The Magical Door

Kyle spun around and saw the giant crab. He yelled, and his friends turned around and saw the crab. They all screamed and ran as fast as they could. But the giant crab was fast and followed very close behind them thrashing its giant claws. They screamed some more and tried to get away from the giant crab’s claws. The crab snapped his claw above Leapy’s head.

Suddenly, a firefly named Bulby swooped down and Kyle and his friends climbed on his back. Bulby gently lifted them into the air. They held on tightly as Bulby flew away. Kyle breathed a deep sigh of relief. "We’re saved from that giant crab," he said.

Bulby’s light flashed in the sky. Kyle saw pretty fish swimming in the beautiful water clouds. When Bulby soared close to the clouds, Kyle stretched out his hand and touched the water clouds. Beanie did the same. "Wow," Beanie said. "I wish I had wings to fly like this. It’s beautiful up here."

Smelly agreed. "I’d trade my stinky smell or my rock collection for a pair of wings," he said.

Leapy shook his head. "I don’t want to trade a thing. I would look pretty stupid with a pair of wings," he said. Kyle laughed as he pictured Leapy, a kangaroo, with wings.

The giant firefly glided and plunged into a water cloud. The water in the cloud washed the stickiness from the Great Taffy Lake off of Kyle and his friends. When they flew out of the water cloud, Bulby flew down and gently landed so Kyle and his friends could climb off. The gang waved goodbye to Bulby as he flew away. Then they all continued walking along Noodle Path. When Kyle spotted the big pretzel in the middle of the road, he remembered what Diddy said and knew he was going in the right direction.

Smelly sat down and said, "My feet are hurting. Let’s take a rest." So the friends all sat down to rest for a bit.

Three big, mean ducks named Duba, Hickey, and Neil approached them. One of the mean ducks asked, "What do we have here, a five-course meal? My name is Duba, and this is Hickey and Neil--and we’re hungry." Hickey looked at Kyle. "You look very tasty," he said. Doe Doe, Smelly, Beanie, and Leapy were frightened. Doe Doe began to panic. "Please don’t eat me," he cried. "I just learned how to juggle and do tricks."

Kyle walked toward Hickey. "Leave us alone. Ducks don’t eat other animals or kids or clowns."

Duba gave Kyle a hungry look and said, "We eat anything we feel like eating, especially little kids."

Kyle remembered the candy in his pocket. "Wait a minute," he said. "I have some candy. Maybe if you eat a piece, you won’t be so hungry."

"We don’t want any candy," Duba said angrily. "We want a delicious pot of skunk, kangaroo, koala, clown and kid stew."

Neil rubbed his large stomach with his wing and said, "Ooh that sounds so good. I can almost taste it."

Kyle looks at Smelly and whispered, "Smelly, make a stink bomb quick!"

Smelly was about to cry. "I can’t do it. I tried already and it won’t work." Beanie says, "We have to something. They’re going to eat us!"

Kyle whispered, "We’re going to make a run for it."

Duba looked at Hickey. "Get a pot," he said. "We’re about to have dinner."

Kyle looked at his friends and said, "Now! Run for it!" So, they began to run from the big mean ducks.

"Stop our dinner from running away!" Duba yelled, and he and the other ducks started to chase Kyle and his friends.

"Run as fast as you can!" Kyle said. "Hurry! They’re gaining on us." Leapy, Doe Doe, Smelly, and Beanie ran as fast as they possibly could.

"We’re going to get you and eat you all up," Duba yelled.

"You can’t eat what you can’t catch!" Kyle shouted. But the mean ducks were right behind them. Luckily, Kyle and his friends stumbled upon the Never-Come-Back River.

Smelly had heard about the river. He said, "We have to jump on the pegs, and if we fall, we’ll never come back."

Leapy looked as if he might cry. He said, "This is it. We’re duck dinner." "Come on," Kyle said. "Let’s jump on the pegs and get to the other side." Leapy knew, however, that the Never-Come-Back River was the most frightening river in Bumblebyia. Many of the kids who were planning to challenge Mecca never made it to the Castle because they fell off of the pegs into the river. But Kyle and his friends were determined to cross the Never-Come-Back River--more determined than anyone Leapy had ever met. They carefully jumped across on the pegs, one after another, but the mean ducks were close behind.

The gang made it about halfway across the river, but they were very scared. Jumping on the pegs in the Never-Come-Back River was terrifying. They worried that they were doomed one way or another. Either the ducks would catch them or they would fall off a peg.

Duba, Hickey, and Neil were jumping on the pegs and catching up. However, Hickey jumped on the same peg as Duba, and one of Duba’s huge webbed feet slipped forward. Both Duba and Hickey plunged into the Never-Come-Back River. Neil got so scared, he turned around and headed back.

Kyle, Beanie, Leapy, Smelly, and Doe Doe made it safely across the river. They stopped for a few minutes to catch their breath and then they started to walk down another path. They saw lots of houses shaped like bottles.

"Let’s get a closer look, " Kyle said. "I would like to see who lives in those houses." They walked closer to the bottle-shaped houses and saw eight three-foot tall babies coming toward them. Kyle was admiring the houses when Baby Number One said, "Hello."

Still shaken up from meeting the mean ducks, Kyle and his friends screamed at the sight of the babies.

Baby Number One winced and said, "Sorry we scared you like that. We’re the Boo Bop Babies, and we love to sing and dance."

Baby Number Five said, "If you’re hungry, we have milk, teething cookies, and baby food."

Kyle shook his head. "That’s okay, no thanks," he replied. "But I would really appreciate it if you could tell us what path we’re on."

Baby Number One said, "You’re on Boo Bop Baby Avenue."

Kyle said, "I’m sorry for being so rude. My name is Kyle, and this is Leapy, Smelly, Beanie, and Doe Doe. What are your names?"

The babies all looked at each other. Then Baby Number One said, "We don’t have any names. There is no one here to name us. I’m Baby Number One, and this is Baby Number Two. He is Baby Number Three, and he is baby Number Four . . . "

Kyle put up his hands and said, "Okay, I get the picture. You all need names."