Chapter 4
Old Black Beard Surrenders
The mysterious creature had the tip of its spear pressed against Old Black Beard’s neck. Any further, and it would have pierced through the skin.
“Boo hoo!” the villain sobbed as he trembled in terror. “Boo hoo! Ooh ahh! Ooh ahh! P-p-p-please, sir! D-d-d-don’t k-k-k-kill me! Ooh ahh!”
“Wow,” marvelled Sebastian. “Look at him. He’s like a big baby.”
Many of the animals watching almost felt sorry for Old Black Beard. Some even took pity on him, whispering that he should be let go. The mysterious creature, however, felt very differently.
“Now, what do you have to say for yourself, thief? Kidnapper!”
It pressed his spear in a little more just to make sure Old Black Beard knew it was serious.
“Ah! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Oh, no! Please! I’m . . . ugh . . . I’m sorry! Yes, I surrender! You win! Please! Let me go . . .”
“Hmm . . . just like you were going to let Lumpy and his friends go? And return the bananas you stole? Nope, you had your chance. Now you’re under arrest!”
“Arrest? Oh, no! No! How terrible! How lamentable! Alas! Anything but that! Wait . . . what does ‘arrest’ mean?”
“It means I’m going to take you away! You took Lumpy and his friends as prisoners. So, now you’re going to be their prisoner.”
“Oh, no! Please don’t! They hate me! Who knows what they’ll do to me? I’m a goner if you take me back! Oh, boo hoo! Please don’t, sir!”
“Well, you should have thought of that before you kidnapped their favorite prince.”
“Prince?” Sebastian thought. “Lumpy was a prince? I didn’t know that.”
Lumpy jumped off the mysterious hero’s back and onto his head. He posed nobly, like a handsome statue.
“You see?” said the mysterious creature.
“What? You’ve got to be kidding me! A little runt like him? A prince? No way! I’m the prince! Me! ME! I’m the king!”
“Not anymore you’re not,” replied the hero defiantly. “You’re through. Your reign of terror is over.”
“What! What did you say!” For a moment, he seemed to forget there was a spear to his throat. “Me? Through? How dare you speak to me like that! Guards! Seize him at once! You shall be whipped for your insolence! Guards! Gua- Ah! Ghup!” But when he remembered, he covered his mouth and returned to sobbing. “Ugh, I mean . . . I’m sorry for kidnapping your charming little friends. Please don’t hurt me!”
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“Sorry, but it’s too late for that. You’re coming with me. If you want to apologize to someone, you can apologize to the Brumbledumbs. Now, where are my handcuffs . . .”
The mysterious creature put away his staff, took out a small rope and began securing it to one of the ape’s wrists. Old Black Beard knew this would be his only chance. A sinister smile spread across his face. Slowly and secretly, he raised his other wrist, getting ready to chop with it.
“Die, Phantom Ape! Die!” he screamed. “You’ll never take me alive! Do you hear me? Now, witness my power! Hiii-yaaaa! Agh! Oof!”
But his plan was foiled again. In the blink of an eye, the mysterious creature caught the chop in midair and punched him square in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Unable to move, speak or even moan in pain, all Old Black Beard could do was collapse backwards and gaze up in fear.
“Wow! Look at that speed!” Sebastian cheered. “He’s so fast! I didn’t even see him move! Did you?”
“No, I didn’t . . .” marvelled Edward.
The mysterious creature crossed its arms and looked down at him.
“Nice try!” it said, playfully. “But you’ll have to do better than that if you want to beat me!”
“What was this creature?” the animals all began to wonder. Even Old Black Beard seemed curious.
“W-w-who . . .” he stuttered, gasping for air and coughing. “Who . . . are . . . you? What are you? Before you take me, I have to know.”
Hearing all the whispers, the hero got the feeling like everyone else was curious too. So, he decided to remove his hood and mask. What the animals saw next shocked them. It wasn’t a bird. It wasn’t a bat. It wasn’t a spider. No, it wasn’t a flying pig either, like Edward had guessed. It was something else altogether that no animal in that wild forest had ever seen before.
image [https://i.imgur.com/5QmAurr.png]
It was a human—a human boy. He had long, shaggy brown hair, light skin and deep royal blue eyes. The animals gasped in astonishment. Especially the girls!
“Oh, goodness!” said Dorabella. “He’s so handsome!”
“Yes, I wonder if he has a girlfriend!” said another.
“I saw him first!” said yet another.
The boy animals all thought he looked tough and brave, like they wanted to be. The whole tree erupted with applause and cheers.
“Well, time to go,” said the boy, securing the rope to Old Black Beard’s other hand. As he dragged him along, the tree’s thorns would poke his bottom.
“Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!”
Then the boy whistled and a wolf pulling a sled appeared at the bottom. He picked up the whip he’d lost earlier and slashed open the big leafy sack that held the stolen bananas. It burst like a piñata and they all fell. Lumpy reached out and grabbed three or four, stuffing them in his mouth. He stuffed a few into Old Black Beard’s mouth too, so he couldn’t talk.
“You’re all ruffians! All of you! When I get out of here, I’m going to—Oof! MmMm! MmMm! MmMmMm!”
The boy dropped into the sled with them, giving high fives all the way down. Then, he hopped up to the front to help pull.
“Bye, everyone!” he called. “See you next time!”
“Bye!” the crowd roared back. “THANK YOU!”
Sebastian watched him disappear over the horizon.
“Now do you believe, Edward?” he teased, crossing his wings triumphantly. His poor brother felt very silly now, reader. “Well?”
Dorabella was afraid they’d start fighting again.
But instead, the two birds just laughed. Dorabella laughed too. The three of them held wings and jumped up and down together, finally feeling like a happy family again.