The Story Game with Gandalf, Grayson and Whitey, too!

Bongo and the Hot Air Balloon

Gandalf, Grayson and Whitey — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:43:41 +0000

Four cats sat on a rail. The first cat was really only thinking aloud when she said “I’m getting kind of bored sitting here on this rail. We should go looking for something more interesting to do in the garden. If you all won’t go with me, I’ll go by myself.”

“Wait! Let me go too! Let’s have an ADVENTURE!!! Maybe we can find a mousie!”

“Hold up! We ALL want to go on a adventure!! Maybe we could to into the woods!!!”

So off the four adventurers went into the woods. The leader was quite brave and did not mind all of the strange sounds, but the little cat in the back was not quite as brave and was getting really scairt of all of the new sounds and smells. He was walking with his eyes half open and bumped into all of the kitties in front of him, who had all stopped because up ahead of them they saw an opening in the woods where there were lots of beautiful flowers growing. There were bees buzzing and butterflies fluttering and birdies chirping.

All four ran towards the flowers, ’cept the little one in the back who was still a little afraid, so he walked slowly and realized that the other cats were getting way far ahead, chasing all the butterflies.

The little cat wasn’t sure where the other cats were so he ran as fast as his paws would carry him trying to catch up with his friends when he sat down to get his bearings. While the little cat was consulting his compass, the other cats got farther and farther away!

“Oh no, what will I do to find my friends?” he cried out. The little cat began softly sobbing, for he was still young and easily frightened. Then, he heard a rustling, right behind him! What could it be? The little cat trembled a little, then he saw a brindle-colored puppy!

“Well hello, little cat! My name is Oz. What’s your name, and why are you crying?”

“Hello, Oz. My name is Bongo. I could not keep up with my three friends and now I have gone and gotten lost. Can you help me, Oz?”

“I certainly can,” he replied. “For I am like the Wizard of Oz.” I can help you find your friends. My hot air balloon is right over there, by the woods.”

“I’ve always wanted to take a balloon ride!” squeaked the little Bongo.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” replied the brindled Oz.

Little Bongo had never, ever set eyes on a hot air balloon! It was so big! Bongo felt scared but knew this might be his only chance for finding his friends.

“How does this work?” he asked Oz.

“Don’t worry – just hop in and think of your friends, I’ll do the rest!”

So Bongo followed Oz to the hot air balloon.

When they got there, he saw that there were a couple of other passengers. One was a flaming red little squirrel who said his name was Frenchie and the other was a toad called Poe. They were both lost too and needed help finding their bearings. They all climbed in and slowly the balloon rose up into the air.

Frenchie was looking for his parents. The last time he saw them they were in an oak tree looking for acorns. He got bored gathering nuts and wondered off, and then he got scared by a scary noise and ran really fast zig zagging this way then that until he couldn’t remember if the oak tree was in front of him or behind him or, well you get the idea. He was running around aimlessly when he ran smack into Oz, who offered to help.

Bongo thought with my good eye sight I bet I can spot the oak tree his parents are in and so he offered to help. He was leaning way over the side of the basket to get the best view possible when suddenly the balloon started to sink and it looked like they might hit the ground very hard. They all were scared, but things suddenly took a turn for the better because a big wind came up and blew them back up higher in the sky.

As the balloon rose, they could see the entire garden. As Bongo looked, he saw a big oak tree and two sad looking flaming red squirrels. He knew right away that they must be Frenchie’s parents, but he didn’t know how to signal them so he did something desperate, he sunk his little claws into Oz and that made Oz start barking like a fool! The sad looking flaming red squirrles starting chattering immediately.

Meanwhile, not so very far away, three cats said “This is fun! Right, Bongo?”

The three cats didn’t hear a response from Bongo and looked around, thinking he was lost in his own thoughts, as usual, but he was no where to be found. They were immediately concerned because their little brother was very special to them. They began retracing their steps when they heard a noise above them.

The three cats looked up to see a big hot air balloon above them, with Bongo waving excitedly and shouting “Here I am! I was lost, but my new friend Oz helped me find you!”

Oz found a clearing to land the balloon. Mr. and Mrs. Flaming Red Squirrel and the three cats scurried over to greet them. They indroduced themselves to Oz and they each thanked him repeatedly for reuniting them.

Just then Oz looked over to see poor Poe the Toad, sitting on a rope in the basket of the balloon looking rather sad and forelorn. Oz remembered that he still had to see that Poe got home. He hastily made his apologies to the group, promising to come for a visit soon.

The new-found friends all watched with wonder as the colorful balloon lazily made its way back up into the sky. Bongo was a bit sad to see his new friend Oz leave, but he understood that Oz had to be off onto his next adventure!

THE END

Thanks to all of this week’s Contributing Authors:

The Story Game – Four cats on a rail

Gandalf, Grayson and Whitey — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:01:11 +0000

Four cats sat on a rail. The first cat was really only thinking aloud when she said …

Jimmy and the Wizard’s Wand

Gandalf, Grayson and Whitey — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:00:00 +0000

Jimmy heard the strangest noise, and it was coming from inside the wall!

Jimmy was so excited! Fall was finally here and that meant his favorite holiday was coming! Halloween! Jimmy just loved Halloween! There were parties, dressing up in costumes and pranks to be played!

Jimmy was daydreaming about what he wanted to be this year when all of a sudden an eerie breeze blew through his whiskers. That’s odd, thought Jimmy, the windows are all closed.

Crash!

