Chapter 2

The Black Beard Gang

image [https://i.imgur.com/BYiAGZ8.jpeg]

When Sebastian, Dorabella and Edward heard the horrible Black Beard Gang approaching, they hopped over to the edge of their nest and peeked down quietly together.

“Do you think they’ll find us?” whispered Dorabella.

“They’ve never found us before,” said Edward. “But there is no guarantee they won’t find us this time.”

“I wish they would just leave us alone!” pouted Sebastian. “It’s not fair that they pick on us. We don’t bother them!”

“Of course, it’s not fair, Sebastian,” his sister lamented. “But that’s the way life is in the forest. Some are strong and some are weak. Some get to eat and some get eaten. We just have to accept it and keep hiding.”

Sebastian and Edward frowned. They didn’t like hearing it, but the truth was their sister was right. In this forest, there was no justice. There were no police officer animals. There were no courts or judges. There was nothing at all—nothing but bullies competing to see who could be the cruelest. For whoever was cruelest was always the most feared in the forest. And whoever was most feared could always get their way. The leader of the Black Beard Gang, Old Black Beard himself, was just one of many who were trying to fight their way to the top.

“Out of’r way, ye scoundrels!” they yelled as they swung into the great tree. “Ooh Ahh! Ooh Ahh!”

“Make way for the king of the forest!”

image [https://i.imgur.com/AKrmOaT.jpeg]

They did everything they could to make sure everyone was miserable, terrorizing all who stood in the way. Nests were smashed to pieces! Branches were torn down! The beautiful white bark was smeared with mud. Laughing, they spat at and kicked animals out of the tree. One little tree frog got the worst of it, reader. An ape reached into its little house hole, dragged it out by its legs, spun it around and threw it so far and so high that it seemed to disappear into the clouds! Fortunately for our little friend, however, it ended up falling safely onto a lily-pad in a nearby pond.

“Monsters!” cried young Sebastian, as he watched helplessly. He imagined himself being much bigger and liked it. “Why, if only I were an eagle, I would swoop down and peck those big bullies’ brains out! That would teach them! And then! Mmmm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm!”

Sebastian was trying to say, “and then lift them up high and drop them,” but couldn’t because Dorabella had covered his mouth with her wing.

“Shh! They’ll hear you!”

The family of birds, in what was once a cozy and safe nest, looked down together at the mayhem the tree was now in, searching and searching for the captives Edward had seen. Sure enough, there they were on one of the branches, huddling and shivering together. But there was also something familiar about them. Sebastian leaned forward and squinted.

“Wait a minute!” he said, breaking away from his sister’s grasp. “That’s Lumpy! And his friends! He often climbs up here and plays with me!”

“Sebastian Ploomberry!” said Dorabella. “You should not be playing with strange apes like that!”

“Lumpy’s not strange,” Sebastian replied. “Not all apes are bad, you know. The Brumbledumbs are kind and gentle.”

“It’s true,” spoke another softer voice coming from behind all three of the birds. They spun around and looked up—and there on a branch they saw a butterfly and a squirrel.

“The Brumbledumbs,” said the butterfly, ever so softly, the way a butterfly would, “are a noble family who never try to hurt or steal from anyone. Your brother is perfectly safe around them. I assure you.”

“That’s right!” the squirrel added, in a squeakier and somewhat, I dare say, cheekier sounding voice. “Especially Lumpy!”

“Are you two leaving the tree?” asked Edward.

“That’s the plan,” replied the squirrel with a chirp. “We’re going to live down by the waterfall, where it’s safe.”

“You should come with us,” said the butterfly.

Edward gasped.

“The waterfall? Are you kidding?”

“That’s where the tiger lives!” said Dorabella. “You’ll be eaten for sure!”

“Not anymore, it doesn’t,” the squirrel replied “Word has it, the tiger has been . . . taken care of . . . and that the animals there now roam freely and safely.”

“Really?” Dorabella and Edward gasped.

“Mmmhmm.”

Sebastian’s feathers pricked up in excitement and he burst past his sister from behind her.

“Ah-hah!” he cried out. “Mysterious disappearances! I told you HE was real, Edward! I told you!”

“Ah, so you’ve heard about it too, I see,” said the squirrel, scratching his chin.

“Heard about it?” said Edward, rolling his eyes. “It’s all the kid ever chirps about! Hero this! And savior that! I really wish he’d just—”

Sebastian cut him off before he could finish.

