Frog Pond PDF file

Transcription

Frog Pond PDF file
We Wish You A
Merry CHristmas!
We WiSh You A
Merry Christmas!
Welcome to
Frog Pond
Books
This is a rough draft for
your Holiday enjoyment,
please help me by noting
any mistakes, grammatical
or otherwise ... ENJOY!
BETA .9.1
Contact:
[email protected]
25 STORIES
FOR DECEMBER
TEXT & PICTURES BY
MARK GARRETSON
A FROG POND BOOK
FROG POND IS A DAILY COMIC STRIP
This Book is Dedicated To
CREATED BY MARK GARRETSON
Tracey Sedivec
AND FOUND ONLINE AT
HTTP://FROG-POND.NET
THIS BOOK IS A WORK OF FICTION,
IT IS ENTIRELY MADE UP AND WAS
INSPIRED BY MANY PEOPLE, PLACES
AND THINGS SUCH AS THAT LAMP
OVER THERE ... ALSO I SHOULD
MENTION UNCLE WIGGILY ...
SOMEHOW SOME CHARACTERS
JUMPED OVER TO FROG POND...
My Beloved Wife
& Best Friend
Without Her, None Of
This Would Be Possible.
Steve
Rollie
Kafka
A.G.
Jeff
and Friends
Lucy
Reggie
The Skuddlemagoon
The Pipsewah
The Skeezicks
Lucy Skates
Lucy Ladybug does not fly south for the winter,
to the contrary, she delights in the cold frosty
months of winter. She skates across the ice,
dancing and gliding as she sings her own sweet
song.
Lucy is in love. It’s true, she has fallen for Kafka.
Lucy is planning her next move ...
Of course she will invite him over for tea. But first,
there’s time for one more double loop, pearl
spin, quintuple rotation axel and then
some hot cocoa.
Now in case the mosquito doesn’t notice that the sad stapler is
jammed with staples again, our next story will be about Kafka
and the gift.
page 9
Kafka Ponders
Kafka bug woke up one cold and chilly morning and thought
to himself, “My life is a sock on a rock waiting to dry...”, then
he discovered to his utter delight that there was a beautifully
wrapped gift on his front porch just waiting for him. “What’s
this?” he wondered out loud. He looked for a gift tag or a
card, but the gift was simply labeled Kafka in swirly loopy golden ink. Also there was a “Do not open until Christmas” sticker
underneath his name. But today is merely December 2nd, How
could he possibly wait for twenty three more days to find out
about his gift.
Kafka decided to ask around the pond and find out if
anyone knew who left this gift ... But lo and behold no one
claimed to know anything about it, except that A.G. smiled
and winked when he said, “It wasn’t me!” So maybe it was
from him. Who could it be? And what could it be? Kafka decided to fly back home when Lucy Ladybug invited him over
for tea ... Really, Who could it be? Was it from Lucy? ... or A.G.?
Or perhaps it was from a distant relative? Oh well, only twenty
three more days to go ...
Now if the rain drops nip the nose of the Pipsewah and wake
him up before his nap is over, next our story will be ... Tex and
the tadpoles!
page 10
Tex’s Tall Tale
Over on the far side of the frog pond under the old oak tree, Old Tex the
turtle was holding court with a few tadpoles that had resurfaced during a
warm spell, one December day... “I tells ya that fish was THIS BIG! And the
blasted thing tried to nip my toes off too ...He was the meanest Catfish
this pond had seen in many a Moon...” “What happened to it, Gramps?”
“Wuzzat? Oh ... ya mean Crazy Cantankerous Carlos the cranky Catfish?
Well now, as I recall ... He remained a problem for quite some time until ..
until .. Oh yes ... our Alley Gator friend came along and made the pond
his new home ... Yes ... he settled that matter, right quick ...” “You mean
A.G., Pop Pop?” “OF COURSE I’m talkin’ about A.G. ya silly polliwogs, just
how many alley gators do you see around heres? We just got the one see! And he makes it so no fish ever gets so big and troublesome again
... Now mind you, that alley gator is partial to birds and fish ... but I’d be a
might bit cautious around him all the same little ones ... He might mistake
ya for a guppy! Just stay round here ‘til ya legs grow in ... Z’all I’m sayin’
... now, off with yas - It’s time for Tex to bask in some of that GLORIOUS
sunshine shining on that there rock ... now scoot! ... And get back to your
winter’s sleep, boys!” “Yes sir. Bye bye, Pop pop!” And so the tadpoles
return to their special place down at the bottom of the pond and Tex
swims over to his sun drenched rock.
And if the Ice Cubes don’t run away with the Lollipop King,
when they should be keeping the popsicles chilled for all the
good boys and girls to eat on a warm and sunny afternoon by
the lake, I’ll tell you next how the Froglets had fun playing in
the snow!
page 13
Froglets play
page 14
Now they say this tradition began years before frog’s could hop, but
actually it began not so very long ago when two mischievous froglets,
by the names of Reggie & Rollie woke up one chilly December morning and got their first glimpse of snow ... Indeed, ever since then froglets
all across the pond are given a free pass to leave their winter’s rest ~ to
frolic and play in the snow for just one day. Now everyone thinks that’s
the way it’s always been, it’s now a Frog Pond tradition after all. And
so it went until this day, when four bold froglet boys went out to play on
the first fine snow of the year. Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy just so
happened to be out in the snow the day that Pip and Skee came to call
in Frog Pond. Yes, the famous Disc Jockey, DJ Pip and his partner Skeezicks were on their way to visit their old friend A.G., the skillery skallery alley
gator with the clickety-clackety tail. But when those two fellows saw the
gigantic snow frog, the froglet boys were making, piled eight feet high
with Dee Dee’s head on top they just laughed themselves silly. So the
Pipsewah and the Skeezicks joined in on the fun and before you could
say “Olly Olly Oxen Free” while eating a Peanut butter and jellyfish sandwich, Pip and Skee had built a fantastic snow fort big enough for all of
them to play in. It was so tall that the Skeezicks could stand up without
bumping his head in the center dome and it had forty eleven windows
and umpteen hiding places too. I just wish you could have seen it, it was
one of the best snow forts you could imagine, take my word for it. Well
after several dozen games of snowball tag and hide the red apple, everyone was getting quite cold and wet. So the froglets hopped and Pip
& Skee strolled over to Jeff’s bungalow beside the pond. Jeff was making a big pot of hot cocoa and stoking the fire in the fireplace, when Pip
and Skee introduced themselves and offered to help do the dishes and
make Lunch for everyone using the groceries they had brought along in
their backpacks. According to Johnny, it was “the best most fun-est day
ever” because after a delicious lunch, Jeff joined the group outside in
the snow and introduced the froglets to the joys of Snowboarding downhill. Even Pip and Skee got in on the action, and built their own boards
that day from some redwood in Jeff’s garage. Now these four bold froglets had no intention of returning to their winter’s rest, they were just having so much fun playing in the snow together. And so it went, and that’s
how the Snow Lovers Club began in Frog Pond. Jeff became the President and gave free Snowboarding lessons on Wednesdays. They even
built a nice and cozy snow lodge to live in during the winter on top of the
big hill, so they could hop out of bed and snowboard down to Jeff’s for
breakfast.
