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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Kids
- Theme: Fairy Tales & Fantasy
- Subject: Fantasy / Dreams / Wishes
- Published: 10/31/2018
The Suddles
Born 1948, M, from Eastbourne, United KingdomTHE SUDDLES
By
Wynter-Rose and Grandpa
Note to reader: This story was made up in its entirety by my 11 year old autistic granddaughter, with me simply putting it on paper for her. I didn't change a thing!
CHAPTER ONE
ABOUT THE SUDDLES
The Suddles are remarkable individuals. Living in the very deepest part of the deepest oceans in the world they are tiny, shrimp-like creatures with shells tougher than diamonds but with the ability to change shape at will, a skill that often leads them in good stead whenever they are threatened with being a small part of a larger being’s dinner.
The most marvelous thing about the Suddles is that they can never die, unless they are eaten of course. They do get old but, instead of passing away they curl themselves into a kind of aquatic cocoon and wait to be reborn, something like the way that caterpillars turn into butterflies on land. The difference is that when they re-emerge from their shelter they keep all their memories of their past existences. Every Suddle will have lived through the birth of the planet, seen the dinosaurs come and go, the formation of the lands above them; seen everything in fact.
Now, most people know that the deepest part of the ocean is very dark; pitch black in fact. Unlike most of the creatures that live in these extreme depths, Suddles need to see where they are going and they are able to do so thanks to the lantern fish. As their name suggests, these amazing fish have a small, bright light on the end of a long tube that they use to attract and catch unwary tiny prey. Many, many years ago the Suddles made a pact with them, promising them a safe haven in the grotto in return for them lighting up the area and making it appear very magical indeed.
Suddles rarely occasionally venture from the safety of their deep sea homes to explore the world around them but they are a very curious bunch, and this can lead them into all sorts of trouble, but more of that later.
Our story is mostly centred on one very curious and mischievous Suddle who swims by the name of Slip. That’s the nearest that we can get to his name for the purposes of this tale. His Suddle name is Xncvnvbj, but that is very hard to pronounce, as we are sure you will agree.
Despite being over 4 million years old (which actually is quite young for a Suddle) Slip could be very irresponsible and silly. Despite that, he was much loved by the other Suddles in the community who tended to tolerate his less mature ways. It must be said that some of them were quite envious about his adventurous and often dangerous exploits.
Slip’s best friend was Tkhkgd, whom we shall call Slop for reasons explained above. The two aquatic heroes enjoyed many amazing times together, as you are shortly to discover.
Enough then; let us descend to the very depths of the ocean and tell the first tale…
CHAPTER TWO
THE BOTTLE
Slip was awakened by the sounds of great excitement coming from outside the Suddles’ cave. He wearily drifted outside on a cool, slow current to find a large group of Suddles crowded around a strange, shiny object. Slip was worried right away. For something to be shiny so deep in the dark ocean meant only one thing…danger! He floated gently, his fins keeping him almost motionless in the still water, and wondered what he should do.
‘What is going on here? What’s all this noise about?’ The angry sound of Tskfnh’s voice made Slip startle. Tskfnh (or Spearhead as we shall call him), was the oldest Suddle of them all, and he was very, very wise. The Suddles moved away immediately from the object that was causing such interest and fell into total silence, something that always happened when Spearhead spoke. The old Suddle drifted forwards cautiously and he examined the item that lay partly buried in the sand. He blew a stream of bubbles irritably and moved back rapidly to the cave entrance.
‘It has finally happened,’ he said, his voice shaking with anger, ‘it was only a matter of time.’
‘What’s finally happened?’ asked Slip, probably the only Suddle there who had the nerve to question Spearhead. The old Suddle looked at him fiercely.
‘There are things, objects that fall from above, from a place the old ones call Dry.’
‘Dry?’ asked Slip. ‘There is no such place as Dry!’ He had heard the stories of course, about a land where there was no water, where instead creatures breathed in air and walked around in a thing called sunshine, but every Suddle knew that these were just old tales told by older Suddles to scare the youngsters into behaving themselves. Spearhead looked at him sternly, making Slip wish he had kept his gills closed.
The old Suddle turned and faced the crowd, sucking water deep into his throat as he prepared to speak. ‘My friends,’ he said, his voice quivering with emotion, ‘this is just the beginning. For an object to fall so deep into the ocean is a sign that there will be much more to come. That place we call Dry does exist, but it is so far above and away from here it has always been assumed that it presented no danger to the realm of the Suddles. That object, which I tell you is called bottle, is a sign that we must act now, or forever be lost!’
There was a loud gasp from the crowd and thousands of bubbles rose from them to disappear into the darkness above. Slip looked round at Spearhead. ‘What do we do?’ he asked.
