held him in her arms, just as he was about to pounce on Harry and eat him.
Harry let out a great big sigh and began to smile, as Brandie and Jerry went back into the house, and he could hear Brandie scolding that cat for trying to eat him all up, and he had another reason to smile, because at that time, he could hear Petey laughing because he had found Misty and her hiding place, and he then heard Misty saying, "You wouldn’t have ever found me, if it hadn’t been for that dumb old caterpillar making me mad, but you won fair and square, your T-bone is over there on the mat at the front door," Misty said to him, "I hope when, if you bury that bone, I hope that you never find it." She muttered under her breath.
"Harumph," Harry said, clearing his throat, and then said aloud to himself, but in a low enough voice so that Misty couldn’t hear him, "dumb am I, well, I will show you one day, who is dumb and who isn’t, Misty Isabelly, Barnummm." Harry said, dragging the word Barnum out, as he gathered himself together, and dusted himself off, and then begin to make his way back to the Marigold plants, all this excitement had made him hungry again.
Chapter 3
Misty Isabelle felt really bad about losing that wager with Petey, and especially more so, when that caterpillar called her Misty Isabelly, with a ‘round about tummy.
She wasn’t really overly sensitive about remarks about her appearance, especially when it was one of her brothers or sisters saying something to her, she could toss the remark off without it bothering her, but when it was a total complete stranger making the remark, those words kinda got to her, and the pain of them caused her to feel the sting of those thoughtless remarks, and they made her feel bad about herself, and it made her feel bad that someone or others, thought things like that about her.
She laid down on the front porch and then rolled over on her back and looked down at her tummy, which was a little hard for her to do, because her tummy was getting in the way of her turning her body and head so she could look at herself, so she just got up and turned and looked at her reflection in one of the small window panes that was on each side of the door where she lived, and she turned one way and then the other, to look at herself and her tummy. She thought, "I’m not a bad looking puppy, actually I look pretty good, if I only didn’t have this tummy, this big old ‘round about tummy of mine." She sighed, and then lay back down on the welcome mat and put her face down on her paws, and sighed some more, and she just lay there like that for hours, not even bothering to move, or go to dinner, when she was called, and she didn’t even come inside when it got dark, her Master, Mrs. C. L. Barnum, had to come out on the porch and bring her inside, when she got worried that she wouldn’t come to dinner when she called her, and that it was dark outside and was beginning to get worried about her.
Her Master took her over to her food and water dish and set her down in front of them, and she told her, "Here is your dinner, I made it just for you, it is lamb and rice, with a nice juicy lamb bone for dessert, I hope you like it, it is your favorite."
But Misty would barely glance at it, and didn’t even sniff at it, although she could smell it, food was the last thing on her mind, and she then turned and walked into the living room with her head hanging down, and walked over to her favorite spot in the house and plopped down and did like she did outside on the mat at the front door, she just laid her head down on her paws and stared off into space, with a very sad look on her face.
Misty’s Master, thought this was very strange for her to act like this, with her not eating her food, and then going over to her favorite spot on the mat in front of the fireplace, and just plopped down, she usually scratched the surface of the mat getting it just so, so it would be nice and comfortable and she would walk around it three times in a circle, trying to find just the right spot to lie down, and all this caused her Master to begin to worry, quite a bit, and she said to her husband, Mr. Not So Nice or Funny Barnum, "I wonder what is wrong with Misty, I’m starting to get really worried about her, she didn’t even take one bite of her food, and it is her favorite, and she lay outside for most of the day on the mat on the front porch and didn’t even play or anything, she just lay there, and now she won’t even move when Petey jumps on her, or bites her ear, she is just laying there not doing anything, do you think she is sick or something, do you think we should take her to the veterinarian?"
"She just probably over ate at lunch, like a little pig, just like she usually does, HaHa." Mr. Not So Nice or Funny Barnum laughed and said, while he rubbed his big old belly and scratched his stinky behind and head.
"That wasn’t even funny, she could hear you, and you should be ashamed of yourself." Mrs. Barnum told him with a scowl on her face and her hands on her hips.
"You talk like that hound dog is a person and can hear me, hear what I say, and I’m not ashamed, it was only a joke, I’m going to work now." Mr. Not So Nice or Funny Barnum, said to her, and grabbed his coat and keys and walked out the door, and didn’t even say goodbye to the rest of his family, his kids, just slammed the door on the way out, shaking his head and muttering under his breath.