Now if the Waffle Maker’s wife does not wear high heels to the
Holiday Soirée and upset the Hostess, because she forget her
ballet lesson and can’t let little things go, next our story will be
about how Squeaky-Eaky learns to ski.
page 17
Squeaky-Eaky Triumphs
page 18
Squeaky-Eaky the mouse was always quite cautious and fearful. She
was always on the look out for danger, she had to be ... After all deep in
Wood Land where she lived there were two troublesome fellows by the
names of Fuzzy Fox and Woozy Wolf that wanted nothing more than to
make a meal of her. Well, Squeaky-Eaky was quite a clever mouse girl
and long before Reggie and Rollie discovered the joys of snow, SqueakyEaky found out how snow could make all the difference. She found a
way to finally triumph over her two foes once and for all, well at least in
the winter. It all began one day, when Squeaky-Eaky smelled toasted
seeded bagels in the air ... Yes, it was toasted seeded bagels after all ...
They were left by the kind old lady with the fuzzy blue pom hat. SqueakyEaky found out from Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the squirrel brothers,
that her name was Missus Edna. They knew all about her, because she
traveled through the woods every day in the winter with wood planks on
her boots, and she always left food behind for the animals too. Well, this
really peaked Squeaky-Eaky’s curiosity ~ Wood planks on her feet? Why
in the world would a woman do such a thing? So Squeaky-Eaky followed
her one day and found out how she snapped her boots into special
bindings that went CLICK-SNAP ... then Mrs. Edna would grab her poles
and head down the trail that lead to the Smiling Pool. Squeaky-Eaky
could not believe her eyes! It was like magic, gliding across the surface
of the snow so quickly and gracefully! Squeaky-Eaky began to follow and
observe Mrs. Edna every day and watch how the “Skis” worked. Well,
Squeaky-Eaky decided to make her very own Skis and see if she could
travel across the snow just like Mrs. Edna. It took over a week of gnawing
and sanding with river stones, but Squeaky-Eaky kept at it, working on
her skis every day until they were finished. As a final touch, she painted
them a deep cherry red to match her new snow coat she had made by
dipping it in cherry juice for forty eleven nights. Squeaky-Eaky was done
hiding and scampering about the woods in fear. She was ready to knock
Fuzzy Fox & Woozy Wolf’s socks off! And that’s exactly what she did too. It
took two more weeks of patient practice and lots of crashing in the snow
to get the hang of skiing. But soon Squeaky-Eaky could follow Mrs. Edna
and match her graceful moves and zip past her by bouncing off tree
branches as well. Finally the day came ... Squeaky-Eaky was ready at
last to show her two unpleasant adversaries just who they were messing
with. She sat down and nibbled on some sunflower seeds in the middle of
an open clearing, she pretended not to notice Fuzzy and Woozy as they
slowly tracked her ...dashing from tree to bush to rock and hedge ... They
were only a few feet away, and they were both crawling up behind her
on their bellies when Squeaky-Eaky snapped on her skis and watched
in complete satisfaction at the puzzled and confused looks on Fuzzy &
Woozy’s furry faces as Squeaky-Eaky jumped up into the air, skiied over a
bump and blasted snow right into their faces with a quick turn of her skis.
She smiled and winked at the two bewildered and confused creatures,
giggled a happy giggle, then blazed straight down the Big Hill to the
Laughing Brook behind Sucker’s Swimming Hole. Squeaky-Eaky laughed
and laughed all the way down to the frozen brook. Her winter worries
were over, and to celebrate her victory she skied from the woods over
to Frog Pond and met a nice frog playing in the snow named Jeff. Yes, it
was Squeaky-Eaky, herself, who taught Jeff everything he knows about
traveling on top of the snow. Of course, Jeff prefers to Snowboard rather
than to ski ... But it was Squeaky-Eaky the mouse who got him started on
the path of Snowboarding to begin with. Squeaky-Eaky was later honored after the formation of the Snow Lovers Club and given a Banquet
dinner every year to show their appreciation for Squeaky-Eaky’s clever
genius.
Now if the record player’s needle doesn’t bump the sleepy
beetle as the record spins and cause the beetle to dance
the hully-gully, our next story will be about how Kiki Cat and
Douglas Dog got lost in the woods and ended up on the moon!
page 21
Kiki & Douglas Travel
page 22
Kiki and Douglas were the best of friends, they were like peanut butter
and jelly ever since they were old enough to walk, they stuck together
and went here, there & everywhere. They grew up living next door to
each other and met the day Kiki kicked her ball over the fence and
it bonked Douglas on the nose which caused him to slip on the grass,
completing a double back flip, then landing on the ball that bonked
him with one foot. It was an amazing feat of spontaneous grace, and
it was the moment that Kiki was completely smitten by the acrobatic
puppy with the funny nose. The two friends played the days away until
they grew up and moved to France, where they learned how to dance.
It was a story book romance. They eloped to Bali, put on several award
winning puppet shows together, then found themselves living in Tokyo
designing toys together. After two years of making some of the best toys
you never even got to see, or play with, they left it all behind to travel the
world together on a sailboat. Well long story short, they were not expert
sailors and that first trip out to sea ended with them sinking their ship on a
tropical island where they lived alone with a family of monkeys for three
years, when they were recruited by pirates to hunt for the lost treasure of
King Panda Pants. Well they found it, eventually ... in Tibet of all places.
But decided to join the Tibetan Monks and study Buddhism together.
After a few years of living in peace in the mountains of Tibet, the twosome decided it was time to settle down and start a family ... Long story
short, they ended up in Frog Pond house sitting for Jeff when they fell in
love with the place. Together they built the most amazing tree house
you never did get to climb up in and see, but take my word for it, it really
had everything! (Maybe if you’re lucky, I might draw a picture of it some
day.) Kiki and Douglas became good friends with Jeff and Squeaky-Eaky
and would often go hiking together in the back country of Frog Pond.
