Tell Me A Story:
Amazing
Tales to Captivate Your Kids
* * * * * * * *
The Tales of Big and Little – Part One
Doom of the Three Stones
Published By Josh Kilen at Smashwords
Copyright © 2011 Josh Kilen
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Table of Contents
Preview of Sean Ryanis & The Impossible Chase
Preview of The Superhero Chronicles: Birth of Moonlight
Preview of The Lost Princess in Winter’s Grip
Introduction
There are moments in life that we cherish, small seconds of bliss spent snuggling with our precious children. “Mommy, tell me a story.” “Daddy, can I have a bedtime story?” These requests offer time to pause from our hectic everyday routine, a chance to share an adventure together.
My wife and I have read to our son from the time he would listen and encouraged him to read from the moment he began recognizing letters. From “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” to “The Chronicles of Narnia” we have read one book or gone through a series of chapters each night.
However, we have discovered that most books are not designed or written for bedtime. Sometimes a chapter takes half an hour to read through. Sometimes one of us would fall asleep part way through, and not necessarily our son! Sometimes, a chapter was too short, or too boring, or so full of detail that it was difficult to get through.
I created this story as a brand new adventure, told in a serial fashion, so that your child is captivated throughout the entire tale. Each episode ends in a cliffhanger to help build excitement for the next installment. Whether you are reading before bed, during the day, on a long car trip, or while standing in the grocery checkout line, these stories are quick and customizable for your storytelling needs.
You, of course, are the storyteller and you know best what your audience will most enjoy. If you want to read two or three episodes at a time, then feel free to do so.
If at any point you become tired of simply reading the text as written, feel the need to add lib and insert your own characters or ideas.
Just remember, story time with your children is about having fun and making memories. You are well on your way to making some memories they’ll never forget.
More Bedtime Adventures
I really hope you enjoy Big and Little’s first adventure! If you've tried to find fun and exciting stories to captivate your kids, check out some free previews of more adventures that are sure to entertain:
Preview Sean Ryanis & The Impossible Chase
Preview The Superhero Chronicles: Birth of Moonlight
Preview The Lost Princess in Winter’s Grip
Also Available The Tales of Big and Little – Part Two: Shirlee’s Revenge!
Just click on the links above for free previews of each story!
Happy storytelling!
Josh Kilen
The
Tales of Big and Little – Part One:
Doom
of the Three Stones
* * * * * * * *
Episode 1
Big and Little were like any other dogs; they loved to play and get into mischief. They barked and howled, and rough housed and cuddled. But these dogs were in love with one thing, something they wanted more than anything else in the whole world. Cheese.
Glorious, wonderful cheese. Cheese that melts all ooey-gooey in the mouth. Cheese that tastes like heaven itself. They loved cheese so much that they searched for it every day. But lately, cows had begun to disappear and cheese was harder to find. No one knew why the cows had gone, they just went away. And everyone knows that cows make the best cheese.
One day, they were walking around the neighborhood when they came to a fence. Through the fence they could smell that wonderful, delicious smell; the one that made their hearts leap. CHEESE! They got up close to the fence and looked through. What they saw was a wonder to their eyes.
Through the kitchen door of the house, was the largest platter of cheese they had ever seen!
Big looked down at Little, a small bit of drool escaping from his watering mouth, "Oh Little,”, he whispered, “I want the cheese soooo bad."
Little nodded her head toward a hole in the fence, "Look over there, we could get in and take just a little cheese. No one would notice."
They both smiled. As soon as they got to the hole and started to poke their heads through, they heard a noise.
Suddenly, two huge, mean guard dogs came out of nowhere and snapped at Little's ear, almost taking a piece off. Big and Little scrambled back onto the sidewalk.
They were both breathing hard from fright, “Two guard dogs!” Big exclaimed, “How will we get in now, Little?”
But Little was clever, and usually able to think her way through these types of situations. She walked around the perimeter of the fence and surveyed all their options. The guard dogs followed them, watching through the fence and growling ferociously.
Then she looked up. Connecting the Cheese House to the building across the street was a thick bundle of power cords. If they could get up to the top of the building across the street…
Big tried not to look down. There they were, 50 feet above the street, on their way to the roof of the Cheese House. The cord swayed gently in the wind, but if you are ever suspended on a cord far above the ground, that sway sure doesn't feel gentle!
Big whimpered at Little, "Little, I don't know if this is worth the cheese."
Little looked back, "Not worth the cheese? Just think about how good it will taste! Trust me, we'll be okay."
Big always trusted Little. So they kept walking carefully, placing one paw in front of the other. Once they got to the roof they had to find a way into the house. Luckily, the owners had left a window open in the attic and they easily slipped through. They were almost there, they just needed to get down into the house and the cheese would be theirs!
Big and Little walked slowly over to the hatch that led from the attic to the main house, creeping softly so they didn't make too much noise. They carefully opened the hatch and looked down to see if the coast was clear.
"Grr…Ruff, Ruff!!!, Bark…grrr…Bark!!!!" The guard dogs were waiting for them, making such a noise. They couldn't get down that way!
Little looked around and spotted a small hole in the wall. It looked like the only other way to get down into the house. As they crept over to the mysterious hole, a voice called quietly from behind some old boxes, "I don't know if you want to go down that hole, you never know where it will lead."
Big and Little jumped back and watched curiously as a small Gnome stepped out from behind a large box. He was smartly dressed, with a red hat and a blue coat, carrying a cane that he spun in one hand. He wore a happy smile that made the dogs want to trust him.
