by David Estes
Chapter Four: Nikki gets insulted by a Weeble
Nikki waited only five minutes before making a decision. She would follow the creature’s trail, and she would bring her dog with her for protection and companionship.
First, she tied the end of his leash around her wrist, so that he couldn’t yank it free again—the last thing she needed was for her dog to get lost in the dark forest. Next, she opened her bag and pulled out two doggie biscuits, which Mr. Miyagi scarfed down, despite the fact that he had just eaten breakfast. She opened a second water bottle and quenched her thirst; her throat had become quite dry from chasing Mr. Miyagi.
After zipping her bag shut, she picked up the branch that had fallen from the tree and inspected it. It was strong and would do quite well for a walking stick, and could probably be used as a weapon if she encountered anything dangerous. There were a couple of balls of fur stuck to the wood, proof that the branch had recently been used as a perch by the fat, furry animal.
Ready to go, Nikki said, “C’mon, boy, let’s go!” and led Mr. Miyagi down the arrow-straight trail, which aimed directly into the forest. As they walked, she took in her surroundings, trying to remember anything that might be important. She was a real explorer now and she had a responsibility to document anything that she discovered during her adventure.
For the first mile or so, she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, just trees and bushes and an occasional butterfly, which Mr. Miyagi desperately tried to chase, but Nikki held his tether tight and he was forced to continue along with her.
Eventually, the path descended downwards, twisting and turning around tree stumps and roots. It also narrowed, until there was barely enough room for her and her dog to walk side by side. Nikki’s mind was focused on the strange creature. It looked like a porcupine because of its spiky fur, but had the face and tail of a beaver. The name porcupine-beaver was too long for such a small animal. “Hmm…” Nikki mused. “I think I will call you Beaverpine,” she said out loud.
Nikki kept her eyes on the path now, as it was more difficult to see the tracks of the rolling Beaverpine. Abruptly, the trail ended into a small, circular clearing. Directly in the center was the Beaverpine, and as soon as Mr. Miyagi saw it, he strained at the leash, trying to break free. Nikki pulled the leash tight and gradually reeled her dog in, until he was within reach. She scooped him up and whispered in his ear, “It’s okay, Mr. Miyagi. Don’t worry, we’re just going to go and try to make friends with it.”
Obediently, her dog stopped squirming and allowed Nikki to hold him. She peered at the Beaverpine, which stared straight back at her, motionless and unblinking. Although Nikki wanted to approach the Beaverpine, she paused when she noticed that it appeared to be sitting on something. Nikki could tell that it was some kind of a container, wooden maybe, and that it was much larger than a shoebox. The first thing that popped into her head was: a treasure chest!
Nikki’s first reaction was to run over, knock the Beaverpine off and open the chest to see what was inside. But she knew that was not a very smart idea and so, instead, she slowly walked toward the animal, which seemed to be guarding the chest. As she approached, Nikki talked in a gentle baby voice to the creature, like she always talked to Mr. Miyagi.
“Don’t worry, little one, we’re not going to hurt you. We just want to make friends and see what you are hiding.”
When she got within ten feet, the previously silent animal commanded, “Be quiet already! I’m not some child or pet; speak to me like a normal person!”
Stunned, Nikki stopped dead in her tracks. Did the Beaverpine just talk to her? While Nikki had always believed that she was able to communicate with Mr. Miyagi on some level, she had never heard of any animals that could actually speak like humans do, except for a parrot, of course, which could only imitate human speech.
Not knowing what to say, Nikki just stared at it.
“Do you or do you not want to find out why I have brought you here?” the Beaverpine asked. Its voice was gruff, and Nikki thought she could detect a slight New York accent.
Nikki found her voice and stammered, “Yes, uh, yes, sir. I would very much like to know why I am here, but I think you are a bit confused. You see, you didn’t bring us here, we followed you.”
The Beaverpine rolled his eyes and chuckled, “Followed me! Ha! You couldn’t follow Tyrannosaurus Rex through a meadow of freshly fallen snow! I left you obvious tracks to allow you to find this place. I led you here.”