Well it was December, and their two friends were off on a skiing and
snowboarding trip to Mount Strawberry together, so Kiki & Douglas went
out for a walk in the woods on their own to look for Chanterelles. After
lunch, they decided to leave Rabbit Foot trail to check out some promising looking brambles, when suddenly they found themselves lost in the
deep dark woods. Sure, one minute it’s a wonderful wooded winter wonderland and then the next, it’s suddenly “the deep dark woods”. Well,
that’s how it felt to Kiki and Douglas at any rate. The sun began to set as
they wandered about, but Kiki and Douglas weren’t too worried ... they
could still had time to find the trail again. So they followed the sound of
running water, hoping a river might wind its way back to Rabbit Foot trail
when they discovered the strangest thing they had ever seen just sitting
there surrounded by pine trees and half buried in a big snow drift... What
was it? They did not know ... But it looked like an enormous silver orb with
huge reflective circular windows across the mid section of the orb. One
window was wide open, and a strange blueish green light emanated
from within. Douglas ran up to take a closer look see, but Kiki warned him
to be careful because it could be dangerous. But did Douglas listen? Not
even for a micro-milli-second ... he was just too excited and curious... He
barked with joy and in a micro-milli-second, a strange creature was petting Douglas on the head and barking dog talk from the nose horn on
his head. Douglas called over to Kiki, “He says his name is Rillakkumma,
and he will trade us three Chanterelles for a ride to outer space & back
again.” Now it just so happened that Kiki and Douglas had found exactly
three Chanterelles half buried in the snow during their walk off the trail.
So they gladly traded Rillakkuma the Chanterelles for a trip to the moon.
They all climbed aboard and in two and half micro-milli-seconds they
were in orbit around the Moon... it was incredible, I wish you could have
seen it - a dog and cat with an alien hopping around the moon together, hold the phone ... there is a picture - turn back the page, and you will
see it for yourself. Well there you go ...
Now if the silly squirrel doesn’t get loose in the house and bite
holes in my yellow curtains and make them look like swiss
cheese, the next picture and story will be about our good
friend, Alexander Salamander!
page 25
Alexander Dreams
page 26
Alexander Salamander was hunkered down in his big hollow log for his
winter’s rest, only he had one slight problem . . . he could NOT sleep. So,
instead he decided to play video games. Lots and lots of video games,
until he got so bored, he went retro and began playing the old classic video games of yesteryear. Yes, he worked his way from Pong to Ms.
Pacman until he finally decided to take a break and rest his sore fingers.
So he went to Fluffybucks cafe and drank not one, not two, but THREE
peppermint Mochas, because they were just so warm and tasty. Then
Alexander began to bounce back to his hollow log like a crazy wet noodle, he bounced off trees and hopped over branches, then completed
a triple flip spin 360 into his hollow log where he slammed his head into
his Grandmother’s antique Handle Pine Tree table lamp with Griffin base
and knocked himself out cold. Alexander had a wild and wooly dream
that changed his life forever ... It began with him running in a maze filled
with pellets and then suddenly he was being chased by four ghosts
named Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Sue. What would Crazy Otto do? Alexander ran to the left, yes, this maze was all too familiar now ... He was
in Level Seven of Ms. Pacman, now if only he could power up and get
that banana! But the ghosts were calling him and urging him to change
his ways and become a better person ... “Choose the right path, you
are headed the wrong way, Alexander!” Alexander woke up in a cold
sweat just as the four ghosts had him surrounded. He was a changed
amphibian! He ran to his window and tore open the sash and the shutters
and shouted to a poor pill bug down below, “You there, bug! What day
is this? Did I miss Christmas?” “No, it’s Saturday, December Seventh, you
Goof Bucket!” Alexander laughs and vows out loud to become a better
brother and a more helpful son, to his two hard working parents. He begins by cleaning their house and doing all the dishes and the laundry too.
It’s a beautiful moment that he will never forget; the simple joy of helping
others.
So if the Bocce ball doesn’t make friends with the Bowling ball
so they can join the Basketball in a game of Nine ball with the
Soccer ball, our next picture and story will tell how Jack Frost
joined the Snow Lovers Club for a day full of frosty fun, and as
for the Fox and Wolf - See what happened to them. Oh my!
Jack Frost plays
Early one Sunday morning in the Lodge, the Snow Lover’s Club called
Dreamland, Squeaky-Eaky woke up to find all the pipes and water had
frozen over night. So Squeaky-Eaky and Jeff decided to ski down the
mountain and bring up some fresh water from the spring. As the twosome set out on skis and snowbaord, Jeff said, “Perhaps I may have an
adventure today.” “Oh look, Jeff.” Squeaky-Eaky said as they reached
the Spring past the meadow and the Smiling Pool. “Who is that?” Dancing across the meadow and freezing all the trees and bushes with frost
and ice was a funny little chap all dressed in blue. “I am Jack Frost”, answered the little fellow for himself. “I am helping the North Wind.” “That’s
delightful”, Jeff declared. “We just love the cold snow of winter. We even
made a club, because we love it so much.” Jack Frost smiled at Jeff and
danced up into a tree and began to make it snow over Jeff’s head. Jeff
quickly filled his bucket with water from the spring before that froze as
well. Jack flipped off the tree and landed on the Spring, as the Spring
became ice, Jack skated across it most gracefully. “Oh look, Jeff, here
comes two friends of mine!”, said Squeaky-Eaky. It was Jillie and Jollie
Mouse, they were gathering chestnuts beyond the meadow. They came
over at once and said, “We’ll help you Jeff.” Jillie and Jollie put the pail
between them and used a ski pole to carry it. Jeff said that was very
kind. Jack Frost waving good bye from the Spring, saw the bad fox and
wolf behind a tree. “There is going to be trouble”, Jack Frost said.
page 30
“Ah Ha! We have you now!” barked and growled the bad fox and wolf
as they jumped out from behind a bush and grabbed Jeff and SqueakyEaky. “Yes, I see, you got me this time ... Okay, now I’ll be it and will try
and catch you.” said Jeff, thinking they were all playing a game of tag
together. “Please just let us take the water back to Dreamland Lodge.”,
pleaded Jeff. “No way! Forget it!”, the fox and wolf laughed. They all sat
down on a log together. Meanwhile Jack Frost began piling up snowballs
faster than you could spell “Mississippi”. He motioned over to Jillie and
Jollie. The two mice quietly and cautiously crept away from Woozy Wolf
and Fuzzy Fox. They joined Jack Frost behind the bushes. “On the count
of three, we attack.”, Jack said pointing to his pile of snowballs. And attack they did! They made it rain over forty eleven snow balls on top of
the Wolf and Fox’s heads, until they howled in defeat and the two ruffians retreated into the safety of the woods. Squeaky-Eaky blew kisses to
Jack Frost and said she loved him. Jack Frost laughed so hard at the fox
and the wolf running away that he cracked an icicle.