"Let me guess," began the Gnome, with a jolly laugh, " You're both after that cheese downstairs?" The Dogs just nodded their heads. The Gnome nodded his in return. "Aye, it's the only thing worth braving those beasts to get. I'll tell you what, if you can help me with a little problem I've been having, I will help you get the cheese.” He looked from Big to Little and raised an eyebrow. “Deal?"
Big looked over at Little with pleading eyes. Cheese. Little returned his look of longing. Cheese. With unspoken agreement the two smiled, looked over at the Gnome and said in unison, "Deal!"
The Gnome jumped in air and yelling "Huzzah!” And enjoyed a brief victory dance. Then with a smile he said, “Okay, now we can go down the hole!"
The dogs looked at him cautiously. "Where does it go?" Little asked.
"Where do any magical tunnels go?” The Gnome replied with a wink. “Wherever you need them to!” He looked seriously at Big and Little, “We're off to my home, and to help me with my problem. Come on!" The Gnome jumped through the hole and disappeared.
Big and Little called out for the Gnome, but no one answered back. With a long sigh, Big steeled himself and said " A promise is a promise," He looked once at Little and then jumped through the hole. Little, not wanting to be a coward, but not trusting the hole completely, hesitated. She told herself, "If Big can do it, then I can too."
Tentatively, she put one paw through the hole. Nothing happened. With a deep breathe she took the plunge into the dark tunnel, and began to fall faster and faster down into the darkness…
Episode 2
Little flew from the tunnel onto a smooth, rather springy turf. The grass was the softest she had ever felt, like the silk blanket at home she was forbidden to lay on. Little wanted to roll around in it for a while, but then she looked up!
Little stared in wonder at the light pink sky which was, she thought, just like when you get to lick a candy cane and the colors run together. Next to a bright orange sun, spanning across the sky were seven moons, all different shapes and sizes. Little had never seen anything like it.
Big and the Gnome had already gotten to their feet and the Gnome was searching the horizon. Big was just standing, mouth hanging open, staring at the sky.
"They were right here when I left," The Gnome whispered to himself, but the Dogs could still hear him.
"Who are you looking for?" Asked Big.
The gnome looked at Big and said, "The Crusts."
Big and Little had no idea what that meant; they looked at each other in confusion. There was a low rumble and the ground began to shake beneath their paws.
On the horizon, marching over the hill, came an army of pizza crusts. The Gnome jumped into a battle stance, pulling out a fold-able battle ax. Big and Little looked at him in amazement. Big turned back to the advancing crusts. “What are…I don't…how did…” he managed to get out. "What do we do? Is this the favor you wanted?" Little asked.
The Gnome looked at the dogs and said, "I know that this is frightening, but I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think you were up to the challenge. I was sent to your world in search of help. Maybe you are the two of legend, the two who will save us all! We shall soon see.” Pulling himself to his full, if insubstantial, height the Gnome looked from Big to Little. “Let's defeat some pizza crusts!" he roared. And the Gnome sprinted with surprising speed toward the crust army.
Big and Little, encouraged by the Gnomes words, began to charge as well, baring their teeth and growling. The attack was terrible. The Crusts were armed with clubs and sticks, though some had small knives. These weren't enough to do much damage, but they could still hurt badly.
The Dogs rushed into the crust army behind the Gnome and immediately started to bite and chew. Big took a bite of a Crust and tasted it's buttery goodness. "These Crusts are Yummy," he thought to himself and attacked with extra fervor. Dodging clubs and batting away knives with his paw, Big was starting to enjoy himself, but he was also getting very full. He looked back to see if Little was okay, just in time to see a crust jump from behind and land a heavy blow with his club. She let out a whimper and then crumpled to the ground.
"Noooo" Big cried out as he trampled through the remaining army to get to Little. He stood guard over her body, and devoured any crusts that dared come close.
The Crusts were quickly disappearing. Between strikes from the Gnome's battle ax and Big's ferocious appetite, they didn't stand a chance. Eventually the last of the Crusts ran back over the hill, shrieking in high pitched, annoying voices.
The Gnome yelled after the retreating crusts, "Go on, run you cowards! Good riddance!" and then went over to Big and Little. Big was licking Little's wounds and making sure that she was taken care of. The Gnome knelt down and laid his hands on her head. Sparks of light shot out from underneath his hands. All of the sudden Little's eyelids fluttered and she smiled up at the two. "Did we get 'em?" she asked.
"Oh yes, we got them," Big told her, and then moaned. "and I am so full."
The Gnome laughed, "Thank you my friends. I can't tell you what a treat this has been. I have a feeling this is just the beginning. Now, about your little cheese problem…"
“Wait just a minute!” Little said as she stood to her feet. "What. Just. Happened?!?” she demanded. “We were attacked by pizza crusts! How? Why?"
The gnome looked at her seriously, "I wish I could tell you the whole story, but you probably wouldn't believe me. I ask you to trust me. If you are meant to understand all of this, it will be revealed to you in due time. If you are not meant to understand, then you are probably better off not knowing. As for this little adventure, these Crusts chased me into the tunnel where I found you and I could not defeat them without help. So I thank you and ask you to trust me once again." The Gnome looked hopefully at Big and Little.
Little didn't want to believe him, but she couldn't help it. Something about him just seemed good and trustworthy. He had such a kind and wise face. She nodded her head, and Big did the same.
