The Monkey Boy and the Gruffits

by Joe Thomson-Swift

  Mum was at the camping stove cooking up eggs, bacon and sausages. She looked up and smiled at them. She had heard everything that had been said but pretended not to notice. There was no point in explaining anymore to dad, they agreed. Joe took the trumpet from Lucy and put it in his pocket. But between them, they both knew it was true. So putting their detectors away, they washed hands, and were soon eating up the tasty meal mum had made for them all.

  It didn’t take long to eat. Now with full bellies, they sat down in the camper van to play some computer games for a while. After some winning and losing between them, it was time to clean teeth and get into bed. Mum had made sure they would be comfortable and warm.

  Mum and dad sat out in the night air, talking about the story the children had told them. Between them they smiled as an owl sat in a tree nearby. ‘Twit t’woo. Twit t’woo’ it called.

  ‘Can you hear that owl?’ whispered Joe to Lucy. ‘I bet Prince Bo Bo has sent it to spy on us?’

  ‘Why would he want to do that?’ whispered Lucy.

  ‘In case someone tries to steal the magic trumpet, silly’ answered Joe. Both the children giggled as they went to sleep with a smile on their faces.

  5

  When they awoke next morning, Joe looked under his pillow to make sure the trumpet was there. It was. An early sun was shining again too and it seemed like another nice day. Mum and dad were already up drinking tea. Rubbing their eyes, they stepped outside the camper van to say hello. ‘How about some boiled eggs and toast for breakfast?’ asked mum. ‘Yes please’ they answered.

  As mum began to prepare for them, Lucy and Joe sat in the sunshine in their pyjamas, talking about their return to Buttercup woods. They were excited and it showed on their faces. ‘Are you going detecting again today?’ dad asked them. ‘No. We won‘t need them’ answered Joe. ‘We are going to meet Prince Bo Bo and the gruffits again. So we may be away for a while.’ Again dad smiled. ‘If that’s what you want to do, then mum will make some sandwiches for you to take. Better still, you can bring Prince Bo Bo back for tea so I can take a picture of him.’ He winked at them.

  Lucy gave one of her best smiles to dad. She knew that when he winked, it was always a joke. But Joe was more serious. ‘Don’t believe us, do you dad?’ he asked. ‘Oh I do! I do.’ He answered. ‘Mum will have the sandwiches and a drink for you to take.’

  The children finished their breakfast then got dressed. Having cleaned their teeth and brushed their hair, they were ready to walk to the woods. But not before dad reminded them to take a camera. So with a packed lunch, a drink and the trumpet, they gave mum and dad a kiss and set off eagerly to Buttercup woods.

  6

  It was getting warmer and much brighter as the sun shone all around them. The delightful chirping and singing of the birds could be heard everywhere as they neared the woods. A fallow deer stared peacefully at them as it nibbled at some Hawthorne leaves. Some rabbits hopped and ran alongside of them, while a fox and badger looked busy digging for food.

  As they entered the shade of the woods, smaller creatures ran under the fallen leaves as squirrels chased around in the bushes. It was so nice to see all these animals and creatures, they thought. If only they could live in the countryside for ever, they agreed.

  Soon they came to the spot where they had found the trumpet the day before. They could still see the leaves and earth as they had left it. ‘This is the place Lucy’ said Joe. ‘Here, you blow the trumpet.’ Lucy put it to her lips and puffed out her cheeks. Holding it firmly in her hands, she blew out a long ‘Oooh! Oooh!’ sound.

  The trumpet sound echoed throughout the woods as silence came all around them. Suddenly they could hear the return call of the trumpet coming back towards them. Again they listened. Now they could hear the swishing of branches getting louder and louder until they caught sight of Prince Bo Bo in the trees.

  Just like a monkey, he swung from the branches down to where they stood. ‘Hello Lucy. Hello Joe’ he greeted them. ‘You have kept your promise, now I shall keep mine.’ The children were pleased to see him and gave him a hug. ‘Here is the magic trumpet’ said Joe. Prince Bo Bo immediately blew into it. ‘Oooh! Oooh! Oooh!’ it sounded.