And if the puppy dog doesn’t go Christmas shopping and forget to buy wrapping paper, the next picture and story will be
how the Fuzzy Fox was undone by a pickle!
Fuzzy Fox Gets tricked
page 34
Every year on Christmas, Reggie and Rollie frog would play a game with
all their animal friends by the big Christmas tree called “Find the pickle!”
It began with a simple glass pickle ornament, and whoever found it
got a year of “good luck” and an extra present, simple enough right?
Well, after awhile they decided to make it more challenging and use a
real pickle instead … they began hiding it in strange and funny places
… Then one year Reggie found the most delicious pickle that he ever
tasted. It was a genuine Gundelberg Barrel pickle from Germany, it was
fantastic! The best pickle ever, many pickle experts declared in bold print
on the jar. So when the first year of the contest was held with the fancy
Gundelberg pickle, Fuzzy Fox won and ate that big crunchy pickle in
four bites. He said it was the best thing he had ever tasted. He said it was
better than dirty socks, yes, it was even better than fresh fish… yes, and
it was better than a triple berry pie! He talked about it all year and the
next year, he won again, and ate that Gundelberg pickle in three bites.
He declared the second pickle was even better than the first one he
had, and bragged about it all year long, until the following Christmas …
That year everyone got quite serious about winning, because they didn’t
want to hear Fuzzy Fox talk about how delicious and crisp and crunchy it
was anymore! Well somehow Fuzzy Fox won the contest again, his keen
sense of smell and his abounding love for those Gundelberg pickles was
unbeatable. This time he ate that pickle in just two bites! Well, Reggie
and Rollie were getting fed up with Fuzzy Fox as well … so they decided
to take action. So instead of waiting until Christmas morning for the pickle
game to begin, they bought a barrel full of Gundelberg pickles and
started hiding them all over Frog Pond. One pickle was hidden each and
every day in December by the two tricksters. And to make the game
even more fun, they hid fake rubber pickles all over frog pond, under
logs and behind bushes, even in trees and under water too. Some say
they hid over forty eleven rubber pickles, but no one can say for sure, because the game is not over yet. At any rate, Reggie and Rollie are going
to make certain that everyone in Frog Pond this month will get a chance
to try those tasty and delicious Gundelberg barrel pickles, except for
one fuzzy pointy eared orange somebody … you know who! YES! Fuzzy
Fox was on the hunt each and every day, and twice on Sundays, but no
matter how early he got up in the morning, somehow or other wherever
he went the pickle of the day wasn’t. Even Squeaky-Eaky herself found
a pickle the other day inside a hollow log. Then one day, in fact it was
today that this happened, Fuzzy Fox was pickle hunting at the great big
grassy meadow when he suddenly picked up a big strong smell of Dill in
the air … it just had to be the Gundelberg pickle! And it was quite close
too! And as Fuzzy Fox saw it, not one hundred yards away sitting on a
plate on a red and white picnic blanket … He saw fifteen Frog Pond
friends enter the meadow as well … Fuzzy Fox never did run so fast in his
entire life as he did today – he made a crazy mad sprint to the pickle,
and just as he went to grab it … the pickle jumped off the plate, all by
itself and flew out of reach into the air like magic! (Actually, it was Reggie
and Rollie … they had tied the pickle to a fishing line and were hiding up
in the top of a tree just waiting for Fuzzy Fox to come along.) It was just
the funniest thing you ever saw ~ Fuzzy Fox, with his big pink tongue wagging, chasing after this magical dancing pickle. Everyone who was there
fell down laughing … Just ask Lucy Ladybug or Kiki Cat, they will tell you
all about it … Fuzzy was so embarrassed and mortified that the pickle got
away from him, that he ran up to the mountains for the rest of the day …
But, in case you think he has given up on pickles … think again … He is
getting ready for tomorrow … and hoping that with his keen nose he will
find the next pickle …
Now if the Pollywog does not turn off the radio, so that the Cardinals will finally get some peace and quiet this evening in
their nest by the pond, the next story and picture will be about
another troublesome chap by the name of Woozy Wolf!
page 37
Woozy Wolf has a Sick Day
Once there was a Woozy Wolf who actually grew up in a close
knit family that got down right festive during the Holidays ...
Yes, they baked cookies, decorated the Den from top to bottom, and all groomed themselves extra well ... Everyone in
Wood Land and Frog Pond simply assumed Woozy was being
“Ironic” with his Holly Jolly Santa hat on his head, but actually
he was being sincere. He loved this time of year ... always had
... His brothers and the other pack wolves would get together
every year and celebrate in high style. But this year Woozy
wasn’t going back home to his pack ... this year he was on
his own ... and quite down in spirits and his health ... Cough
Cough, hack hack, sneeze ... ”Ouch! My brain hurts” ... Woozy
Wolf fell down, he got up again ... a crust of bread and some
soup ... and some warm sassafras tea ... that’s the ticket, he
thought ... “I am going back to bed ...” , Woozy Wolf declared
and so he did.
Now if the Author / Illustrator doesn’t wake up in an even
worse state of Health, the next story and picture will be about
A.G.’s fine friend the Skeezicks ... and he appears to be dressing like the fourth Doctor Who from the 70s... Maybe we’ll find
out more tomorrow or perhaps we will be sadly disappointed
and just stay in bed all day long sleeping and playing Carcaspage 38
sonne ... hard to say really ....
The SkeeZicks is Dr. Who?
The Skeezicks went for a walk to get some air on a very windy and cold
December day. His incredibly long striped scarf and hat kept him cozy
and warm as the fierce and frosty North wind blew with Jack Frost not
far behind. As the Skeezicks walked past the Frog Pond, Reggie stared
at the Skeezicks and said, “Hey look, there goes DOCTOR WHO!” Well,
Rollie frog thought that was so very funny, he laughed and laughed until
he flipped off his lily pad then swam over to the Skeezicks and said, “Hey
Doctor, Where’s your TARDIS?” “Excellent question, my good frog! WHERE
is my Tardis?” I can’t seem to find it around here anywhere ... I could of
sworn I left it just over there by those trees.” Care for a Jelly baby?” The
Skeezicks took a plastic packet of gummy candy babies in various colors
out of his pocket and handed some to Reggie and Rollie. They shot out
their tongues and ate their candies up, smiling. “You haven’t seen my
assistant, Romana, around here have you? No? I thought not.”, the Skeezicks said to the frogs, then wandered off looking dazed and confused.