The Gnome jumped with joy, "That is fantastic news! Now, let's go get your delicious cheese!" And he threw himself back into the tunnel.
Big looked at Little and said, "After you".
With a last look back at the lovely grass, which still begged to be rolled in, Little smiled at Big and entered the tunnel. They were on their way back to the real world. But one thing was bothering Big: how were they going to get past the guard dogs?
Episode 3
Back in the Cheese House attic, the Gnome took charge. "So!" he began, "The first thing we need to do is get past the guard dogs." Big and Little nodded their heads in agreement.
"I don't want to fight them, these are no pizza crusts after all. Our best bet is to distract them, then make our way to the cheese. Let's see what kind of distractions we can find in these boxes," the Gnome said as he began to rummage.
The dogs helped and together they found some sheets and old Halloween costumes. The Gnome looked quite pleased, "Yes, Yes, these will do quite nicely.” he said. Then he looked from Big to Little and put his finger to his chin as though deep in thought. “There is nothing here that will distract the dogs for long enough….I'll have to do the job myself!"
The dogs looked at each other in surprise. Distract those dogs…and alone! “They'll eat you alive!” Big said with concern.
"I know it is dangerous,” the Gnome said earnestly, “but you helped me out of a bind and I am fairly certain that I can handle these two mongrels!" With that he began to put on the most ridiculous costume that the dogs had ever seen, complete with feathers, brightly colored fruit, a princess tiara, and to cap it all off, a long sheet as a cape.
The Gnome looked sadly at the cape, "I don't hold much hope for the sheet, the dogs will probably tear it to pieces…” he looked at Big and Little with a broad smile, “But it will serve as a WONDERFUL distraction! Now, when I jump down, wait five seconds before you come after me. As soon as you hit the floor, head straight for the cheese. You won't have any time to loose. I'll distract the dogs as long as I can."
He moved over to the attic hatch while Big and Little flanked him side by side. The gnome looked at the dogs, "Are you two ready?" Big and Little nodded and tensed their muscles in anticipation as they said in whispered unison, "Yes!"
The Gnome quickly threw open the hatch and jumped down, hitting the floor in his war crouch. His head shot up and he scanned the new battlefield.
Two large guard dogs were staring at him, growling, and looking mighty hungry. The Gnome smiled mischievously and began to jump around singing at the top of his longs, "Stupid Dogs, Stupid Dogs, very very stupid dogs, never gonna catch me, never gonna catch me!"
Of course, nothing makes guard dogs angrier than singing insults. They immediately chased after the Gnome hurling ferocious barks and growled insults of their own.
The Gnome was surprisingly swift and the Guard Dogs couldn't quite catch him. As predicted, the sheet was the first to go. With a terrible snip-snap and riiiip, it was torn to pieces within seconds. The Gnome looked back and thought to himself, "Feet don't fail me now!"
After counting out 5 seconds, Big and Little dropped through the hatch, landed on the hallway floor, and immediately headed for the stairs. They ran, not looking at anything else but their goal. The kitchen. The Cheese.
As they rounded the corner, there it was, the largest plate of cheese either of them had ever seen. A tear formed in Big's eye, "Cheese!" He breathed out in reverence.
Big took a big leap at the cheese. His eyes gleaming with desire, mouth salivating, drool falling off his tongue. His paws were ready to receive their prize.
And just as he was about grab the cheese, it disappeared.
Big flew through air, straight through where the cheese used to be, into the stove. Womp! He stood up and shook his head in confusion. What happened?
Little skidded to a stop, looking above Big's head at a swishing, and very fuzzy, orange tail.
Sitting on top of the stove was an orange cat, smiling wickedly. His eyes were blacker than night and he wore a bright red jewel around his neck. He began to laugh, but it was a laugh that sent chills down the Dogs' spines.
"You must be the two who defeated my Crusts. Well done. But you won't defeat me I assure you.” His voice was deep and menacing. “Where is the Gnome?" he demanded.
Just then the Gnome appeared in the kitchen. Capeless, and missing some fruit, but with all limbs intact.
"Shir!" the Gnome gasped, his mouth agape.
Shir smiled wider, "Yes,” he purred, “you remember me. Good." Looking over at the dogs, he continued, "I must introduce myself, I am Shir of the Land of Lee. I will soon be your master."
Big looked confused. He looked up at the cat, and asked innocently, "So your name is Shirlee?" Little and the Gnome snickered. Shir was enraged.
"Shut up!" he yelled, then pointed at the Gnome, "You're finished and all who stand in my way will suffer your fate! Ninja Crusts, attack!"
Shir disappeared into thin air, replaced by ten Pizza Crusts dressed in Ninja Outfits. They were wielding dangerous Katana swords.
The Crusts attacked.
Episode 4
Ninja Pizza Crusts! With Katana swords? Before our heroes had any time to think about how strange that was, they were being attacked. The lead crust jumped high in the air and came down with its sword slashing at the Gnomes head.
With a quick duck to the left, the Gnome sidestepped the attack. In the same swift motion he pulled his battle ax out of his pocket and unfolded it as he swung it in a high arc through the middle of the crust. The Pizza crust fell apart, its sword clattering to the ground.
The Gnome turned back to face the advancing Ninja crusts with a battle crazed look in his eyes.
Big and Little took their cue from the Gnome and began to attack as well. The crusts were flying everywhere! Bits of pizza sauce littered the kitchen. Dogs biting, crusts swinging, all of them fighting to the death.
