Chapter 1
Once upon a time, there was a Brave, Caring, confident boy called Seth Wilson. He was on the way to see his Childhood Friend Graham Sweet when he decided to take a shortcut through the CottanWood forest.
It wasn’t long before Seth got lost. He looked around, but all he could see were trees. Nervously, he felt into his bag for his favorite toy, Mooly, but Mooly was nowhere to be found! Seth began to panic. He felt sure he had packed Mooly. To make matters worse, he was starting to feel hungry.
Unexpectedly, he saw a Kind, healing, smart tiger dressed in purple gloves disappearing into the dark forest.
“How odd!” thought Seth.
For the want of anything better to do, he decided to follow the peculiarly dressed tiger. Perhaps it could tell him the way out of the forest.
Eventually, Seth reached a clearing. In the clearing were three houses, one made from Carrot, one made from Chips, and one made from Candy.
Seth could feel his tummy rumbling. Looking at the houses did nothing to ease his hunger.
“Hello!” he called. “Is anybody there?”
Nobody replied.
Seth looked at the roof of the closest house and wondered if it would be rude to eat somebody else’s chimney. Obviously, it would be impolite to eat a whole house, but perhaps it would be considered acceptable to nibble the odd fixture or lick the odd fitting, in a time of need.
A cackle broke through the air, giving Seth a fright. A witch jumped into the space in front of the houses. She was carrying a cage. In that cage was Mooly!
“Mooly!” shouted Seth. He turned to the witch. “That’s my toy!”
The witch just shrugged.
“Give Mooly back!” cried Seth.
“Not on your nelly!” said the witch.
“At least let Mooly out of that cage!”
Before she could reply, two tigers rushed in from a footpath on the other side of the clearing. Seth recognized the one in the purple gloves that he’d seen earlier. The witch seemed to recognize him too.
“Hello Big Tiger,” said the witch.
“Good morning.” The tiger noticed Mooly. “Who is this?”
“That’s Mooly,” explained the witch.
“Ooh! Mooly would look lovely in my house. Give it to me!” demanded the tiger.
The witch shook her head. “Mooly is staying with me.”
“Um... Excuse me...” Seth interrupted. “Mooly lives with me! And not in a cage!”
Big Tiger ignored him. “Is there nothing you’ll trade?” he asked the witch.
The witch thought for a moment, then said, “I do like to be entertained. I’ll release him to anybody who can eat a whole front door.”
Big Tiger looked at the house made from Candy and said, “No problem, I could eat an entire house made from Candy if I wanted to.”
“That’s nothing,” said the next tiger. “I could eat two houses.”
“There’s no need to show off,” said the witch. Just eat one front door and I’ll let you have Mooly.”
Seth watched, feeling very worried. He didn’t want the witch to give Mooly to Big Tiger. He didn’t think Mooly would like living with a tiger, away from his house and all his other toys.
The other one tigers watched while Big Tiger put on his bib and withdrew a knife and fork from his pocket.
“I’ll eat this whole house,” said Big Tiger. “Just you watch!”
Big Tiger pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from Candy. He gulped down the fudge door, smiling, and went back for more.
And more.
And more.
Eventually, Big Tiger started to get bigger - just a little bit bigger at first. But after a few more forkfuls of candy, he grew to the size of a large snowball - and he was every bit as round.
“Erm... I don’t feel too good,” said Big Tiger.
Suddenly, he started to roll. He’d grown so round that he could no longer balance!
“Help!” he cried, as he rolled off down a slope into the forest.
Big Tiger never finished eating the front door made from Chips and Mooly remained trapped in the witch’s cage.
Average Tiger stepped up and approached the house made from Candy.
“I’ll eat this whole house,” said Average Tiger. “Just you watch!”
Average Tiger pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from Pizza. She gulped it down smiling, and went back for more.
And more.
And more.
After a while, Average Tiger started to look a little queasy. She grew greener...
...and greener.
A woodcutter walked into the clearing. “What’s this bush doing here?” he asked.
“I’m not a bush, I’m a tiger!” said Average Tiger.
“It talks!” exclaimed the woodcutter. “Those talking bushes are the worst kind. I’d better take it away before somebody gets hurt.”
“No! Wait!” cried Average Tiger, as the woodcutter picked her up. But the woodcutter ignored her cries and carried the tiger away under his arm.
Average Tiger never finished eating the front door made from pizza and Mooly remained trapped in the witch’s cage.
“That’s it,” said the witch. “I win. I get to keep Mooly.”
“Not so fast,” said Seth. “There is still one front door to go. The front door of the house is made from Carrot. And I haven’t had a turn yet.
“I don’t have to give you a turn!” laughed the witch. “My game. My rules.”
The woodcutter’s voice carried through the forest. “I think you should give him a chance. It’s only fair.”
“Fine,” said the witch. “But you saw what happened to the tigers. He won’t last long.”
“I’ll be right back,” said Seth.
“What?” said the witch. “Where’s your sense of impatience? I thought you wanted Mooly back.”
Seth ignored the witch and gathered a hefty pile of sticks. He came back to the clearing and started a small campfire. Carefully, he broke off a piece of the door of the house made from Carrot and toasted it over the fire. Once it had cooked and cooled just a little, he took a bite. He quickly devoured the whole piece.
Seth sat down on a nearby log.
“You fail!” cackled the witch. “You were supposed to eat the whole door.”
“I haven’t finished,” explained Seth. “I am just waiting for my food to go down.”
When Seth’s food had been digested, he broke off another piece of the door made from Carrot. Once more, he toasted his food over the fire and waited for it to cool just a little. He ate it at a leisurely pace and then waited for it to digest.
Eventually, after several sittings, Seth was down to the final piece of the door made from Carrot. Carefully, he toasted it and allowed it to cool just a little. He finished his final course. Seth had eaten the entire front door of the house made from Carrot.
The witch stamped her foot angrily. “You must have tricked me!” she said. “I don’t reward cheating!”
“I don’t think so!” said a voice. It was the woodcutter. He walked back into the clearing, carrying his axe. “This little boy won fair and square. Now hand over Mooly or I will chop your broomstick in half.”
The witch looked horrified. She grabbed her broomstick and placed it behind her. Then, huffing, she opened the door of the cage.
Seth hurried over and grabbed Mooly, checking that his favorite toy was all right. Fortunately, Mooly was unharmed.
Seth thanked the woodcutter, grabbed a quick souvenir, and hurried on to meet Graham. It was starting to get dark.
When Seth got to Graham’s house, his Childhood Friend threw his arms around him.
“I was so worried!” cried Graham. “You are very late.”
As Seth described his day, he could tell that Graham didn’t believe him. So he grabbed a napkin from his pocket.
“What’s that?” asked Graham.
Seth unwrapped a doorknob made from candy. “Fudge!” he said.
Graham almost fell off his chair.
The End
