This is a children’s story. It came out of my head a couple of weeks ago. If you want to talk about publishing it, it would be best illustrated, but for now just imagine it your way.
The twins loved to search for treasure on days off. That’s how they came to be outside the cave of happiness watching the dreaded Nottopass, a fierce, strong but well-mannered creature like a well trained policeman with eight arms to stop people getting past. The twins had to find a way to get past those arms. How could they do it?
‘What have you got in your bag Sis? I’ve got an idea. It keeps picking up white pebbles, tossing them up and down and then tossing them away and looking for more. I’ve got a ball in my bag. What have you got?’
‘I’ve got chewing gum, a game machine and knitting needles.’
‘Give me a knitting needle.’
‘One knitting needle! What can anyone do with one knitting needle?’
‘You’ll see. I’ll buy you another one.’
‘Hi NTP. Can you juggle?’
‘I’m very good at it.’
‘I knew it! I could tell just by looking at you that you must be very good at juggling. Maybe you can even juggle things that are really hard to juggle together, like a rubber ball and a knitting needle.’
‘Oh, no problem. I can do that easily.’
‘Well, I’ve got a ball and knitting needle here. I’ve been trying for weeks to juggle them for ten minutes without dropping them.’
‘Throw them to me.’
Soon he was happily juggling away and having great fun. He really was clever.
‘That’s amazing! Can you do that and do your job as well?’
‘Of course! It helps to have eight arms and two brains. It’s a distinct advantage.’
‘So if I pretended to try to run past you, you could catch me and still keep juggling the knitting needle and ball’
‘Oh yes.’
‘I often wished I had more arms so that I could keep playing my computer game and still do other things, but a computer game takes two hands and that’s all I’ve got.’
‘I feel sorry for you, little creature. For me, that would be no trouble at all. I could play the game very very well and still juggle these objects, and do my job too.’
‘Really? I’m so excited to hear that. I’ve got a computer game machine in my bag. Would you like to try it?’
‘Definitely I would little girl. May I?’
‘Well, I wouldn’t let just anyone but I’ll let you.’
The Nottopass took the machine and within a few minutes had mastered it and was close to breaking the beeps per second record. The knitting needle and ball kept flying into the air in more and more complex patterns.
‘How long will you keep juggling?’
‘As long as I enjoy it. No, let us be more definite. I will juggle them for three days.’
‘Incredible! We should call the television. That must surely break the world’s record for juggling a knitting needle and a ball. If the TV is coming I will have to look my best.’ So she took her mirror and comb from her bag and began to do her hair and put her face to rights. Elspeth was naturally beautiful but always thought there was room for improvement.
‘Little girl?’
‘Yes, supreme juggler.’
‘Do I look…er…presentable.’
‘Well, I don’t mean to be insulting but your hair could do with a little tidying.’
‘I don’t have a comb.’
‘I was beginning to suspect that.’
‘When you feel fully ready would you mind if I borrowed yours?’
‘Mum says… I’ll buy another set. You can have my mirror and comb as soon as I think I am beautiful enough. Then you can improve your appearance and we will try to run past you just to help you make sure you can still do your job.’
‘That’s easy, said NTP.’
Soon it was doing it’s hair, playing a fast computer game, juggling and laughing while catching Pat and Elspeth and tickling them and bellowing, ‘I haven’t had this much fun in years!’
At about this time Pat spotted a sign “NO CHEWING GUM IN THE PORTICO”. ‘Give me your gum’, he said to his sister.
‘All of it?’, she replied and he nodded. Pat put five complete gum tabs in his mouth and began to chew unobtrusively.
When the gum was nice and mature he stepped up to NTP and said ‘Do you like your job?’
‘What’s that in your mouth young man?’
‘Chewing gum.’
‘Didn’t you read the sign?’
‘I never read signs; they’re always telling you not to do things. What does it say?’
“NO CHEWING GUM IN THE PORTICO”.
‘Oh, what’s a portico? Where’s the portico?’
‘This is the portico. Give me that gum.’ Pat carefully took the gum from his mouth and slapped it into the NTP’s outstretched hand. Hmmph, said the creature and seemed a little puzzled about what to do with the gum. Pat said helpfully, just slap it under that rock there. The NTP did that but had trouble afterwards. Its hand was stuck to the rock.
‘Test run!’ yelled Pat and the two children ran past the NTP into the cave of happiness.