It seemed the attack would never stop, but after a short time, all of the crusts but one were defeated. The lone remaining crust tried to limp away but Big bounded over and pinned it to the ground. The crust trembled in fear. It begged, "Please, don't kill me!"
The Dogs and Gnome agreed that it was a very strange thing to hear a pizza crust speak, but they decided to take this opportunity to question the remaining crust. The Gnome picked it up by the front of it's Shinobi Shozoku robe, hoisting it squirming into the air.
"Where is Shirlee going?" demanded the Gnome.
The crust trembled and pleaded, "I don't remember for certain…I, uh, he just said something about a factory and more cheese. I think it's nearby.” He looked pleadingly at Big and Little. “Please let me go, I have a family.”
Slowly the Gnome lowered the crust back to the floor. The Crust begged, “I won't bother you again, I promise." then it waited for a final blow. Little pushed the crust away and told him, “Okay, go on. But we don't want to see you making any more trouble."
The crust thanked them and went on its way. The only thing stranger than hearing a pizza crust talk is seeing a pizza crust run away. They don't have legs, you know.
The Gnome asked Big and Little if they knew anything about a factory. The Dogs looked at each other. If Shirlee was after cheese, there was only one place the crust could mean. And they definitely knew about the cheese factory, they had been trying to penetrate its defenses for years! They left the house and led the Gnome up the street toward the Factory.
As they arrived, they could see that the factory was engulfed in flames and people were running everywhere. Some were carrying buckets of water to throw at the flames, others were just trying to get away.
The Gnome, Big, and Little had a pretty good idea who was behind it all. They ran to the back of the building just in time to see a group of pizza crusts carrying out cheese making equipment. What seemed like hundreds of cheese wheels bobbed up and down as they were carried aloft by crusts.
Shirlee was standing above the crusts on a step, directing their movements. The heroes ran toward the mob of crusts. They must be stopped! Suddenly, everything seemed to disappear. It was like the crusts carrying the equipment and the cheese just vaporized in the same mysterious way that Shirlee had vanished earlier.
The Gnome, Big, and Little ran up to Shirlee. “What are you up to, Shirlee?" The Gnome yelled. He couldn't help but smile as he said it, because he knew that Shir hated that name now.
The Gnome's grin widened as Shirlee screamed, “STOP calling me that."
As he calmed himself, he gathered himself to his full cat height and said, “It doesn't matter, you can't stop me anyway, I have all the equipment I need and now the final preparations can be made. Soon you will all bow to me!" His voice still reverberated in the air as Shirlee disappeared, his image a waving mirage as it faded into nothingness.
The Gnome hung his head, looking defeated. Big and Little didn't know what to say. This day hadn't turned out at all how they thought it would. Ninja pizza crusts? Gnomes, killer guard dogs, cheese stealing orange cats…. What else was in store for them?
The Gnome looked over and said solemnly, “I know that you two have done more here than I could ask, and you have been great friends. I could never thank you enough for all of your help.” He drew a deep breathe and looked at Big and Little before asking, “Would you go with me a little farther?"
Big and Little agreed to go back to the hole with him, but felt that they had to get back to their house because their People were probably worried about them. The Gnome thanked Big and Little for all their help again and they ventured off back to the hole that led to the Gnome's homeland. On the way, he told them stories of battles and other things that made their heads spin. What had they got themselves into?
They headed for the Cheese House, hoping to be done with adventures for the day.
Episode 5
When they arrived at the Cheese House, all seemed quiet. Too quiet. There was no sign of people or the killer guard dogs. Carefully the dogs made their way over to the building across the street and showed the Gnome how to get across the wires onto the roof, and then into the attic.
The upper window was still unlocked, and partially open from the last time they went inside. The Gnome slipped in first, followed by Big, and then Little. The hole in the wall was visible through a narrow row of boxes.
The Gnome looked at Big and Little gratefully. “Thank you once more for your help my friends, you have done more than you know. There is no need to put yourselves in more danger, I can take it from here." he said, and with a touch of sadness he placed his hands on each of their heads in thanks.
As the Gnome made his way across the attic floor, he heard a low growl from behind the boxes. Before anyone had a chance to react the guard dogs jumped out and lunged at the Gnome. Their teeth snapped viciously and slobber flew through the air as they circled the Gnome.
Somehow, the Gnome had just barely dodged the first Guard Dog's attack and yelled to Big and Little, "Get out of here, you can't defeat these two. I’ll hold them off!"
Big and Little knew they had to make a choice as they watched the guard dogs circling the Gnome, hair raised and bodies held low, just waiting to attack. They could run away and save themselves or they could help a friend in need.
Looking at each other, Big and Little knew that they had already chosen to help their friend.
Letting loose a mighty growl that he didn't know he had, Big leaped into the fight and bit down on the biggest guard dog's leg. The dog yelped in pain but shook Big off and sent him flying into a stack of boxes. The guard dog didn't notice that Little had come up behind him and as he turned Little jumped and scratched the guard dog in the eyes. This sent him in a frenzy and he began biting everything he could.
They fought bravely but the guard dogs were much bigger and stronger. Bruised, bitten, cut, and battered, Big, Little, and the Gnome prepared for a final onslaught. The Gnome took the guard dog on the right and Big and Little took the big dog on the left.
The dog on the left was dazed from all the fighting and could only focus on Little. He lunged for her throat, grabbing her with his massive teeth. Big saw an opening and jumped on the other dog's side, clamping down on his neck and cutting off his windpipe. The guard dog gasped for air! His eyes rolled back as fell, releasing Little. Within seconds the guard dog passed out, asleep, and was no longer a threat. Big and Little looked over at the Gnome and they cried out in unison.