“Wow, he really thinks he is Doctor Who”, Reggie said to Rollie. “Looks
just like him, even without the hat.” “Maybe he IS the doctor.” “Ha!” The
two frogs kept talking as the Skeezicks walked on, over the river and into
the woods. He smiled a big smile to himself, he knew he wasn’t actually
Doctor Who, but it sure was fun pretending he thought he was for awhile,
“Besides a bit of Cosplay always brightens up the day.”, he said to no
one in particular. No one in particular was a small red ant, who just happened to be locked out of his ant hole, and could not find his keys to
beat the band.
page 41
Now if the Band doesn’t play Here Comes Santa Claus before
Peter Cottontail gets home, no one in particular will be the wiser and the next story will be about the Pipsewah, also known
as DJ Pip or as his Mother likes to call him, Pipsy Wipsy Cutie
Wootie. Well at least she used to, when he was young.
page 42
The Pipsewah Prepares
DJ Pip was all set to go, the vintage copy of Elvis’s Christmas Album in
festive translucent green vinyl lay in his hand. “Nothing like a Holly Jolly
Dance party before Christmas to get everyone feeling that Holiday
Spirit.”, the Pipsewah said to his good friend and partner, the Skeezicks.
“That’s fantastic, Pip! Have you seen my Sonic Screwdriver around here
anywhere? I’m thinking of taking another walk by the frog pond today.” “Oh, Skee, you’re just too much!”, The Pipsewah chuckled as his
good friend left the house still dressed like you know WHO. The Pipsewah
packed up his crates full of Christmas records and got ready to pull the
wagon over to the pond, so he could get his stereo equipment set up
before guests began arriving for the dance party. As Pip came around
the bend, by the old Elm tree, Sally Squirrel asked him, “Whatcha going
to play for the first song, Pip?” “Well, Sally, I think tonight we are going
to get things started with an old favorite of mine ... The J’s with Jamie’s
version of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, cha cha cha!” “NICE! Can’t
wait - See ya Pip!”, Sally sang as she hopped up a tree and disappeared
out of sight. The Pipsewah smiled, he just loved music and making people
happy by playing songs for everyone.
Now in case the toothpaste cap gets lost and never finds his
way back to the toothpaste again, causing untold sadness on
the toothpaste’s part, the next story and picture will be about
two best friends named Ringo Rooster & Giddy-Up the Horse,
page 44
decorating the Frog Pond Christmas Tree.
Ringo & Giddy up Decorate
Ringo Rooster and Giddy Up the horse were hard at work decorating the big Christmas tree. Ringo found the storage box
that contained the tree topper, a vintage twelve inch green
mercury glass topper flocked with silver and gold piping. It was
an exquisite ornament, that they were quite proud of. They
had found it one Sunday while out picking some yard sales,
thrift stores and estate sales together. They paid one dollar for
it, but to them it was absolutely priceless, worth more than all
the hay in the barn and the bird seed too. Ringo flew up to the
top of the tree and placed the ornament on top, perfectly.
The tree was finished, it glowed with lights and shiny ornaments
too. Giddy Up grabbed a bowl of leftover popcorn that did
not get strung, and the two friends just sat there by the tree
admiring its beauty and thinking about all the good times they
had over the past year together. DJ Pip smiled over at them
and played Dancing Snowflake by Elliot Lawrence as the
dance party at Frog Pond continued.
Now if the Gingerbread boy doesn’t find his way home to his
Gingerbread house and trip over a gum drop on candy lane,
our next story and picture will feature Squeaky-Eaky’s good
friend, Sally Squirrel.
page 47
Sally Decides to Be kind
Sally Squirrel was out for her morning tree run and breakfast hunt when
she saw Alexander Salamander handing out beautiful origami cranes to
all the animal children in the woods. Well, that was certainly very kind of
him, she thought. Then after Alexander had handed out an entire box
full of cranes, and handed the last crane to Jimmy Wibble-Wobble the
Duck boy, Alexander smiled and said goodbye to all the ducks, bunnies,
mice, kittens, and puppy children too. Now I should mention that Alexander and Sally did not exactly get along these days. They were always
disagreeing with one another and causing each other no end of misery.
Why this was so, I do not know, but it came to be that Sally prepared herself to fight or flee whenever she saw Alexander. As Alexander walked by
past the tree she was sitting in, Sally thought to herself, I could easily toss
this nut right on Alexander’s head, because yesterday he took my breakfast. She thought of all the times that Alexander did something awful to
her and the more she thought about it, the more she convinced herself
that dropping the nut on his noggin was the nicest possible thing she
could possibly think of. But he did give away all those cranes, maybe, just
maybe things will be different. It’s the Holidays ... and Santa is watching,
so Sally decided not to knock Alexander in the noggin after all. Instead,
she would be his Secret Santa and make him a present for Christmas.
And she did, she made him the warmest, softest ear muffs you could
ever imagine.
Now if the Snowman does not melt, because he climbed into
page 48
the freezer to hide from Mister Sun, the next story and picture
will be about Mr. Mayhem and his new toy store!
Mayhem Starts Over
Mayhem was done being King, and thanks to A.G., someone else more
qualified now ruled Wood Land. What would Uncle Wiggily think? Well,
he would be proud and happy to learn that Sammy Littletail grew up to
become such a great bunny. As King Mirth, he was known as the kindest
King in all the Lands. Yes, he was the right bunny for the job alright. And
Mayhem? He found a new direction to take in life. He discovered that his
favorite childhood toy store, Mr. Mark’s had gone the way of the dinosaurs, that it is it was gone forever. But the building itself was still there, just
waiting for him. It was becoming an eye sore on Gilbert Avenue, where
all the fun shops were. So Mayhem cashed in his last treasure chest of
gold and became the proud owner of a toy store. He spent the end of
November and half of December getting it ready to open, two weeks
before Christmas. He was behind schedule, but today he was ready. The
big sign out front said “Mr. Mayhem’s” in big bold red letters with gold
trim. His store was going to be very special, featuring toys from around
the world that Mayhem had shipped to Frog Pond. Plus he had made
some of his own toys in his workshop upstairs. He was so excited, he could
not wait til nine a.m. the official opening time, so he grabbed the key
and got ready to unlock the door. Many animal children were fogging
up the display window and staring in disbelief at the amazing toys on
display. Shiny tin toy robots danced around the Aluminum Christmas tree
that spun around with red alligator and green frog glass ornaments all
over it, as baby pandas sat by the railroad track and watched the amazing LEGO train go by. Mayhem smiled and grabbed a box, he had free
Yo-yos for everyone.
