Gary Compton
I miss you, wor kid.
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2007
- Messages
- 3,247
I have had this idea for a childrens book rattling around in my head for months so I thought I would write it. Here's the beginning. What do ya think?
Once upon a time, in the first of the seven dogdoms, the monarch of the marvellous, King Harvey Basset; leader of the most handsome dogs in the world and father of the nation of folds walked into Bassetland’s chocoboratory. Two cocker spaniel servants, wearing velvet-gloves on their paws, carried his ears knowing a dungeon awaited if they dropped them.
A thin glaze of emotion filled King Harvey’s eyes and a tear rolled down his cheek when he stared at the chocolate mushroom shelf, an empty chocolate mushroom shelf. “We have run out,” he complained.
Professor Magoo Basset came running out form his lab. “Your liege, I am so sorry,” he grovelled.” The chocolate mushrooms have failed to grow today – they have been poisoned.”
“What! Who would do such a thing? We cannot function without chocolate mushrooms,’ King Harvey yelled. “What can we do?”
Professor Magoo lowered his head and stroked his chin. “I have been trying to grow some in my chocoboratory, but I have failed miserably. All I have managed to do is make some chocolate chew-sticks.”
King Harvey pursed his lips, from behind him he heard the pitter-patter of Basset nails on the old stone floors. He span on a paw, Prince Smurphy-Murphy swaggered into the shop, looking pleased with himself. His magic cloak covered his shoulders and trailed along the floor as he stood in front of the King. His bodyguards, carrying their daggers on their wastes, stood either side of him. “Dear brother. I have an idea!” he said, with a cheeky smile on his face.
King Harvey’s brow narrowed. “I’m listening,” he drilled Prince Smurphy Murphy with wide inquisitive eyes.
The Prince swallowed, nervously. “There is a valley far away from the Basset dogdom, it’s the seventh valley and over several mountain ranges, and across many raging rivers. It has an abundance of chocolate mushrooms. It will take many weeks to get there but we can harvest their seeds so Professor Magoo can plant them again,” he said, confidently. ”But…” he paused, his lip quivering. “There will be terrible risks, my liege.”
“And how would you know this, Prince Smurphy Murphy?” King Harvey asked.
“I saw our journey in the all-seeing eye of the Grumpy Dragon.”
King Harvey scratched his head with his paw. “Hmmm… I do not want to put any of my subjects into danger but we have no choice. No chocolate mushrooms and the dogdom will become rebellious. This could lead to choco-riots, burning of pictures of the Royal Bassets and might even lead to an overthrow.”
Prince Smurphy-Murphy lowered his head in respect to the King. “In that case I offer myself and my army, despite the dangers, we will save your dogdom.”
King Harvey walked out of professor Magoo’s shop with his entourage following. “We must make a plan. Come to the Palace of Wiggly-Bum tomorrow and we will discuss this.”
“This will be my honour,” Prince Smurphy-Murphy said bowing.
CHAPTER TWO
The sun came over the mountain and the dogdom of Bassetland was bathed in golden light. King Harvey was eating a breakfast of roasted wild mushrooms and grass that his underlings had foraged from the forest. “My God, I can’t eat this for the rest of my reign,” he raged. “I would give three pieces of gold for a chocolate mushroom.”
One of his dog-servants approached. “Sir,” he said quietly. “Prince Smurphy-Murphy is here to see you.” The King threw his fork onto the plate. “Bah! Those are disgusting,” he moaned.
Prince Smurphy-Murphy walked towards him with several of his senior generals at his side. “My liege, I have worked through the night and have a thousand Basset-warriors ready to fight, a hundred Shih tzu slaves to pull our wagons and a dozen lady-Bassets to cook our meals and maintain our camp. We are armed with daggers, talking fleas, exploding frogs, mail-pigeons and the Grumpy Dragon has agreed to come with us as long as her Rotweiller bodyguards can carry her in a sedan chair.”
King Harvey’s eyes widened. “Can they be trusted. We don’t want anything to happen to her?”