The Gnome and the other guard dog had nearly finished each other off. The killer dog had the Gnome crushed in his jaws while the Gnome was hacking away at the dog with his ax. After the fourth blow to his neck, the guard dog could hold on no more and fell, limp, to the floor. The Gnome rolled from the dog's mouth and lay still.
Big and Little ran over to him, and began licking his wounds. "You'll be OK," they told him, "We'll make you better."
The Gnome looked at them with glassy eyes, but he seemed happy despite his obvious pain. "You two are more than I expected. You didn't have to come back, but you did. Thank you. You are true friends." The Gnome coughed and the Dogs could tell he wasn't going to make it. Little began to cry.
"Please, don't cry. I lived a long, good life… and I will receive my reward soon," the Gnome said. "I ask only one thing of you… return my body to my home…” the Gnome's breathing was becoming more erratic and let my uncle know… what… Shir is doing…"
"Of course we will," said Little through her sobs. Big nodded his agreement, looking like his tears were not far behind.
The Gnome smiled weakly, "Good… You two have… a destiny… something much… greater…than you… could ever imagine… Thank you… for…being… my… Friends…" and the Gnome breathed his last.
Big and Little lay beside the Gnome and cried. They realized that they did not even know his name. Carefully they wrapped his body in a sheet and pulled it slowly toward the entrance of the hole. With sad hearts and a deep breath, they took the Gnome back home for the last time.
Episode 6
Deeply saddened by their friend's passing, Big and Little fell down the tube into the strange land. As before, they plopped out onto the soft, springy grass. The seven moons and the light pink sky were above them, but instead of being greeted by an army of Pizza Crusts intent on killing them, standing before their paws was a wizened, old gnome.
His clothing was similar to that of their old friend, but instead of red and blue he wore green and yellow. He had deep blue eyes and they looked as if they had seen many years.
The older gnome looked at Big and Little with questioning eyes, and then his gaze fell on the sheet.
“Is that my nephew?" He asked the dogs. They could only nod, they were still so upset. Once more, Little's eyes filled with tears.
The older gnome gently cried, tears falling down his wrinkled face. “Did he die a good death at least? Was it in battle?" he asked.
Again, neither Big nor Little could speak, they simply nodded.
The old gnome placed his hand on the sheet and smiled sadly. "At least he died honorably, I presume he was saving you two?"
Big spoke up, "Yes, we were ambushed. He told us to leave, but we couldn't let him fight the guard dogs alone. I'm sorry we couldn't save him."
The old gnome looked up from the sheet, “You fought for HIM then, now that is interesting. I'm glad he was with friends at the end." He took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the dogs.
“He will be buried with honors on his family's estate. My name is Tiberius, and I am this gnome's uncle and the leader of the local Resistance against Shir. Now, tell me, this is very important, did he find what he was looking for?"
Big nodded and Little told Tiberius the whole story about the Guard Dogs, the Cheese, the burning factory, and especially about Shirlee and the Pizza Crusts.
Tiberius listened intently, and when Little was done, he nodded his head as if he understood even more than she had said. He laughed at the mention of "Shirlee". "Yes, that is also a girl's name in this land.” With a smirk he continued, “We will have to let everyone know of this. It will be his name from now on.”
“We have been aware of Shirlee's plans to take over for some time now. He has taken this land and many others. If he can travel to your world he must be very powerful indeed. I'm afraid that means he is planning to conquer your world as well as ours. I am truly sorry, but we will do everything we can…" Tiberius suddenly stopped talking.
Big and Little glanced at each other in confusion as Tiberius stared at a strange mark on Big's back leg. “Where did you get that?” he asked. Big didn't know what to say, he had never noticed the mark before. “He’s always had it,” said Little, “for as long as I can remember.”
A smile formed on Tiberius' face, "I wonder…” he said as his voice trailed off. He looked as though he were were trying to remember something very old.
“Many, many years ago, a prophecy was revealed that a great evil would come against our land, bringing danger and ultimate destruction.” He paused and looked at Big and Little with an appraising eye. “But the prophecy also said that two would come, great and small in stature, who would deliver us and bring light to our land once more. The Large One would have our symbol to prove he is chosen…" Tiberius pointed to the crescent shaped mark on Big's leg, "That is our symbol."
Big's eyes widened in shock and Little stared at the old Gnome in disbelief. Neither of them knew what to say! Tiberius went on, "I leave the choice to you, will you help us to defeat Shirlee, or will you go home and wait for the destruction he is sure to bring?"
Episode 7
"I leave the choice to you, will you help us to defeat Shirlee, or will you go home and wait for the destruction he is sure to bring?"
Tiberius waited for their answer.
Little looked at Big as he tried to form the words to respond. He stuttered through different vowel sounds while he tried to make sense of everything the old Gnome had told them.
Before Big had a chance to answer, out of nowhere, a mad cow with raging red eyes charged the group. Big and Little tumbled out of the way while the old gnome sidestepped the attack calmly.
The enraged cow skidded to a stop, turned around, and stamped her feet, readying herself for another pass. As she charged once more, strait at Tiberius, the Dogs tried to push him out of the way, put he would not be moved.
Instead, he raised his hand and tilted it from side to side in a soothing manner, while making a sound not unlike a helicopter engine. The cow stopped in her tracks, uttering one last "Moooo", as she fell over.