Jimmy looked across the room and saw a broken vase on the floor, and then he heard the strangest noise, and it was coming from inside the wall!

Wow, what gives? Where could that noise be coming from and who could be making it? This is just tooooo weird!!!

Jimmy quietly walked closer to the wall. He heard “tap tap tap, tap tap tap.” Jimmy mustered up all of his courage and said “Um…. hello? Is anyone in there?”

He could barely hear it, but he was sure he heard the wall say in a tiny little voice, “Help me, Jimmy! Please, help me!”

Jimmy crept closer to the wall and said in a quavery voice “Who is in there?” Then he jumped back, in case it was a ghost.

From the wall, he could hear that something was definitely moving!! He saw a tear in the wallpaper so he pawed at it and uncovered a small opening. He gingerly peeked inside and was amazed to see a big passageway inside the walls!!!!

Jimmy gathered up all of his courage and walked down the narrowing passage way. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw a glow-in-the-dark arrow pointing down a new hallway! And beyond that a large room full of the most amazing things! Jimmy was looking at all the neat things when he heard someone calling his name.

He looked around and saw a Wizard stuck inside a vase. The Wizard said, “I need your help, Jimmy. I was working on my shrinking spell and I accidentally fell in this vase, and to make matters worse I lost my wand! I need you to help me get out of the vase and find my wand, but it will not be easy. When I shrank, my wand shrank also, and now it is about the size of a staple. I’m afraid it might be really hard to see in the dim light in here. Also, the Giant Woofie is standing guard over the place where my wand fell.

Jimmy was very afraid of the Giant Woofie.

“The Giant Woofie is very terrifying, but he does have a weakness” said the Wizard. “It is tail scritches. If you can creep up behind him without him seeing you, everything will be okay. Scritch his tail and he’s a big soft puppy dog. Beware if he sees you coming though. He has strange powers and he will howl at the top of his lungs and breathe fire! He is a scary Woofie!”

Jimmy said “I want to help you, Wizard. I think I can sneak up on the Woofie and give him tail scritches.”

The wizard told Jimmy “If you get my wand back, I will grant you a wish, anything you want!”

Jimmy said “I can do it! Tell me where the Woofie is!”

The wizard pointed over to the bathroom. “The Woofie is in there, drinking water out of the toilet bowl.”

Jimmy crept up to the door nervously. He could hear loud slobbering. Quietly, Jimmy peeked round the door. He saw the Woofie gulping water out of the bowl, Jimmy took a deep breath and approached the Woofie. Just as he got to it’s tail, the Woofie turned around.

WOOFWOOFWOOF! Jimmy was scared! He wasn’t sure what to do or say.

Just then the Woofie lay down and held out his front paw towards Jimmy. Jimmy was taken by surprise and jumped straight up into the air! His tail was all puffed out! When he looked at the Woofie again he had his head low on the floor, and started to whimper.

“What’s wrong, Giant Woofie?”, asked Jimmy.

“Please, young cat, call me Doone. I seem to have gotten something stuck in between my paw pads that is causing me great pain and I can not get it out.”

“My name is Jimmy, and I am pleased to meet you, Doone. I am so sorry you are in pain. Would you like me to see if I can get it out for you?”, asked Jimmy.

“That would be very kind of you, Jimmy, and I would be forever in your debt” replied Doone.

With little care for his own safety from the Giant Woofie, Jimmy looked at Doone’s giant paw and began searching for whatever it was that was causing Doone’s distress.

“Jimmy!”, the Wizard called out. “Take care! Have you forgotten the Giant Woofie could cause you great harm? Have you forgotten that I also need your help?”

“No, Wizard, I have not forgotten. I promise you that I will help you as soon as I have found what is hurting Doone.”

Jimmy started looking deep into Doone’s great paws. Just when he thought he had looked everywhere, Jimmy saw something. He used his teeths and finally got it out! “Look, Doone! I think I’ve found it! Do you feel any better?”, asked Jimmy.

“Oh, thank you, Jimmy! I do feel so much better now!”, said Doone.

“Jimmy, my wand!”, the Wizard loudly.

“Where?”, asked Jimmy, looking around him.

“In your paw! My wand is in your paw!”, said the Wizard.

Jimmy looked down at his paw and he saw a tiny sliver clutched in his clenched paw. He had to look quite closely before he realized that he had pulled the Wizard’s wand out of Doone’s paw, much like a splinter!

“Well done, Jimmy!”, said the Wizard. “Quickly now, hand it to me.”

Jimmy walked over towards the Wizard and handed him the wand. The Wizard said quite loudly “Largioso!”

The Wizard suddenly was growing right before Jimmy and Doone’s eyes. Suddenly the Wizard was standing before them in his normal height.

“Thank you, Jimmy!”, said the Wizard.

“Yes, thank you, Jimmy!”, said Doone.

“It seems we both owe you a great deal. How can I ever repay you?” asked Doone.

“Yes, I owe you a wish, Jimmy! Ask it, and it is yours.”, said the Wizard.

“All I have ever wanted is a Best Friend. I hope you will both be my friends. That is my only wish!” said Jimmy.

“Jimmy, that wish will not even require any magic” , replied the Wizard, grinning from ear to ear. “Come, my new friends. Let us share a nice lunch while we discuss our wonderful Halloween party!”

THE END

Thank you to all of our Contributing Authors!

We hope you have enjoyed this week’s story!

We have wonderful news to report! Daisy told us that Jimmy has just been adopted! He has found his real Forever Home! We are very happy for Jimmy and his new family!

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