“Of course, sir, they are a good breed of dogs. It was only their human owners that sent some of them into madness, but that could never happen now.”
King Harvey nodded. “They are long gone, thankfully so as long as you are happy, I am.”
“I appreciate your confidence in me.” Prince Smurphy-Murphy said, taking the Kings paw and kissing it. “You a re a great leader and I will not let you down.”
“I know you won’t,” the King said, walking his brother to the palace entrance. Outside, hundreds of the dogdom’s brethren had gathered to say their goodbyes to the Basset-army and Prince Smurphy-Murphy. King Harvey tried to speak to the crowd but his voice was drowned out by their cheering. He stood onto his back legs and he looked at them, sternly. “Grrrrrrrrrrrr… be quiet,” he growled and the throng went silent. “Our chocolate-mushroom harvest has died. Professor Maggoo has no answers as to who had poisoned them so we are forced to send our army across the seven dogdoms to the land of the Chihuahua.” A chorus of gasps filled the air. “I know that no one has ever returned from the seventh valley but Prince Smurphy-Murphy is confident he can bring back chocolate-mushroom seeds. Once again we will be able to grow our own. Can I say three cheers for our brave Prince and his fellow Basset warriors.”
“Hip hip hoorah,” Queen Betty Bassett shouted.
“Hip hip hoorah,” the crowd repeated. “Hip hip hoorah,” Yelled the King.
Queen Betty Basset walked up to Prince Smurphy-Murphy and kissed him on the cheek. “Take care brave prince, may you and your army have God’s speed at your backs.”
“Thank you your majesty,” he replied, kneeling and lowering his head in respect.
The procession of carriages pulled up in front of Wiggly-Bum Palace. Each one was drawn by eight Shih Tzu’s. Prince Smurphy-Murphy got onto his carriage, cracked his whip. “Onwards Basset-army, we have work to do,” he shouted.
Everyone waived their goodbyes to Prince Smurphy-Murphy. After ten minutes the last of the carriages passed the palace, a cloud of dust trailed behind the convoy, thrown up from the old dirt track.
Once upon a time, in the first of the seven dogdoms, the monarch of the marvellous, King Harvey Basset; leader of the most handsome dogs in the world and father of the nation of folds walked into Bassetland’s chocoboratory. Two cocker spaniel servants, wearing velvet-gloves on their paws, carried his ears knowing a dungeon awaited if they dropped them.
A thin glaze of emotion filled King Harvey’s eyes and a tear rolled down his cheek when he stared at the chocolate mushroom shelf, an empty chocolate mushroom shelf. “We have run out,” he complained.
Professor Magoo Basset came running out form his lab. “Your liege, I am so sorry,” he grovelled.” The chocolate mushrooms have failed to grow today – they have been poisoned.”
“What! Who would do such a thing? We cannot function without chocolate mushrooms,’ King Harvey yelled. “What can we do?”
Professor Magoo lowered his head and stroked his chin. “I have been trying to grow some in my chocoboratory, but I have failed miserably. All I have managed to do is make some chocolate chew-sticks.”
King Harvey pursed his lips, from behind him he heard the pitter-patter of Basset nails on the old stone floors. He span on a paw, Prince Smurphy-Murphy swaggered into the shop, looking pleased with himself. His magic cloak covered his shoulders and trailed along the floor as he stood in front of the King. His bodyguards, carrying their daggers on their wastes, stood either side of him. “Dear brother. I have an idea!” he said, with a cheeky smile on his face.
King Harvey’s brow narrowed. “I’m listening,” he drilled Prince Smurphy Murphy with wide inquisitive eyes.
The Prince swallowed, nervously. “There is a valley far away from the Basset dogdom, it’s the seventh valley and over several mountain ranges, and across many raging rivers. It has an abundance of chocolate mushrooms. It will take many weeks to get there but we can harvest their seeds so Professor Magoo can plant them again,” he said, confidently. ”But…” he paused, his lip quivering. “There will be terrible risks, my liege.”