Mrs. Barnum walked over to Misty and knelt down in front of her and held her face in her hand and patted her on the head and scratched her behind the ears, and with a worried look on her face said to her, "What’s wrong Misty Isabelle, I hope that you will be ok soon and I hope you decide to eat your dinner, well, good night and I will see you in the morning, I’m going to bed."
Misty began to cry and whimper a little bit as she thought to herself as her Master walked away, "Why did you have to name me Isabelle for, so everyone could call me Isabelly and make fun of me, and why did I have to have a ‘round about tummy for, Petey doesn’t have one, nor does anyone else in our litter, just me?"
And with those thoughts on her mind, Misty fell asleep still crying a little bit, and feeling really sorry for herself, and as she slept, it wasn’t a peaceful or restful sleep, she slept fitfully, whimpering in her sleep and tossing and turning and rolling over now and then with her paws crossed, resting them on her tummy, as if trying to hide it, her ‘round about tummy.
BIG RED FRED AND HIS MAGIC, FLYING CHERRY RED BED
Friday, April 06, 2001
Dale Hudgins Copyright 2001
BIG RED FRED
AND HIS MAGIC, FLYING CHERRY RED BED
Chapter 1
"You should be very proud of this Cherry Wood Bed that your Grandfather made and gave to you, Big Red Fred." His mother Hanna proudly said.
"I do like it," Big Red Fred said, as he proudly rubbed the bed post, "and I am very proud of it."
"Yes, it was made of wood from Mother Nature’s own Cherry Wood Tree, Grandfather cut a Cherry Tree down and brought it down from Magic Mountain Forest, at the edge of Little Bear Valley, and cut it up into lumber and made the bed, just for you!" Hanna, his mother, said.
"Now it’s time for you to use it, go on and go to bed now, and have sweet dreams."
"Aw, Ma, it’s not late, and it’s Friday night, can’t I stay up a little later?" Big Red Fred asked, pleading with her.
"No, son, just go to bed now, and I’ll talk to you in the morning," Hanna his mother, said, as she leaned over and kissed him on the head.
Mumbling that he was almost grown, or would be soon, Big Red Fred also said to himself out loud, "And I won’t have to go to bed, and I won’t have to have you kissing me on the head.
"I heard that, and you won’t be grown for another twelve years, you’re only six, Goodnight, I love you." Hanna his mother said, then smiled and patted him on the head.
"Shoot, I can’t believe that I have to go to bed so early, there is nothing to do, and I’m so bored, why do I have to be so little, and grownups so big, why do they have to always have their way?" Big Red Fred asked aloud.
Chapter 2
"Don’t be sad, Big Red Fred, don’t be blue, there is plenty for you to do, you have me and your Cherry Red Bed, that grandfather made, just for you." The caramel colored teddy bear, sitting at the head of Big Red Fred’s bed, spoke up and said, and then winked at him with a twinkle in his eye and a hint of a smile.
Big Red Fred looked and then walked around his room, and glanced out the slightly open window at the man in the moon, and then shook his head and turned back to get ready for bed, kicked his shoes off, pulled the covers back and climbed up on the bed, and with one eye open, and one eye shut, gave out a sigh and looked over next to him on his Cherry Red Bed, at his caramel colored teddy bear that Grandfather gave to him when he gave him his bed, that he slept with every night since, and asked, "Who said that, it couldn’t have been you, you’re just a bear with sewn on lips, and a mouth that can’t talk, and everyone knows that a stuffed bear can’t talk nor even walk."
"Well it was me, it certainly wasn’t my knee." Caramel Bear said and laughed with glee.
Big Red Fred’s mouth dropped open and he sat straight up in bed, he looked at Caramel Bear and said, "How did you do that and what do you mean there is plenty for me to do, and why shouldn’t I be sad and why shouldn’t I be blue?"