page 50
page 51
And now if the wind-up monkey doesn’t bang his symbols
three times and cause the rubber duck to fall in the tub, the
next story and picture you will see will be about the Skuddlemagoon!
page 52
The Skuddlemagoon Travels
The Skuddlemagoon noticed something, like for instance his friends, the
Pipsewah and the Skeezicks had left Woodland to spend the Holidays
in Frog Pond. Well, if they could have fun traveling to new and exciting places so could he! Not that he was jealous, but he was a bit ... and
lonesome too. So the Skuddlemagoon decided to leave Wood Land
and head for the North Pole, the most exciting place on Earth! He would
be welcomed with open arms and he would be the best helper Santa
ever had and if Santa wanted to give him a special present for all his
help, well he could give him the gift of friendship, because you can never have too many friends. Well, the Skuddlemagoon had made it as far
north as Alaska when he met Bob and Jayne Deer. They were old helpers
of Santa Claus and had weathered over forty Christmases in the North
Pole before retiring in the beautiful warm south of Alaska. They gently
told the Skuddlemagoon how far away the North Pole was, and how
dangerous the journey is, especially at this time of year ... and besides all
that, he would need a strong and swift boat that could break the ice as
well. They also told him, as gently as they could, that Santa had all the
helpers he needed this year, and that he if he <em>really</em> wanted
to help Santa he should return home and spread some Christmas magic
by doing good deeds for his family and friends. Bob and Jayne even
promised to give him a ride on their backs across the night sky all the way
to Frog Pond to spread some Christmas magic.
And now if the elves in Santa’s workshop don’t take their mandatory break and drink more hot cocoa with marshmallows on
page 54
top, the next story will be about Bob and Jayne Deer.
Bob & Jayne Make Merry
Bob and Jayne Deer arrived in Frog Pond with their new friend, the Skuddlemagoon. They knew he needed to spend time with his friends and
family there, because he was so sad and lonesome on his own. So they
helped him spread some Christmas magic, all across Frog Pond. First, with
the help of Jack Frost and the North Wind they caused quite a blizzard
the night they arrived, so that when everyone woke up they discovered
their doors piled over two feet in fluffy new fallen snow! Then with the
Skuddlemagoon’s great climbing skills and wild enthusiasm, they strung
up Christmas lights, gold & silver paper chains and over one hundred ice
crystal disco snow balls that Jack Frost made specially for them all over
Frog Pond. The decorations were spectacular. Then for the final touch,
the Skuddlemagoon began cooking up the most amazing breakfast you
can imagine. he made French Toast, potato pancakes, cranberry muffins, fruit salad, banana nut waffles, and all kinds of omelets too! No one
had ever seen the Skuddlemagoon cook before, but apparently he was
quite an extraordinary chef. Everyone just loved the surprise breakfast
that day, it was so much fun that it became a yearly tradition called
<em>Magoon’s Merry Breakfast</em>. And all the animals loved his
cooking, they even insisted he open up his own cafe right there by the
old oak tree. Which is what he did, the very next day. He cooked and
talked with all his new friends, and found true peace and happiness in
Frog Pond.
Now if the Christmas tree does not fall down while everyone is
sleeping and break all the glass ornaments, the next story and
picture will be about Captain Groovy!
page 57
Capt. Groovy Crashes
page 58
He was known as the Hero of the people in Candyland, and in Thunder
Valley they called him the life of the party, and in Oaklandish they simply
smiled at him and nodded or gave him a high five, and as far as Maybe
Land they knew him through stories and songs. Who was he? And did
he really have a bubble gum army? Well the legends varied, like colors
in a crayon box, but they all called him Captain, Captain Groovy to be
more precise. And now here he was waist high in snow trudging through
the drifts to reach the other side of the valley in the snow. His plane had
gone down wrestling with big bully clouds and snow-sky snakes too.
It took him over twelve hours to dig himself out of the rubble. Indeed,
where <em>was</em> his Bubblegum Army now? Instead, Jack Frost
found him and welcomed Captain Groovy to Frog Pond by forming
icicles on his mustache and his beard. Then before Jack could do anything more troublesome, Freddy and Roger, two playful boys from Thunder Valley, began hurling snowballs at Jack. “Hey Look, who it is, Freddy.”
Roger motioned to his friend and pointed at the Captain. “It’s CAPTAIN
GROOVY, alright!”, Freddy exclaimed jumping up and down in the snow.
“Welcome to Frog Pond, Captain! We’re here for the Holidays visiting,
while they finish construction on our new loft. You’ll dig Frog Pond, Captain, this place is on the shelf!” “You mean, top shelf?” “No, off the shelf
and under the rug where you can read comics, ha ha!”, Freddy giggled.
“Well boys, it seems I lost the big battle in the sky once again ... Madame
Thunder and Kid Lightinin’ threw me about last night, while the snow-sky
snakes torn my engine to smithereens.”
“You mean the big blizzard last night?” “Indeed!” “Well, Captain, we’re
headed into town for some breakfast before we go tobogganing ...
care to join us?” “You bet your hot buttered biscuits, I’m starvin’!” And so
Captain Groovy, Freddy and Roger head into town to the old Fire Engine
that the Skuddlemagoon had turned into a cafe by the old oak tree.
And now if the rainbow bridge to Maybe Land doesn’t return to
a smooth archway curvy shape, instead of a zig-zag W shape,
the next story will be about two best friends from Thunder Valley named Freddy and Roger!
page 60
Freddy & Roger Toboggan
Freddy and Roger were staying in Frog Pond for the Holidays with their
friends from Thunder Valley, Ringo Rooster and Giddy Up Horse at the
High Horse Inn, a very cozy bed and barn run by a horse named Nancy.
Nancy was in fact Giddy Up’s cousin, so it was just like home, and everybody at the Inn was very friendly and kind. Well after the big blizzard, Freddy and Roger just had to take out the big toboggan Nancy
had in the barn. So the boys asked nicely if they could use it and Nancy
told them of course they could, and thanked them for asking with such
good manners too. So Freddy and Roger headed over to Midvale Hill,
the steepest slope in Frog Pond. It took quite a long time to get from the
bottom to the top, but it was well worth it, because the hill was all theirs
- no one else had dared to sled down it since the big storm. So Freddy
and Roger tobogganed all day at Midvale Hill until their thermos of hot
cocoa ran out and they got stiff and too cold to walk back up the big
hill anymore. So they got a lift from Captain Groovy on his newly crafted
Snowmobile he had built out of spare parts from his old airplane. That
crazy Captain was always inventing stuff like that ~ making bicycles out
of Legos and re-inventing the wheel out of soup cans and rubber bands!