  Once again, the woods came alive with a hustle and bustle of noise and movements in the trees and on the ground. Then just like before, the furry gruffit creatures came from everywhere in answer to the call. Bo Bo smiled at them. Then the tallest gruffit spoke. ‘Bo Bo has called us?’ All the other gruffits gathered around in a circle to listen. ‘Yes, wise gruffit’ he told them. ‘Today we shall march to the land of the Mighty Shires. I have a plan to take back my fathers memory from the son of the Ixer who pretends to be me. We shall need the help of Hiss the snake, Pongo the skunk, Buck the rabbit and Fallow deer. Go find them, and say Bo Bo has spoken.’ Again the gruffits clapped their paws in support of the young prince. Wise gruffit then told them to search the four corners of Buttercup woods to find the creatures Bo Bo had asked for.

  Very quickly, all the gruffits split into four groups and went in search for the creatures. Lucy and Joe were pleased that Bo Bo’s father would soon have his memory back. King Greywind would then be able to make his melonade again. Then the gruffits would be able to keep the kings turnip field clean, in return for eating as many turnips as they liked. But now they wondered what the king might do to the Ixer from the mountain castle of MIP? How dare he to have stolen the kings secret for making melonade, they thought.

  7

  While waiting for the gruffits to return with the creatures, Bo Bo went to a cobnut tree to collect some nuts. He told the children they were the Ixers favourite nuts and he would ask Hiss the snake to cough some of his nasty goo over them. Then Buck rabbit could jump over the Ixers castle wall and exchange them with his own cobnuts. To make sure the Ixer was out of the way for this to happen, Pongo the skunk would make a stink which would be blamed on Fallow deer. The Ixer would then try to shoo him away. And with his back turned, Buck rabbit will swap the poisoned cobnuts with the Ixers. Then when he had eaten the nuts he would fall down and be taken prisoner.

  Lucy and Joe listened to his every word. Then while Bo Bo was tying the cobnuts in a big dock leaf, so the gruffits began to return. Coiled around the shoulders of tall wise gruffit was Hiss the snake. Also with them were Fallow deer, with Pongo the skunk and Buck rabbit sitting on his back. In the trees around them, the squirrels looked on curiously as foxes, badgers, beavers, wood rats and the birds, signalled their support for the battle to come.

  Raising his hand for the creature’s attention, Bo Bo told them of his plan and what he wanted them to do. Almost immediately, all the gruffits stomped their feet and thumped their chests with their paws. Skunk raised his tail, rabbit showed his teeth, fallow deer burped, and snake hissed a wicked warning.

  As the noise quietened down, the children stood beside Prince Bo Bo. ‘Then we are ready my friends’ he shouted. ‘We shall march to my father’s palace in the Mighty Shires and take back his memory from the son of the Ixer of Mip.’

  Now they began to form into two lines. Hiss, Pongo, Skunk and Fallow deer were tucked in behind Bo Bo and the children. Wise tall gruffit led the way behind them. ‘Long live King Greywind and Prince Bo Bo!’ they shouted. Off they marched like and army of true soldiers. A look of cold determination was on their faces.

  8

  On and on they marched through Buttercup woods as the sun shone brightly through the tree tops. Birds chirped and sang, as badgers sharpened their claws in digging for food. An otter swam up from the stream to peep at them as squirrels acted as lookout in the trees.

  ‘Do we have far to go?’ asked Lucy. Bo Bo smiled. ‘For as far as the stream is long and the woods are wide’ he answered. ‘But your reward will be great my friends. But for you, my father would still not be a king, and I would still be the monkey boy of Buttercup woods.’

  Lucy looked at her brother Joe. ‘I never thought of it that way’ she told him. Joe bit his lip. ‘That�
�s because you’re silly’ he answered with a smile. Then to Bo Bo he asked, ‘What does Melonade taste like?’ Again Bo Bo smiled. ‘It’s much nicer than lemonade’ he answered. Joe licked his lips. They would need a drink by the time they got there, he thought.

  As they marched onwards, the thud, thud, thud of their feet echoed in the woods. It felt like they had all been marching forever. But still the look on all their faces was very determined. They had left a trail of scattered leaves from the paths they had taken. Still the birds chirped and sang. Even some tree mice appeared to squeak their support as they marched on and on towards the Mighty Shires. Pongo the skunk looked fiercer with his tail standing like a flag. Buck rabbit twitched his mouth to show his set of razor sharp teeth. Hiss the snake hissed as laud as he could, while fallow deer pounded his hoofs menacingly in step with the gruffits.