Big and Little stared at Tiberious in shock.
“That trick doesn't work so well with the crusts," he said with a smile.
Big and Little laughed for joy, “That was amazing!" they said.
But Tiberius became very serious, “This is just a sample of what is happening. Our world and yours are colliding and turning into the worst versions of themselves. Will you help us?" He looked at the dogs intently.
Taking deep breaths, Big and Little looked at each other for a long time. They knew that this was a huge decision, but they remembered what the Gnome had said to them about having a real destiny. They didn't want to let the Gnome or anyone else down. Little nodded her head at Big, he looked at Tiberius and said, "We'll do it."
"Excellent” Tiberius said with pleasure. “And so the adventure begins." With that, he set out over the hill, moving much faster than you would expect, given the shortness of his legs. The dogs ran to keep up with him.
The new world was wonderful. Aside from the seven moons and light pink sky, the trees looked like they were drawn from a cartoon and the far off mountains looked taller than any the dogs had ever seen. The land seemed full of mysteries just waiting to be discovered.
"Where exactly are we going?" asked Little as they made their way down the hill.
"To the underground city to meet with The Elders," said Tiberius. Little asked many times what that was and who they were, but Tiberius would only respond, "All in good time."
They passed several villages as they walked, but everywhere they went, doors were shut tight and windows were shuttered. No one walked or played in the streets and it was eerily quiet. The villagers seemed afraid. Not afraid of Big or Little, but of a dark terror awaiting them. As Tiberius walked by, several peeked out of doorways and nodded solemnly in respect, but quickly retreated back into the safety of their homes.
After hours of walking, they came to an abandoned windmill with a boarded up door. Tiberius went around to the back and touched a single stone, which began to sink into the windmill itself. A hidden door opened and the heroes followed the old gnome through it.
The door opened to a set of stairs that seemed to go down forever. Tiberius descended, and while the dogs didn't question what was going on, they were very curious.
A light began to grow at the bottom of the stairs until it shown as a bright dull red. Finally at the bottom of the stairs, sprawling before Big and Little, was the biggest city they had ever seen.
The Underground City was huge and bustling with life. Animals, gnomes, and other small creatures were going this way and that, on what seemingly important errands. Big and Little stared in wonder.
Tiberius looked pleased with their reaction. "This is the great underground city," he told them, "It is our safe haven from Shirlee and his minions."
The old gnome walked toward a great draw bridge which spanned a deep, dark chasm. This must be for defense thought Little. Crossing over the bridge, they travelled through the city. Big and Little were encouraged to see so many were willing to fight against Shirlee.
The group came to a large building in the middle of the city, it had a great door and spires that seemed to touch the top of the cave. As they proceeded through the doors, they entered a grand hall with many pillars and lit torches on each pillar. At the end of the hall was a raised diaz with seven seats, and in those seats sat the Elders.
The Elders smiled widely as the Dogs approached and beckoned them to come closer. They seemed kind, but tired, as if they had lived many lives in their time. The Elder in the center seemed to be in charge, and he motioned for the dogs to stand in front of him.
“Let me see the mark," the Chief Elder said.
Big turned his leg toward the elders. Gasps emerged from the crowd and the Chief Elder's smile grew even wider.
"Finally," he said with a sigh, "The two who were prophesied have come to retrieve the magic stones from great danger."
Episode 8
"Magic stones?" asked Big.
"You don't know about the magic stones?" responded the Chief Elder, as if such a thing were impossible.
Big and Little shook their heads.
The Chief Elder took a deep breath, "If you are to understand the evil that plagues our land, then you must understand the magic stones." he said.
"Long ago, in the beginning of our world, the land produced three magic stones of tremendous power. The very first King found the stones and discovered that each one granted special abilities to its owner. The first was a yellow stone that gives the bearer great courage, eliminating fear and strengthening hearts. The king gave this stone to his greatest champion to protect it from evil. The second was a green stone which bestows wisdom and understanding, so that anyone who wears it will know the right choices to make. The King wisely kept this stone for himself and his descendents.
"The third stone, a deep blood red color, gives great power and the ability to do any number of magical things. The first king also took this stone for himself and very quickly fell under its evil influence. He became corrupt with power and started to terrorize his subjects.
“The Champion of the Land, to whom the King had given the Stone of Courage, challenged the first King. Using his great strength and heart, the Champion was able to wrestle the Stones of Wisdom and Power away from the first King, but he died doing so.
"Having lost his power, the first King fled to the land of Lee to plot his revenge and teach his children to hate the people in his old kingdom.
“Meanwhile the King's brother ruled in his stead. Deciding that the stones were too powerful for one person to control, he divided them. The Stone of Wisdom was kept with the ruler, hidden in a ceremonial robe. The Stone of Courage was placed in a mighty staff and used only in great need.
"The Stone of Power was deemed too dangerous for anyone to use. It was placed in the deepest, darkest dungeon, never to be seen again.
"The Stones were lost to legend, known only in stories and fairy tales. They were forgotten by everyone except the first King who now ruled the Land of Lee. The true story of the Three Magic Stones lived on in the land of Lee, and each ruler after the old King dreamed of controlling all three stones.
"Many, many, many years later, the Land of Lee waged war on our peaceful Land. The battle was not going well and Princess Nezla, the new ruler of our land, welcomed any help she could find. Even help from an unknown orange cat with a wise tongue and a pleasant smile.