“Did you see him!? What did he look like? No tail or fur, right!?”

“Mmm . . . no . . . I didn’t see him,” answered the squirrel. “But I know someone who did once . . .”

“Do you think he’ll come?”

The squirrel and the butterfly looked at each other and shrugged.

“I hope he does,” said Sebastian. He looked back down over the edge at poor Lumpy. “I know he will! He must!”

Speaking of Lumpy, reader, he was having quite the time down there as all this was happening, for he was not the sort of apeling who was captured so easily. One of the Black Beard apes learned that when they tried to eat him.

“Yarrr! How’d ye like to be my dinner! Mmm! Yum, yum! Tasty!”

It reached out with its long arms and snagged Lumpy’s ankle. It picked him up and brought him right up close to its big, ugly face, where he could smell its rotten breath.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

image [https://i.imgur.com/pD90TPr.png]

“YeEeEe. . .” the beast croaked slowly, glaring at him. “Ye will be tasteYyYy . . .”

Everyone who was watching thought Lumpy was a goner for sure—especially his two friends, who were each so scared they could hardly even stand. But Lumpy managed to struggle free.

“Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!” yelped the Black Beard ape. “That little bugger bit me!”

Lumpy stuck his tongue out at him.

That was about when all the ruckus ended, and the evil king ape finally emerged, calling for everyone to stop. He had the blackest and bushiest of all the beards and wore a string of leaves around his head. His voice was scary, but intelligent-sounding—rolling his r’s and stretching out words, almost like singing.

“Enough! There shall be no eating of the spoils! These meddling rrr-rascals must suffah a different fate! Gather rrr-ound then, everrr-yone and listen to what I sayYyYy!”

The Black Beard Gang did as they were told. When everyone had settled and the tree was quiet, he cleared his throat and addressed them. Sebastian, Dorabella and Edward watched from above.

“Brrr-others!” he yelled. “Countrymen! Comrrr-ades! Today has been a grrr-eat victory for the Black Beards! We have conquered the territory of the tortoises! Swept thrrr-ough the valley of the so-called vulture king! And have crrr-ushed all who have stood in our way! The forrr-est belongs to us now! Ooh Ahh! Ooh Ahh!”

The gang erupted in applause, cheering and beating their chests.

“Ooh Ahh! Ooh Ahh! Ooh Ahh!”

Oh, the nerve they had in saying that, reader! It made all of the other animals feel so angry! They didn’t belong to him! And neither did their homes! But, on the other hand, that was the rule, wasn’t it? With no one around to stop them, the strongest got to do what they wanted. When the cheering finally ended, he continued.

“But our work is not over, com-rrrades! No! For although we have achieved victory, there still rrr-emain some who rrr-esist us! Animals like the DUMB DUMB family, who grrr-eedily store up bananas, and try to hide them when it’s time to share! Liars! Cheaters! Frauds! All of them! How dare they not share, comrades! Ooh Ahh! Ooh Ahh! How dare they not share!” More cheers followed. It was so loud that the rabbits had to fold down their ears. “Which is why, comrades, we have captured three apelings of the DUMB DUMB family! To make an example of them—so they never trrr-y it again! And to rrr-emind all of you other pathetic crrr-eatures listening what will happen to you too . . . if you choose to rrr-esist us, as well! Ooh Ahh!”

The Black Beard Gang cheered for a third time, repeating the king like parrots and drumming on the branches. It could be heard for miles throughout the whole valley and made all of the weaker animals despair. But then everyone suddenly heard another, very different voice coming from somewhere in the back row. One of the Black Beard gang seemed nervous about something—perhaps even scared.

“B-b-but!” the voice stuttered. “W-w-what about . . . the . . . the . . . Phantom Ape? I’ve heard it e-e-eats a-a-animals who hurt others like that . . .”

He kept looking over his shoulder as he spoke, like something might be lurking behind him. Then some of the other Black Beards started to.

“Yes, I’ve heard that too!” one whispered.

“Isn’t that what happened to Johnny?”

“I heard it breathes fire!”

“I heard it walks on water!”

“I heard it—”

And so on. It was clear, reader, that Old Black Beard had completely lost control of his gang. He clenched his fists and growled in frustration. Only our young Sebastian seemed to know what everyone was suddenly so worried about.

“Phantom Ape?” he thought as he listened. “I wonder if that’s the Black Beard Gang’s name for . . . Yes, it must be!”