  For a while longer they marched as Bo Bo held the magic trumpet and cobnuts tightly in his hands. Just up ahead of them, daylight was becoming more noticeable through the trees. The stream was coming to an end which led into a river. Now a green field could be seen at the end of the woods.

  At last they had arrived. The green field of the Mighty Shires was there in front of them. Perched on top of a hill was the magnificent castle of King Greywind. Just below it, was the great turnip field belonging to the king. As the gruffits saw it they became excited.

  Now Bo Bo raised his hand for them to stop, which they did. Somewhere in the distance, they could hear the king’s geese quacking a warning to the son of the Ixer. The geese were used to warn the king of turnip poachers. Bo Bo quickly blew the magic trumpet. ‘Oooh, Oooh, and Oooh’ it sounded. Suddenly the quacking stopped. ‘Shush!’ said the prince, ‘We must creep up on the son of the Ixer very quietly and not disturb the geese. Come, follow me.’ All the gruffits got down onto their bellies. Then following the lead of Bo Bo and Hiss the snake, they began to wriggle across the field towards the palace.

  Pongo the skunk held down his tail as he and Buck rabbit ran through the grass. Fallow deer kept lookout, as Bo Bo, Joe and Lucy crawled on ahead of the gruffits. Slowly but surely, they moved forward across the open field. Inch by inch and yard by yard, they were getting nearer to the palace walls. The guard geese were already busy chasing away a jackdaw. Just by the palace gates was Ogg, the king’s chief turnip taster. He was so old; he never knew what day it was. Belinda the goat was there too, eating the grass and keeping the king’s lawns tidy.

  9

  As they crept towards the palace wall, Bo Bo called to wise gruffit; ‘Make way for Hiss the snake to slide up to the top of the wall, so we can use him as our ladder.’ Following Bo Bo’s order, Hiss stretched out his long coil to slide up stiff to the top of the wall. ‘Now’ said Bo Bo, ‘you must all climb up the wall on snakes back’.

  The Gruffits chatted excitedly as wise gruffit formed them into a line. Buck rabbit was first up snakes back to see what he could see. He quickly returned to tell Bo Bo what he had seen, that the son of the Ixer was making silly faces at the king. He reported that the king was pacing up and down not knowing what to do with him self.

  Bo Bo was delighted. ‘Perfect.’ He said, quietly clapping his hands. ‘Then we shall surprise him! Buck rabbit shall climb into the garden followed by the gruffits. They will surround the son of the Ixer while the children and I climb over the wall. Buck rabbit will bite his bottom, and then I shall blow the magic trumpet into his ear and take back my fathers memory. After that, we shall take the cobnuts to the Ixers castle and deal with him the last.

  As soon as he was finished speaking, the gruffits climbed up snakes back to the top of the wall. Buck rabbit had led the way, as wise gruffit pushed the last gruffits fat bottom up the back of Hiss the snake. When they were all over the wall, they charged across the garden to see the son of the Ixer poking faces at the king and shouting at him. ‘Make me laugh! Make me laugh some more!’ he was shouting. ‘For some day, I shall be the king of the Mighty Shires! I will have great powers! Everybody must please me! Make me laugh! Make me laugh!’

  On hearing this, Buck rabbit grinded his teeth together. He was furious. By gosh! Was he going to sink his teeth into the son of the Ixers bottom? He most certainly was, he thought.

  Bo Bo, Joe and Lucy, looked over the wall, waiting to see the capture of the son of the Ixer. Pongo the skunk stood menacingly beside Hiss the snake. His tail was standing straight as a poker. He was ready to fire a blast of his manuric stink shot.

  With an almighty charge, the gruffits pounced to surround him. All in a circle, they stomped their feet and pounded their chests. Each showed a magnificent set of razor sharp teeth, but not as sharp as Buck rabbits, as he dived into the middle of them, and sank his teeth into the son of the Ixers bottom. ‘Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!’ he cried. The pain was unbearable, like his bottom was on fire!

  As quick as a flash, Bo Bo, Joe and Lucy raced to the circle of gruffits. Holding the magic trumpet to his lips, Bo Bo blew it into the son of the Ixers ear. Then he sucked out a little silver cloud into the trumpet and blew it into his father’s ear as the King stood wondering what was going on?

  All of a sudden, he gave a laud hiccup! ‘Good gracious me, what is going on?’ he asked. Then as if he had been asleep for a year, he gave a long royal yawn and blinked his eyes.