“And how would you know this, Prince Smurphy Murphy?” King Harvey asked.
“I saw our journey in the all-seeing eye of the Grumpy Dragon.”
King Harvey scratched his head with his paw. “Hmmm… I do not want to put any of my subjects into danger but we have no choice. No chocolate mushrooms and the dogdom will become rebellious. This could lead to choco-riots, burning of pictures of the Royal Bassets and might even lead to an overthrow.”
Prince Smurphy-Murphy lowered his head in respect to the King. “In that case I offer myself and my army, despite the dangers, we will save your dogdom.”
King Harvey walked out of professor Magoo’s shop with his entourage following. “We must make a plan. Come to the Palace of Wiggly-Bum tomorrow and we will discuss this.”
“This will be my honour,” Prince Smurphy-Murphy said bowing.
CHAPTER TWO
The sun came over the mountain and the dogdom of Bassetland was bathed in golden light. King Harvey was eating a breakfast of roasted wild mushrooms and grass that his underlings had foraged from the forest. “My God, I can’t eat this for the rest of my reign,” he raged. “I would give three pieces of gold for a chocolate mushroom.”
One of his dog-servants approached. “Sir,” he said quietly. “Prince Smurphy-Murphy is here to see you.” The King threw his fork onto the plate. “Bah! Those are disgusting,” he moaned.
Prince Smurphy-Murphy walked towards him with several of his senior generals at his side. “My liege, I have worked through the night and have a thousand Basset-warriors ready to fight, a hundred Shih tzu slaves to pull our wagons and a dozen lady-Bassets to cook our meals and maintain our camp. We are armed with daggers, talking fleas, exploding frogs, mail-pigeons and the Grumpy Dragon has agreed to come with us as long as her Rotweiller bodyguards can carry her in a sedan chair.”
King Harvey’s eyes widened. “Can they be trusted. We don’t want anything to happen to her?”
“Of course, sir, they are a good breed of dogs. It was only their human owners that sent some of them into madness, but that could never happen now.”
King Harvey nodded. “They are long gone, thankfully so as long as you are happy, I am.”
“I appreciate your confidence in me.” Prince Smurphy-Murphy said, taking the Kings paw and kissing it. “You a re a great leader and I will not let you down.”
“I know you won’t,” the King said, walking his brother to the palace entrance. Outside, hundreds of the dogdom’s brethren had gathered to say their goodbyes to the Basset-army and Prince Smurphy-Murphy. King Harvey tried to speak to the crowd but his voice was drowned out by their cheering. He stood onto his back legs and he looked at them, sternly. “Grrrrrrrrrrrr… be quiet,” he growled and the throng went silent. “Our chocolate-mushroom harvest has died. Professor Maggoo has no answers as to who had poisoned them so we are forced to send our army across the seven dogdoms to the land of the Chihuahua.” A chorus of gasps filled the air. “I know that no one has ever returned from the seventh valley but Prince Smurphy-Murphy is confident he can bring back chocolate-mushroom seeds. Once again we will be able to grow our own. Can I say three cheers for our brave Prince and his fellow Basset warriors.”
“Hip hip hoorah,” Queen Betty Bassett shouted.
“Hip hip hoorah,” the crowd repeated. “Hip hip hoorah,” Yelled the King.
Queen Betty Basset walked up to Prince Smurphy-Murphy and kissed him on the cheek. “Take care brave prince, may you and your army have God’s speed at your backs.”
“Thank you your majesty,” he replied, kneeling and lowering his head in respect.
The procession of carriages pulled up in front of Wiggly-Bum Palace. Each one was drawn by eight Shih Tzu’s. Prince Smurphy-Murphy got onto his carriage, cracked his whip. “Onwards Basset-army, we have work to do,” he shouted.
Everyone waived their goodbyes to Prince Smurphy-Murphy. After ten minutes the last of the carriages passed the palace, a cloud of dust trailed behind the convoy, thrown up from the old dirt track.
