Laughing Forest

Chapter One

BEEBO and Peeper were bored. The mid-year holiday was a long one. They had two weeks away from Kindy School. They had played for the first 12 days and they now had nothing left to do.

Then Beebo had an idea.

"Let' go to the Laughing Forest. We can play there! And walk in the forest!"

Peeper just looked at him, his eyes wide open.

"Come on! It'll be fun," insisted Beebo.

"Beebo, we're not supposed to go ... THERE!!"

But Beebo had run ahead towards the Laughing Forest. Peeper had no choice but to follow.

Chapter Two

HA! HA! HA!

HEE! HEE! HEE!

HO! HO! HO!

HAH! HAH! HAH!

Peeper ran to Beebo. "What ... wha ... what was that?"

"I ... I don't ... know," answered Beebo.

HA! HA! HA!

The laughter became louder and louder, until at last it was thunderous.

Shutting their ears, Beebo and Peeper ran and ran. Deeper and deeper into the woods they ran. Looking behind to see if anyone followed, Beebo failed to see the root that was in his path. He tripped and fell. Peeper, close behind him, followed suit. Now the laughter seemed to be directly above them.

Chapter Three

"Shh!" said Beebo pointing towards a big clearing in the forest.

Peeper looked and saw what his friend was pointing at.

It was an old lady in rags. She looked as if she had not had a bath in months or years. And she smelt it, too!

"Uoy Htiw Efil!" she yelled raising her hands to the sky.

And to Beebo and Peeper's amazement the trees around her came to life and started dancing!

"Uh!" gasped Peeper.

"Shh!"

The old lady turned to where they were crouched. Fearing for their lives, Beebo and Peeper ran.

Again the laughter rang through the air.

They ran and ran and ran. Till at last they reached home.

Not wanting to be scolded for disobeying their parents and the village elders by stepping into Laughing Forest, Beebo and Peeper did not tell anyone what they had seen or heard that day.

Chapter Four

"Nyah! Nyah!" teased Weirdo and Weirdel. "You can't stand on your head like we can! Nyah! Nyah!"

The Strange twins had been teasing Beebo and Peeper as soon as Kindy School reopened.

"Bah!" said Beebo. "I know a better trick!"

Peeper looked with surprise at his friend. He didn't know that Beebo knew any tricks. But as Beebo raised his hands to the sky, Peeper at once knew and feared. But too late, Beebo had said the words: "Uoy Htiw Efil" before Peeper could stop him.

Beebo opened his eyes again. The place was quiet. Too quiet. Where were all the children? All his friends? Peeper? They had all disappeared!

"Peeper? Weirdo? Weirdel?"

Not a sound was heard in the whole Kindy yard.

Chapter Five

The village council met and after hearing Beebo's explanation, it was decided that the old hag Lifewithyou would be summoned to undo what had been done.

Lifewithyou nodded when told the story of what had happened.

And then she spoke: "It is a spell I use to bring life to the trees. Every summer the trees dance the dance of life before autumn comes and they lose their leaves. But when it is used on children, the spell has a different effect. The spell takes them away and changes them ... into seedlings of trees."

There was a gasp in the room. And then all the daddies and mummies started all at once. Beebo cringed. He knew what they must have thought as they looked at him accusingly.

Then Lifewithyou stood up and a hush came over the room as they all looked at the hag expectantly, hoping she had a solution.

At last she spoke. "I will undo what has been done. But you must promise me, as you once did, that no one must enter Laughing Forest again!"

She said it loudly and clearly that no one in the room dared say a word or even breathe. Some say they even heard the clap of thunder then.

Dr Whoopee, on behalf of the town, agreed to Lifewithyou's request.

Chapter Six

Lifewithyou went into the Kindy playground and said in her sharp and strong voice: "Life with you!" clapping her hands twice.

Suddenly there stood all the children who were in the playground on the day Beebo had cast the spell.

All the mummies and daddies embraced their children. None of Beebo's friends remembered what had happened or where they had disappeared to. And no one saw where Lifewithyou went.

Everytime Beebo met any of the DeliLanders, they just shook their head in disappointment remembering what he had done.

He never repeated those magical words again. And everyone in DeliLand stayed away from Laughing Forest.