“Wisdom is not perfect, and the Princess did not see that this cat secretly craved power over all else. You see, that is the curse of the Stone of Power, to the one who wields it and all his descendents. They will always crave power.
"Shirlee was able to steal the stone of power and use it to escape. We gave the Stone of Courage to the Good Gnome, sending him after Shir, but he was betrayed and the stone taken from him by an evil traitor. The Good Gnome obviously soldiered on and tracked Shir to your world. That's where you come in.
"If we want any chance of defeating Shirlee, we must retrieve the stones. The Stone of Courage is held by an evil gnome in a dangerous castle surrounded by the Forest of Fear. The Princess and the Stone of Wisdom are hidden in a fortress that she cannot leave and is nearly impossible to reach.
“I must warn you, if Shirlee obtains all three stones, we are done for. He will be too powerful and there will be no stopping him. We must get those Stones back!" The Chief Elder looked at the Dogs.
Big tilted his head in curiosity, "What about the Cheese?" he asked, "Why is Shirlee taking all of our cheese?"
"We think that the cheese somehow makes the stone's powers even greater. With an endless supply of cheese and all three stones, Shirlee will conquer all the worlds.” The chief looked gravely at the dogs, “Will you help us?" he asked.
"Of course we will, in memory of our friend, the Gnome. He wanted us to finish his work." Big said.
The Chief and the other Elders nodded, happy to hear this, "Now you must prepare. You will not survive without the proper training and there is no one better to train you than the Great Bjorn. He is waiting at his house. He is a strict master though, and you will either become great warriors or perish trying. Good luck to you, and our fates rest on your shoulders."
Big and Little looked nervously at each other. What had they gotten themselves into?!?
Episode 9
Having accepted the quest to retrieve the Stones, the dogs were led to the House of the Great Bjorn to train for their journey.
The narrow path they walked led to a rundown hut. Their escort made them wait by the gate and called out, "Hallooo Bjorn. I have your new recruits here. Good luck with these ones." and with that the scout turned and left.
"That was incredibly rude," said Big. As he turned around, out of the house, came the biggest cat he had ever seen.
Bjorn came from a long line of Battle Cats, and he was the greatest of all warriors. His skill was unmatched in battle, and he was charged with training the best and brightest in the ways of battle.
As he looked at the two dogs he felt there was something special about them, although he could not put his finger on it. They looked like they could fight but they weren't very big, and they certainly were not ready for the serious trials ahead.
Bjorn strode forward and spoke in a booming voice, "Attack me. Now!"
The Dogs had never fought anything until today, much less something so large. Little didn't move and Big was hesitant. Bjorn growled, "It'll be worse for you if you don't, trust me."
Big and Little attacked at once. A blur of motion later, they found themselves on their backs staring up at the cave ceiling. They couldn’t believe what just happened.
Bjorn looked stern but pleased, and gave them each a paw to help them up, "You are not ready, but you will be. When you can put me on the ground, then you will be ready."
The next week was the most intense the Dogs had ever experienced. From wake up to bedtime, all they did was train with Bjorn, and he rarely allowed breaks. Some training they understood like running long distances and lifting heavy rocks, these would make them faster and stronger. But some of the things he had them do were ridiculous, things like stalking skunks, chasing snails, and taking honey from a bee hive without disturbing the bees.
One morning the Dogs came to Bjorn's hut and the great cat walked out as he usually did. But instead of saying his customary "Let's get to work!" he looked at them and yelled, "Attack Me, Now!"
This time the Dogs do not hesitate and flew through the air. Bjorn dodged them easily but was impressed at their progress. Working as a team, Big and Little moved from side to side and eventually brought the big cat down. Bjorn looked very pleased indeed.
He patted each on the head and said, "You have done well, and are now ready to accompany me into ultimate danger. Tomorrow the real adventure begins."
Episode 10
Bjorn and the Dogs left the city to loud cheers and praise. The entire city had come out to see them off, wishing them well and good success on the journey.
The Chief Elder gave them his blessings and said a prayer over them. Tiberius came over as well, patted the Dogs on their heads, and told them thank you again for returning his nephew. When all the fanfare was done, Bjorn, Big, and Little walked up the stairs into the wide open world.
They followed a wide, level path for quite some time when Bjorn abruptly changed course, leading the party toward the dark clouds on the horizon. They were heading to the Forest of Fear. The closer they came to the Forest and the Evil Castle where the Stone of Courage was held, the darker the clouds became. Even Bjorn seemed a little nervous.
"The weather sure is changing," Big said, his voice slightly wavering. Bjorn merely nodded and increased his pace toward the dark wood.
When the individual trees were in sight, Bjorn stopped, turned around, and looked gravely at the dogs. "This is the Forest of Fear and it's one of the most dreaded places in all our land. It makes even the most courageous run away, and many fine warriors have done just that. In fact no one has ever made it through the Forest in one piece," Bjorn said ominously.
Big and Little listened intently.
"Follow one rule, and we might make it through this alive. Keep your courage no matter what. Courage is the only way to defeat fear and we must succeed today. Now, follow me." And Bjorn walked into the Forest of Fear.
Once inside, the darkness hugged them warmly. It was thick and heavy, like a giant wet blanket pressing on them. The trees creaked and croaked, swaying in an unfelt wind. When little bits of sunshine found their way through, the trees were the scariest trees they had ever seen. Jagged and gnarled all over, they looked older than the earth.