Old Black Beard snarled and sneered some more. Then, he shouted to get everyone’s attention. It was the second time that week the mysterious creature was mentioned, and it was beginning to get on his nerves.

“Enough! Silence! Order!” he shrieked, flinging about his arms. “Do not be fooled by these stories you have heard about phantom apes! They are all lies! Lies, I tell you! Do you hear me? ‘Tis a myth! A legend! Common fables, made up by the weak crrr-eatures to make themselves feel better as we rule them! And that’s all! Yes! The only ape anyone needs to be afrrr-aid of is me! ME! And today I shall prrr-ove it to you once and for all. Brrr-ing out the Stomper!”

The animals all looked at each other, wondering what he meant.

“Hmm? Prove it?” they whispered.

“The Stomper? Who’s that?”

Even Sebastian didn’t know.

“Oh, I’ve got a bad feeling about this . . .” sighed Dorabella.

Then, everyone heard a loud sound they recognized from before.

Boom . . .

Boom . . .

Boom . . .

“Ooh Ahh! Ooh Ahh!”

Boom!

Boom!

“Ooh Ahh! Ooh Ahh!”

“What was that?” said Edward. “An elephant? A hippopotamus?”

No one seemed to know but the Black Beard Gang, who all started smiling and laughing again.

“Ooh Ahh! Ooh Ahh!”

“Bah hah hah hah! This will be good!”

“Yes! The Stomper is coming! Muah hah hah!”

And then they saw it, reader! The biggest, strongest, ugliest ape ever to walk in that wild valley, swinging through the branches toward the Life Tree.

“By my tail! Do you see the size of that thing?” Sebastian yelled. “Lumpy! Look out! Run away! Hurry!”

When the beast landed onto the branch that Lumpy and his friends were on, it felt like an earthquake. The whole tree shook and trembled. Lumpy sat at the giant’s feet, each of which were bigger than he was! Drooling, cross-eyed and laughing the stupidest-sounding laugh you have ever heard, he looked down at them and smiled.

image [https://i.imgur.com/h8u2QlY.jpeg]

“Ho! Ho! Ho! . . . Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! . . . Ho! Ho! . . . Ho! Ho! . . . Me, Stomper! Me hungry. Me stomp on little apes and make food. Ooh Ahh! Ooh Ahh! Ho! Ho! Ho! Who shall I stomp first? This one? That one? Or this little runt right here! Ho! Ho!”

Lumpy gulped again, for of the three captive apes “the littlest” was in fact him. And this time he was too scared to try and run away or fight.

“No matter,” grunted the giant. “I can stomp all of ‘em at once, they’re so tiny . . . Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!”

The king laughed together with Stomper. So did the rest of the gang. It made the birds, squirrels and everyone else feel like it was even more hopeless.

Desperately, Sebastian looked around for the hero he believed in, but there was still no sign of any.

“Blast! Where is he!? They don’t have much time!”

“Now,” announced Old Black Beard proudly. “Let this be a reminder to all of you weak cr-r-reatures!” He raised his hand, preparing to give Stomper the signal to crush the apelings. “And a lesson for your children—and your children’s children—about what happens when you step out of your place, and forget that your r-r-role in the forest is to serve animals like me! Bah, hah hahhah! Drum roll, please!”

The Black Beard Gang all started beating chests, laughing and cheering.

“It’s a shame,” said Edward, sadly. “I really liked Lumpy and his friends. I only wish I could have had the chance to say goodbye to them . . .”

“Oh Lumpy,” added Sebastian, about to break into tears. “I’m so sorry. Goodbye, my friend . . .”

Dorabella covered her eyes.

“I can’t watch!”

As Old Black Beard raised his hand to give the signal, Stomper lifted his foot and held it over the helpless apelings, who hugged each other one last time. Old Black Beard dropped his hand. The foot came crushing down. But just before it touched them, it suddenly stopped.

“Wait!” yelled Sebastian, throwing up his wings. Everyone looked up. Something was coming. It was fast, reader! And I mean, really fast! Swinging through the branches! It was getting close! “Wait, everyone! Look!” Sebastian pushed his brother aside and ran to the other edge of his nest. “Look! Look, everyone! Look up there! It’s him! It’s really him! Look! LOOK!”

The Black Beard Gang gazed in horror.

“Oh, no!” they groaned. “NO! It can’t be! IT CAN’T BE!”

But it was. The Phantom Ape was real. And now, reader, it was their turn to be afraid.