It was good to see him here in Frog Pond. So they hopped aboard Captain Groovy’s sixteen geared snowmobile and headed over to Magoon’s
for some of the best chili and corn bread the boys ever tasted.
And now if the Candy Cane doesn’t get all sticky and get
stuck in the Christmas stocking, making the stuffed Panda bear
page 62
upset, the next story and picture will be about King Mirth.
King Mirth Joins In
King Mirth hopped around Wood Land in dismay . . . No Pipsewah and
no Skeezicks? Where’s my good pal, the Skuddlemagoon? Soon the King
came to learn from some friendly badgers that almost everyone in Wood
Land was off traveling for the Holidays. Many Wood Land residents opted
for near by Frog Pond as a quick fun get away, they had snow, hills and
some very silly frogs. So the King himself to decided to hop on over to
Frog Pond and join the fun. On the way he met Lucy Ladybug and Kafka
Bug by the ice pond. They were skating hand and hand together. Next
King Mirth nodded and waved to Freddy, Roger and Captain Groovy as
they sped past on wild looking snow machines that looked like bicycles
mixed up with skis and rocket boosters. Then the King headed over to the
hills and saw the Snow Lovers Club in action on top of Mount Crumpet,
the froglets were all snowboarding with Jeff and the Pipsewah and not
far behind them came Squeaky-Eaky and the Skeezicks on skis. Everyone
in Frog Pond was so busy enjoying the Holidays. King Mirth wondered if
anyone had time for a kind old gentlemen rabbit, such as himself. Then
Kiki Cat and Douglas Dog came over to see the King, they asked him if
he would join the fun game night they were planning over at Magoon’s
cafe. They were carrying a big stack of board games, and King Mirth
offered to help them with carry a few board game boxes as well. And
so it went, that King Mirth got caught up in some Holiday fun as well and
some say he lost his crown that day and others say no he was wearing it
upside down like a necklace while in town.
Now in case the Cinnamon Bear loses his Silver Star again and
has to go to the North Pole and ask for Santa’s help, the next
story and picture will be about a sad frog named Steve.
page 65
Steve’s Sadness
Steve was sad. Why? Because! Because he had to play Max in the
school play of the Grinch... Well, no, the school play was actually fun
but... it was because he felt it deep inside. The Holidays were almost
here, and everyone was making such a big fuss and Steve thought it
was getting crazier and crazier with all the decorations, and gathering
together and singing and so on ... Steve was fed up with all that Hooha, and if that made him a Bah-Hum Bug Grinch, then so be it. You see,
the truth was, Steve’s best friend, George, had just moved far away and
now, well - everything was just not fun. Steve was sad, it’s true. He kept
on being sad day after day until one day, Jeff was snowboarding down
Midvale Hill when suddenly he hit a rock and flipped off his board and
began tumbling down the hill gathering snow as he went. So when Jeff
came rolling past only Jeff’s head and hands and feet poked out of a
huge ball of snow. It was the funniest thing Steve had seen in ages and
it cracked his sadness into a million giggles of joyful laughter. Steve just
laughed and laughed, he saw Kafka and Lucy laughing too. Kafka flew
over to Steve and said,”Hey Steve, do you want to go play the Uncle
Wiggily Game with us, Lucy’s friend Sally Squirrel is coming over to play
and we could use another player, it’s more fun with four.” “Okay. Sure,
sounds like fun.” And off to Lucy’s house they went.
So in case the big Banana doesn’t say to the little banana,
“Orange you glad I didn’t say Banana again”, the next story
will be about Jeff and his big ball of snow.
page 66
Jeff rolls
Jeff lost control in a giant ball of snow. He rolled straight down Old Man
Goodrich’s pasture and ca-roomed off a big flat rock then landed in
the frozen brook where Jeff’s snowball spun around like it was a hot rod
doing donuts, then he ricocheted off a maple tree and the snow ball
disintegrated into a pile of soft icy powder right in front of Bessie and
her sister, Maybelle cow. There was Jeff completely stunned and not a
scratch on him. It was a veritable miracle of sorts. It was also quite hilarious to anyone who saw it happen. Jeff brushed himself off and smiled at
the cows and ran off to find his snowboard somewhere a mile or two up
Midvale Hill. Bessie & Maybelle became the most popular cows for miles
around, because only they saw Jeff’s wild and wacky crash landing. Indeed, it was just another day in the life of Jeff the frog ...
And if the Elf on the Shelf doesn’t sneak into the kitchen for a
Midnight snack and stay up too late watching cartoons and
leave the milk out to spoil, the next story and picture will be
about the skillery skallery alley gator with the clickety-clackety tail!
page 69
A.G. Volunteers
page 70
Aloysius Gilbert just loved this time of the year, he loved giving gifts and
having fun with friends, but mostly he just loved the feeling of caring in
the air. So that’s why he volunteered to help out his little frog friends,
Reggie and Rollie. Those two frogs were determined to make this year’s
Christmas in Frog Pond the best one ever. Some how or other, they had
made Frog Pond <em>thee</em> place to be this holiday season. They
had special events planned for weeks, and not just the Pickle game, although that was still happening and in case you’re wondering ~ today’s
pickle was found by none other than Freddy Flowers, Roger’s best friend.
He said it was quite delicioso too, but I digress. Reggie and Rollie had
snow parties, dance parties, decorating parties and even a cookie party
at the Skuddlemagoon’s Cafe. They had events planned every day until
Christmas, it seemed. So A.G. volunteered to help the two busy frogs with
their biggest event of the season ~ delivering presents to all the children
in Frog Pond. Santa himself had asked the two frogs to take care of Frog
Pond personally, since he was busy with the rest of the planet. So A.G.,
the skillery skallery alley gator with the clickety-clackety tail, volunteered
to pull the sled for Santa Rollie and Reggie Elf on Christmas Eve and help
them get ready. Together they made a list and checked it, not once, not
twice ... but three times! (So they each got a turn.) Then they went over
to Nancy’s horse barn, and got Bob & Jayne Deer to help them wrap all
the presents, and Giddy Up and Ringo helped too. Although Giddy Up
did make a mess with the tape and got all tangled up, so he had to take
a break and get cleaned up. Mister Mayhem dropped off a huge truck
full of toys from Santa, plus a few of his latest creations. They wrapped
and wrapped, they added bows, and ribbons and even some tinsel too.
After a few hours of wrapping gifts, they took a break and soon enough
the Skuddlemagoon brought them all some tasty treats he had baked.