Chapter 3
"If you will listen to me, I will tell how I can talk, and even walk, when Grandfather came to Magic Mountain Forest, at the edge of Little Bear Valley, I was there, laying down and was fast asleep, near where he was cutting a Cherry Wood Tree down and it fell on me, he yelled ‘TIMBERRR, LOOK OUT’ but I was fast asleep, and didn’t hear him until it was too late, the Cherry Wood Tree came crashing ‘round and fell on top of me," Caramel Bear said with a tear and a sniffle, wiping his eyes and nose, he said, "Grandfather saw me lying there, with that tree on top of me, I was fast asleep, and he cut and he sawed the Cherry Wood tree limbs, to try and rescue me, but I wouldn’t wake up, he was so sad, so very blue, he cried out, "Help me, OH, won’t someone help me, please help me and this poor little caramel colored, sleeping bear!"
Chapter 4
"Magic Mountain Forest got very still, and oh so quiet," Caramel Bear said, and continued, "then all of a sudden the clouds in the sky got real dark and began to move really fast, like a terrible thunderstorm was about to come, but none did, and the skies opened up and out of the clouds came a big round clear bubble at the end of a lightning bolt that came down to Magic Mountain Forest, at the edge of Little Bear Valley, and landed right beside Grandfather and me and that Cherry Wood Tree, and out of the bubble stepped a brown-haired lady in a long white flowing dress." Caramel Bear said.
"W-who are you, you almost scared the wits out of me?" Grandfather asked her.
"My name is Mother Nature, and I’m here to help, I heard Caramel Bear’s yelp, and your plea for someone to help." Mother Nature told him.
"But, how can you help, it’s too late, Caramel Bear is hurt and fast asleep, I tried and tried to get the limbs off him, but alas, I was too late." Grandfather said with concern and sadness in his voice.
"It’s never too late, and I can indeed help, and I’m sure that you didn’t mean to hurt Caramel Bear, it was just an accident, you didn’t know he was sleeping underneath where the Cherry Wood Tree would fall, he wasn’t exactly sleeping in a tent, and I know that you tried your best to rescue him and cut the limbs off that were on top of him, so, don’t be sad, don’t be blue, stand back now, and I will wake up Caramel Bear, but first tell me why you were cutting this tree down, was it to build a poster bed made out this Cherry Wood, was it for someone who had a big frown, and who was oh so lonely, without Father around?" Mother Nature asked of Grandfather.
"Yes, you’re right, but how did you know this?" Grandfather asked her, then continued, "I’ve tried to be like a father to Big Red Fred, but the time since his father was lost in the desert, while in the military fighting for this great country; from then, on up until now, Big Red Fred just hasn’t been the same, he has been sad, and so lonely, so very blue and he doesn’t make friends that easily in school, since he and his mother Hanna came to live with me after Father got lost in the desert and didn’t come back."
Mother Nature frowned a small frown and then rubbed her chin thoughtfully and said to Grandfather, "I have a plan, I know what to do to make Big Red Fred, not be so lonely and blue," and without waiting for him to ask what, Mother Nature’s face lit up like a light bulb, and then she said, "I will wake up that sleeping caramel colored bear and turn him into a teddy bear and Big Red Fred won’t be lonely, won’t be blue and if he can make him happy, and can make him smile, then he will be free to be a real live bear, once again, and come back to live in Magic Mountain Forest, at the edge of Little Bear Valley."
"Do you think that is fair, to this caramel colored bear, hasn’t he suffered enough, when the Cherry Wood Tree fell on top of him?" Grandfather asked, with a frown.
"You should never question Mother Nature about what is best or what is fair," she said to him with a very stern look on her face, and then said, "but if you must know, this caramel colored bear, has been naughty, and not so nice, he has been going through all the trash cans and dumping them over to look for food, in and around every home in Little Bear Valley and Magic Mountain Forest, and has even eaten a mouse, grabbed him right out of his house, he even robbed the honey bees of all their honey, just pushed the tree down and ran, like he had taken some money."
Excerpt
Mumbling that he was almost grown, or would be soon, Big Red Fred also said to himself out loud, “And I won’t have to go to bed, and I won’t have to have you kissing me on the head.
“I heard that, and you won’t be grown for another twelve years, you’re only six, Goodnight, I love you.” Hanna his mother said, then smiled and patted him on the head.
“Shoot, I can’t believe that I have to go to bed so early, there is nothing to do, and I’m so bored, why do I have to be so little, and grownups so big, why do they have to always have their way?” Big Red Fred asked aloud.
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