Forest Thunder and the Two Purple Lizards

Once upon a time there was a admirable boy called Forest Thunder. He was on the way to see his Andrew Hemingway, when he decided to take a short cut through Grizedale Forest.

It wasn't long before Forest got lost. He looked around, but all he could see were trees. Nervously, he felt into his bag for his favourite toy, Henry the Hippo, but Henry the Hippo was nowhere to be found! Forest began to panic. He felt sure he had packed Henry the Hippo. To make matters worse, he was starting to feel hungry.

Unexpectedly, he saw a purple lizard dressed in a green jacket disappearing into the trees.

"How odd!" thought Forest.

For the want of anything better to do, he decided to follow the peculiarly dressed lizard. Perhaps it could tell him the way out of the forest.

Eventually, Forest reached a clearing. In the clearing were three houses, one made from sweet potatoes, one made from lollipops and one made from fruit gums.

Forest could feel his tummy rumbling. Looking at the houses did nothing to ease his hunger.

"Hello!" he called. "Is anybody there?"

Nobody replied.

Forest looked at the roof on the closest house and wondered if it would be rude to eat somebody else's chimney. Obviously it would be impolite to eat a whole house, but perhaps it would be considered acceptable to nibble the odd fixture or lick the odd fitting, in a time of need.

A cackle broke through the air, giving Forest a fright. A witch jumped into the space in front of the houses. She was carrying a cage. In that cage was Henry the Hippo!

"Henry the Hippo!" shouted Forest. He turned to the witch. "That's my toy!"

The witch just shrugged.

"Give Henry the Hippo back!" cried Forest.

"Not on your nelly!" said the witch.

"At least let Henry the Hippo out of that cage!"

Before she could reply, two purple lizards rushed in from a footpath on the other side of the clearing. Forest recognised the one in the green jacket that he'd seen earlier. The witch seemed to recognise him too.

"Hello Big Lizard," said the witch.

"Good morning." The lizard noticed Henry the Hippo. "Who is this?"

"That's Henry the Hippo," explained the witch.

"Ooh! Henry the Hippo would look lovely in my house. Give it to me!" demanded the lizard.

The witch shook her head. "Henry the Hippo is staying with me."

"Um... Excuse me..." Forest interrupted. "Henry the Hippo lives with me! And not in a cage!"

Big Lizard ignored him. "Is there nothing you'll trade?" he asked the witch.

The witch thought for a moment, then said, "I do like to be entertained. I'll release him to anybody who can eat a whole front door."

Big Lizard looked at the house made from fruit gums and said, "No problem, I could eat an entire house made from fruit gums if I wanted to."

"That's nothing," said the next lizard. "I could eat two houses."

"There's no need to show off," said the witch. Just eat one front door and I'll let you have Henry the Hippo."

Forest watched, feeling very worried. He didn't want the witch to give Henry the Hippo to Big Lizard. He didn't think Henry the Hippo would like living with a purple lizard, away from his house and all his other toys.

The other one lizards watched while Big Lizard put on his bib and withdrew a knife and fork from his pocket.

"I'll eat this whole house," said Big Lizard. "Just you watch!"

Big Lizard pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from lollipops. He gulped it down smiling, and went back for more.

 And more.

 And more.

Eventually, Big Lizard started to get bigger - just a little bit bigger at first. But after a few more fork-fulls of lollipops, he grew to the size of a large snowball - and he was every bit as round.

"Erm... I don't feel too good," said Big Lizard.

Suddenly, he started to roll. He'd grown so round that he could no longer balance!

"Help!" he cried, as he rolled off down a slope into the forest.

Big Lizard never finished eating the front door made from lollipops and Henry the Hippo remained trapped in the witch's cage.

Average Lizard stepped up, and approached the house made from fruit gums. 

"I'll eat this whole house," said Average Lizard. "Just you watch!"

Average Lizard pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from fruit gums. She gulped it down smiling, and went back for more.

 And more.

 And more.

After a while, Average Lizard started to look a little queasy. She grew greener...

 ...and greener.

A woodcutter walked into the clearing. "What's this bush doing here?" he asked.

"I'm not a bush, I'm a lizard!" said Average Lizard.

"It talks!" exclaimed the woodcutter. "Those talking bushes are the worst kind. I'd better take it away before somebody gets hurt."

"No! Wait!" cried Average Lizard, as the woodcutter picked her up. But the woodcutter ignored her cries and carried the lizard away under his arm.

Average Lizard never finished eating the front door made from fruit gums and Henry the Hippo remained trapped in the witch's cage.

"That's it," said the witch. "I win. I get to keep Henry the Hippo."

"Not so fast," said Forest. "There is still one front door to go. The front door of the house made from sweet potatoes. And I haven't had a turn yet.

"I don't have to give you a turn!" laughed the witch. "My game. My rules."

The woodcutter's voice carried through the forest. "I think you should give him a chance. It's only fair."

"Fine," said the witch. "But you saw what happened to the lizards. He won't last long."

"I'll be right back," said Forest.

"What?" said the witch. "Where's your sense of impatience? I thought you wanted Henry the Hippo back."

Forest ignored the witch and gathered a hefty pile of sticks. He came back to the clearing and started a small camp fire. Carefully, he broke off a piece of the door of the house made from sweet potatoes and toasted it over the fire. Once it had cooked and cooled just a little, he took a bite. He quickly devoured the whole piece.

Forest sat down on a nearby log.

"You fail!" cackled the witch. "You were supposed to eat the whole door."

"I haven't finished," explained Forest. "I am just waiting for my food to go down."

When Forest's food had digested, he broke off another piece of the door made from sweet potatoes. Once more, he toasted his food over the fire and waited for it to cool just a little. He ate it at a leisurely pace then waited for it to digest.

Eventually, after several sittings, Forest was down to the final piece of the door made from sweet potatoes. Carefully, he toasted it and allowed it to cool just a little. He finished his final course. Forest had eaten the entire front door of the house made from sweet potatoes.

The witch stamped her foot angrily. "You must have tricked me!" she said. "I don't reward cheating!"

"I don't think so!" said a voice. It was the woodcutter. He walked back into the clearing, carrying his axe. "This little boy won fair and square. Now hand over Henry the Hippo or I will chop your broomstick in half."

The witch looked horrified. She grabbed her broomstick and placed it behind her. Then, huffing, she opened the door of the cage.

Forest hurried over and grabbed Henry the Hippo, checking that his favourite toy was all right. Fortunately, Henry the Hippo was unharmed.

Forest thanked the woodcutter, grabbed a quick souvenir, and hurried on to meet Andrew. It was starting to get dark.

When Forest got to Andrew's house, his threw his arms around him.

"I was so worried!" cried Andrew. "You are very late."

As Forest described his day, he could tell that Andrew didn't believe him. So he grabbed a napkin from his pocket.

"What's that?" asked Andrew.

Forest unwrapped a doorknob made from lollipops. "Pudding!" he said.

Andrew almost fell off his chair.

The End