  Bo Bo looked at his father King Greywind. The king searched his face as if he was not sure that he knew him. Then the king noticed a beautiful pink beauty spot on the side of Bo Bo’s cheek. ‘My son, my long lost son!’ he cried. ‘You are the royal Prince Bo Bo of the Mighty Shires! The Ixer told me you had been eaten by a wolf. So the Ixer has lied to me, and for all these years, I have forgotten that I am the king.’

  Tears came into the king and Bo Bo’s eyes as he told him how the Ixer had stolen his memory with the magic trumpet. Then told how he had put his son into the king’s palace, so he would grow up to become the king of the Mighty Shires. And lastly, that the Ixer had stolen his secret for making his melonade.

  On hearing this, the king became furious. He stamped his feet, huffed and puffed, pulled his hair, until his face turned crimson with rage. Joe and Lucy felt sad to see the king so angry. All the gruffits bowed their heads, while Buck rabbit hid his face under his bushy tail.

  For a few moments, the king continued to fume. He was so angry, that no one in the palace dared look at him. After he had cooled down, Bo Bo spoke to break the silence. ‘Long live the king! Long live King Greywind of the Mighty Shires!’ he shouted. Joe and Lucy clapped hands as all the gruffits now looked toward the king. Then wise gruffit led the encore, ‘Three cheers for the king! Hip! Hip! Hip! Hooray!’ He shouted. For three times they did this until the king was his normal self again.

  Looking at his son Prince Bo Bo, he held out his arms and ran towards him. ‘My son, my son!’ he told him. ‘One day the kingdom of the Mighty Shires will be yours. But tonight, we shall have a feast, a banquet of food to celebrate your return. First we must deal with the wicked Ixer from the mountain castle of MIP.’

  Bo Bo hugged his father, and for a moment his eyes filled with tears. ‘Father, dear father, He said. ‘To think that had not Joe and Lucy found the magic trumpet, then I would still be the monkey boy of Buttercup woods, and you would not have known that you were the king.’ Bo Bo then told him how the gruffits had rescued him from the Ixers castle and brought him up in the woods. He then explained how Buck rabbit, Pongo the skunk, Hiss the snake and Fallow deer had all come to help. Now the king puffed out his chest. ‘Anyone who has helped my son Prince Bo Bo has also helped me.’ he told them. ‘You shall all be rewarded at the king’s party tonight.’ Then the king started to get angry again. ‘We must capture the Ixer of Mip!’ he demanded. ‘I shall boil him in vinegar! I shall spread him over my turnip field! What will you have me do with him my son?’

  Bo Bo looked at the son of the Ixer of Mip. He was lying on the lawn holding his sore bottom which Buck rabbit had bitten. Tears streamed down his face. Then Bo Bo answered his f
ather. ‘First we must take away his memory and get back your secret for making melonade. Then we can take the memory from Iff the idiot, and blow that into his head. It will make everybody laugh at him for the rest of his life’.

  The king smiled, then spoke to Bo Bo. ‘That sounds like a good idea to me’ he said. Then he rubbed his hands mischievously and looked at the Ixers son. ‘And what about him?’ he asked.

  ‘Well dear father,’ Bo Bo replied. ‘He will become known as the son of an idiot. Let that be his punishment?’

  The king looked proudly at Prince Bo Bo. ‘You have become wise like wise gruffit.’ He told him. ‘You are right. We shall be able to laugh at them both. I am pleased. But now you must bring me the Ixer from the castle of MIP.’ Bo Bo bowed to his father. Wise gruffit again stood up tall. ‘It shall be done Your Majesty.’ he said. Then all the gruffits bowed. ‘Long live the king! Long live the king! They shouted.

  Buck rabbit stood up and dusted his tail. Then he ran to tell Hiss the snake, Pongo the skunk and Fallow deer what the king had said.

  Forming all the gruffits into two lines, Wise gruffit got them ready to march. Bo Bo, Joe and Lucy waved goodbye to the king. Bo Bo then turned to face them all. ‘To the mountain castle of MIP!’ he shouted. ‘We go to capture the Ixer!’ All the gruffits stomped their feet and thumped their chests. ‘To the mountain castle of MIP!’ they replied in one voice. So they set off to meet Buck rabbit, snake, skunk and fallow deer outside the palace wall.