Nikki was getting a bit annoyed with the insults from a beast that could barely reach her knees. “Okay, Mister Smarty Pants, how did you know I was going to follow you at all?”
“Ahhh, now you are asking good questions, my dear. I was beginning to fear I had chosen the wrong girl. I knew you would follow me, because you have been chosen to receive a very special gift, as you are brave and adventurous and have a good heart.”
Nikki’s eyes lit up upon hearing his compliments. “You’re right, Mr. Beaverpine, I am all of those things! When you say gift, do you mean the treasure you are guarding?”
“First of all, I am a Weeble, not a Beaverpine, but yes, of course, Nikki. This chest is yours to open, if you choose to. But a word of advice: You cannot open the chest if you are not willing to accept the sacrifices that come with the great responsibility attached to the treasures inside.”
Nikki wondered why she had never heard of an animal called a Weeble, but chose to ignore it for now. “Thank you for your concern, sir, but if I am everything you say I am, I should be able to handle whatever is inside.”
“As you wish,” the Weeble said, rolling off of the box. In a flash, the Weeble had rolled out of the clearing and disappeared into the dense forest.
“That was weird,” Nikki said to Mr. Miyagi, who had watched the conversation in silence. When she set him down, he tore over to the chest and began sniffing around its base.
Nikki followed her pet and inspected the container closely. The chest was beautiful. It was a bright gold color with silver trim and appeared to be metal, until Nikki touched it and found it to be quite soft and spongy. It was also warm on all sides, like an old pair of jeans that had just come out of the dryer. There were intricate carvings on each side, as well as the lid. They looked ancient, like something you would see in a museum. The pictures showed children doing amazing things. One was flying through the air without wings or a cape or anything. Another was lifting a huge stone block above her head. There was even one that seemed to be shooting lightning out of his fingertips.
“I have to get this open,” Nikki said to Mr. Miyagi.
First she tried lifting the lid straight off, but it wouldn’t budge. Next, she tried poking her walking stick underneath the lid to pry it off, but all she did was crack the tip of the branch. Not wanting to damage the chest, but having no other choice, she found a large rock and smashed it into the lid, hoping she could break it to get inside. But the rock crumbled as soon as it touched the lid, like it was a piece of chalk, rather than a hard stone.
In frustration, Nikki kicked the chest and then grabbed her foot when pain shot through her toes. “Owww! Why won’t this stupid thing open?!” she yelled.
Not knowing what else to do, Nikki sat on the lid, exactly where the Weeble had been sitting. She needed to think. Mr. Miyagi pawed in the dirt at the side of the box; he seemed to be trying to dig his way under and through the bottom. Nikki considered telling him to stop, but she knew he was just trying to help so she let him continue.
Why would that darn Weeble leave her with a chest that he said she had been chosen to receive, and not tell her how to open it? Perhaps she had been too quick to dismiss his advice about being willing to accept the responsibility of the treasure. That’s when it dawned on her. A magical treasure chest surely could not be opened by conventional means. The Weeble had said that she wouldn’t be able to open it unless she was willing to accept the sacrifices that came along with the treasure. She was willing, but maybe she ne
eded to make that very clear.
When she stepped off of the box, Mr. Miyagi stopped digging and looked at her curiously. She took one big step back and with her dog at her feet, proceeded to say in a loud voice, “Oh, magical treasure chest, I am willing to accept the sacrifices and the responsibility that come along with whatever gifts you hold inside of you!”
To her utter amazement, the chest lifted off the ground and began to glow bright gold, sparks flying from the lid. It began to spin, slowly at first, and then faster and faster, until Nikki became dizzy from watching it. When it seemed that it couldn’t possibly go any faster, the lid popped off with a sharp crack, similar to the sound she had heard when the disappearing pathway into the forest had first appeared.
Once opened, the chest crashed to the ground, gravity once more gaining its hold. Nikki approached the glowing container and peered over the edge.