And they each had a cup of hot cocoa with a candy cane in it. Then
after they were all sugared up, they finished wrapping every single present and went to bed. It wasn’t Christmas yet ... And just before A.G. fell
asleep after a busy day of wrapping presents, he heard Kafka bug shout
out, “Just two more days ‘til Christmas! And tomorrow’s Christmas Eve!”
And now if the Fuzzy Fox doesn’t get his Christmas Pickle, the
next story will be how Little Johnny Gilbert danced the funky
chicken ... Oh wait! The Fox did get a pickle on Christmas Eve
... so that means the story will be about Reggie Elf!
Reggie Elf Laughs
page 74
Reggie hopped off his lily pad and went straight to work. First, there was
a carol singing festival by the old oak tree and then a big brunch at the
Skuddlemagoon’s Cafe. Today, Magoon was making magic, Dutch
Babies with Strawberries or Bananas and lots of great side dishes too.
“Oh wait, I’m still in my pajamas!” thought to himself and quickly got his
Elf costume on and joined Rollie in time to sing <em>All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth</em>. After an ice skating party on the frozen
pond with Lucy Ladybug and the entire Snow Lovers Club, they had
plans to sit by the fire at Jeff’s bungalow. Santa Rollie invited the children
to join them for Story Time. They read forty elven Christmas stories, even
the one about Alexander Salamander. Then they had to depart quickly
and load up the sleigh. A.G. did most of the work, but Bob & Jayne Deer
helped out too. Then it was off to Dreamland Lodge for the traditional
Christmas Eve supper. Santa Rollie gave out candy canes to all the children and Reggie Elf gave them jingle bells. DJ Pip was there too and
after dinner there was dancing and a big game of Carcassonne too.
“Where’s A.G.?”, Santa Rollie said. “He’s putting on his harness, getting
ready to go.”, Reggie Elf replied. So the two frogs hopped on their aluminum arctic snow saucers and slid down the mountain to meet up with
A.G. over at Nancy’s barn. “We’re not going up into the sky, right?” A.G.
asked them when they arrived. “Look, I’m not a flying Reindeer ... I’m
a skillery skallery alley gator.”, he said, as a matter of fact. Santa Rollie
smiled and said, “You should have thought of that before you volunteered ... now let’s go!” Reggie elf laughed in spite of himself, “We’re
not flying, we’re staying on the ground and we’ll just deliver gifts all over
town and in Wood Land too. Now dash away, dash away skillery skallery
alley gator.” And so off they went as night time grew darker still, the three
friends were off in a hurry to deliver presents for Old Saint Nick. They delivered eighteen packages and then turned up the hill, when out of the
bushes jumped Fuzzy Fox and Woozy Wolf. “Hold it right there, you three!”
“You’re not going any further ... where’s my pickle?” Reggie and Rollie
smiled at each other and Santa Rollie said, “Why Fuzzy, didn’t you know
... today’s pickle is yours! And it’s right at home!” “WHAT? It is? This isn’t
a trick?” “No tricks, Fuzzy - Merry Christmas!” And Fuzzy ran off to get his
pickle at long last. Then Woozy Wolf approached and said, “I made this
while I was sick in bed ... can I give it to you Santa?” And Woozy handed
Santa Rollie a very special toy ... it was a spinning acorn bopper with a
beautiful red and green string, you give it a pull and Wheeeeeeeee ...
the acorn bopper takes a spin then jumps up, glows red, then turns green
and then spins again. “Amazing!”, Santa Rollie declared, “That’s a fantastic toy you made. We’ll take forty eleven!” “But I only made sixteen
so far.”, Woozy said as he handed Santa Rollie a bag full of the boppers.
“Merry Christmas, Woozy Wolf!” and Santa Rollie handed him a beautiful
box full of tools for crafting. Then A.G. jumped and leaped and the sleigh
bells jingled as off they went to deliver more toys for all the girls and boys
in Frog Pond Land and in Wood Land too.
Now if you don’t go to bed early on Christmas Eve, then Christmas will take longer to arrive, so get tucked in and dream
sweet dreams of sugar plums, little toy drums, funny frogs
and a tank full of polliwogs! Christmas is very near ... The next
story will be our last, and it’s all about Santa Rollie in case you
asked. still, the three friends were off in a hurry to deliver presents for Old Saint Nick.
page 76
Santa Rollie Smiled
They went here, they went there, they delivered presents everywhere!
Lucy got a new tea set and some mittens too. Kafka got ice skates and
his & her’s slippers ~ six for him and six for her! The froglets got more snow
and a Nintendo for the lodge. Tex, well he wasn’t easy to find ... turns out
he was spending Christmas with a turtle gal named Clementine. But they
got his gift there just in time. It was a big blank book for writing in and a
fountain pen and some ink, they wanted him to write I think. The tadpoles
were sleeping, but got gifts anyways, balls and rings and hula-hoops
among other things. Kiki got mittens and Douglas got a bone, and they
both got a Karoake machine with a microphone. Alexander Salamander
wanted a demonic sweater, but that package was late, so he instead
he got leather. He looked great in his new leather jacket, it’s just too bad
he was still making a racket. Running here and there and everywhere
spreading good cheer and handing out gold, well gold chocolate that
is. Jack Frost got the day off, and a new book to read. And yes the Fuzzy
Fox got his pickle and an extra special tickle, when Santa Rollie snuck up
beside him. Woozy had his tools, and the Skeezicks got some WHO, and
the Pipsewah got records, records, and some good ones too! Ringo got
some seed and Giddy Up some hay, and Sally Squirrel went for a whirl
and got to play play play her new fun game. Mister Mayhem wanted
socks and socks he received, while Bob & Jayne Deer got a visit from
their extended family. And Captain Groovy got a new plane so he could
fly to Spain. While Freddy and Roger got a new place to live on Gilbert
Street. And good King Mirth sat by the hearth, and got some company.
And we can’t forget Steve, what did he receive? Why Santa Rollie himself sat on his shelf and made him laugh by telling him crazy stories about
himself. Jeff got a helmet, knee pads and health insurance.
page 79
Aloysuis Gilbert got what he always wanted, his very own Santa suit and
a subscription to Where’s Kermit? And the last gift of the night, or was
it morning? Yes, it was Christmas day at long last, wasn’t the gift that
Kafka finally opened, (Which was a new rug that his Gramma bug had
bought.) No, it was Rollie’s gift to Reggie and it was box that said OPEN.
Reggie opened it and laughed, it was a pickle ... a Gundelberg pickle,
the very last!
page 81
The
EnD