Luckily the path they traveled was fairly smooth. While the path was easy, staying in the Forest was not. A deep dense of danger was growing in their hearts. The Fear came upon each of them, yelling and screaming at them to go back. Bjorn led the way and held his course, the Dogs did the same.
The path began to wind a little, up small hills, and through little dells. Suddenly, a large chasm appeared right before them, blocking their path. There was no crossing, they had to go back.
At that moment the forest decided to attack.
Episode 11
Bjorn, Big, and Little were daring the Forest of Fear in order to get to the castle that held the Stone of Courage.
The forest led them to a deep crevasse and as they turned around it began to attack.
A large branch swung through the group, Bjorn and the Dogs jumped nimbly out of its way. Big landed near an old elm tree only to be swatted from the side by a strong thorny branch. He tumbled head over heals, but regained his feet quickly. The Dogs were able to dodge effectively thanks to Bjorn's training.
"How do you defeat a whole forest?" Big thought as he batted away a particularly gnarled old branch.
Bjorn spotted a small opening between two trees, "There! Follow me, quick!" and he sprinted away. Big and Little were not far behind.
Suddenly Bjorn and Big heard loud yelp. A group of three trees had caught Little and were dragging her into their trunks. The gnarled, diseased bark snapped open and shut like the jaws of some ancient beast, hoping to devour the small one.
"Bjorn! I'm going after Little!" and Big sprinted off toward the group of trees. He leaped through the air and latched on to the largest branch holding his friend. Gnawing into the soft wood, he broke through the bark into the white of the branch. The branch swung wildly, throwing Big through the air.
All of the sudden an ax came flying and sliced through the tree's remaining branches. Bjorn retrieved his ax and fought off the branches coming after him.
Little was able to wiggle away and her, Big, and Bjorn ran down the path. Faintly through the trees, they could see the lights in the castle and ran even faster toward their goal. The trees grew thicker and thicker, like they were moving in, more and more branches swung at them, hitting, scratching, beating. The castle was disappearing through the ever increasing trees.
They saw a clearing ahead of them and sprinted as fast as their winded bodies would allow. They broke through the trees and tumbled onto hard, scratchy grass. Immediately they felt a deep and complete fear, like the kind you get when the scariest thing in the world comes to life right before you.
The Castle of Fear stood before them, taunting them. They now had to face their greatest fears, or perish tying.
Episode 12
Bjorn, Big, and Little escaped from the Forest of Fear mostly unharmed. They were lucky to escape with only a few bruises and cuts. Now they had to find a way into the Castle of Fear to rescue the Stone of Courage from an evil gnome.
The deep fear became more real as they approached the castle. The hair was standing up on the Dogs' and Bjorn's backs, and they all just wanted to run back to the underground city. But the Dog's remembered Bjorn's words about courage and kept moving toward the castle.
Sneaking up to the front gate, they saw that it was guarded by a grove of sinister looking trees, and two large statues.
"Those statues are the Watchers. They will sound an alarm if we try to go through. Luckily I brought a back up plan," Bjorn pulled out a large crossbow from his satchel.
Taking the crossbow, Bjorn aimed it at the top of the castle wall. Steadying his hand, he shot a large arrow with a rope attached to the end. The arrow found it's mark and the heroes began to slowly climb up the side of the castle wall.
As they swung over the side onto the top floor, a living darkness swirled around them. It's dark tentacles reached out and enveloped each with the greatest fears they had ever known.
Little immediately saw Big being taken away to the pound by some angry men in uniforms. Little was all alone, and the darkness told her that she would never see Big again, that she would always be alone. Little started to shake and cry.
Big saw Little being taken into the trees again but this time the trees were holding him back. He had to watch as Little was taken into the tree trunks, yelling for him to help. Big was unable to move and his heart was breaking.
Bjorn saw his Princess surrounded by crusts, with Shirlee standing over her, ready to take the Stone of Wisdom, but Bjorn was caught in quicksand. He was unable to help, he couldn't save her.
As he sank slowly into the sand, it dawned on Bjorn that this was not real, that he just needed courage to defeat the fear. With new-found energy, he pulled himself from quicksand, sliced up the crusts, and saved the Princess. As he did, the darkness faded from his eyes and he saw Big and Little locked in a trance, darkness swirling all around them.
Bjorn ran up to the dogs and shook them, to no effect. He began yelling at them, "It's all a dream. Remember, courage, all you need is great courage to defeat the fear."
Through the dream Big and Little heard Bjorn's voice faintly. Big saw himself breaking free from the branches and Little saw herself running faster than than the car taking Big away, almost catching up with the car. Both Dogs woke up from the trance.
Shaking off the dark haze, they collected their wits and headed up to the top room of the castle.
As they reached the inner chamber, the room glowed brightly and the Stone of Courage hung in the middle of the room , suspended in the air. As they moved to grab it, the stone disappeared and an old, evil looking gnome replaced it.
An nasty smile twisted his face, "Congratulations for making it this far, but I'm afraid that this is the end for all of you."
Episode 13
The old evil Gnome flipped through the air, right over the heroes. He moved faster than normal and was obviously well trained in combat. Whatever made him so quick and agile also improved his fighting skills, as he beat up Bjorn and sent him flying across the room.
Bjorn landed on his feet but he wasn’t sure what he should do next. Big and Little tried to attack the Evil Gnome from both sides but he easily dodged and the Dogs collided into each other. The evil Gnome kicked both of the Dogs into the wall.
Download this book for your ebook reader.
(Pages 1-31 show above.)