‘We?’ laughed the old Suddle, ‘you are young my friend. We need experienced warriors to deal with this situation.’
‘I am more than four million years old!’ protested Slip.
Spearhead chuckled. ‘A baby!’ he said with a sneer. ‘You would run from the first sign of danger!’
Slip was furious. Just how long must a Suddle live in this deep ocean before he was accepted as worthy of respect? ‘I would not, sir!’ he exclaimed. There was another gasp from the crowd, and more bubbles. Spearhead regarded him for a moment, then smiled, something that rarely happened.
‘You will have your chance, young Slip,’ he said, ‘I promise you.’
‘Thank you father,’ replied the youngster, ‘you won’t regret it.’
CHAPTER THREE
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT
Slip could barely contain his excitement. Spearhead was not the sort of Suddle to go back on his word. ‘You will have your chance,’ he had said. But whatever did he mean? How could he, only four million years old know how to solve this great problem? And, what was the problem? A bottle. So what? It was just a lump of stuff; didn’t even move. How could this thing be a threat to the Suddles? OK, Spearhead was known to be very wise. He had been around as long as there was life on the planet, but whatever could this strange bottle do?
He decided to go and have a closer look. He moved slowly through the shadows to where it lay in the sand. There was only one Suddle guarding it now, and it looked like he was asleep, drifting in the gentle current like a…like a…Suddle. Slip moved quietly up to the object. In the semi-darkness (the lantern-fish were also asleep) it did indeed look strange. He touched it nervously. Its shell was smooth, not like anything he had touched before. Slip looked closely and realised that he could almost see through it. There didn’t appear to be much if anything inside, so he thought how could it be dangerous?
He swam around to the thinner end of the object. There was an opening. His first thought was to swim back and tell his friend Slop what he had discovered; that there was nothing to be scared about. He didn’t though. Slip never did sensible things like that. The opening seemed to be drawing him towards it, welcoming him, saying ‘Come on Slip, come inside.’
The bottle moved slightly, startling him. The current was getting stronger, as often happened in the Suddles’ rest times. He dashed back into the shelter of a rock and peered out. The bottle now remained motionless. Slowly and fearfully he drifted out again and approached the opening. ‘Come on, Slip, come inside,’ it seemed to be whispering, and yet there was no real sound. It was all in his imagination, but then a Suddles imagination has been known to change the direction of the strongest sea current.
Slip blew a gasp of bubbles and entered the neck of the bottle. Suddenly all was strangely quiet. The familiar sounds of the deep ocean were silenced. He was in another world. He swam cautiously around, occasionally bumping into the hard, shiny shell of the thing. There was nothing to be found. It was completely empty.
Shrugging his fins he turned and headed back towards the entrance. He was almost there when the bottle seemed to shake and roll, clearly disturbed again by the strengthening sea current. The force of the sudden movement caused Slip to fall to one side against the shell and knocked him breathless for a moment. When he had recovered he headed quickly as his fins would carry him back to the entrance to the bottle.
But it was blocked! Blocked by sand where the bottle had tipped almost vertically, the neck now buried firmly. He was trapped! Immediately he let out a stream of noisy bubbles in the hope of waking the guard but the bubbles floated noiselessly around his prison before fading to nothing. He tried swimming around rapidly, even knocking himself against the shell on purpose in the hope of moving the thing but it remained stuck in the sand, hardly moving at all.
Slip leant exhausted against one side of the bottle and gazed out into the gloom. There was his home; so near and yet so far! How he now wished that he hadn’t been so curious, so inquisitive. Spearhead had been right; the thing was indeed dangerous!
There came a slight tapping sound, so quiet that Slip barely heard it. He looked on the direction of the sound and his heart leapt with joy. Slop! His friend was on the other side of the shell, peering in anxiously. Slip swam to face him, waving his fins frantically and blowing bubbles to let Slop know of the danger. His friend seemed to understand but then swam away into the darkness. Slip relaxed. He knew that help would come.
There are only a few billion Suddles in the world but it seemed that every one of them arrived to rescue Slip from his predicament. There was a lot of heaving and push until, at last the bottle moved to lay on its side once more. Slip managed to dig the remaining sand from the neck and swam out, bubbles of delight rising from the massive crowd as if to welcome him.
‘Slip!’ It was Spearhead’s voice that boomed through the general uproar. Slip shrank back. The wise Suddle swam up to him and glared as only an angry Suddle can. ‘Slip, I will see you in my chamber NOW!’ Their great leader turned his back on Slip and drifted away, Slip following dejectedly behind him. Perhaps he wouldn’t be given a special task after all.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE BUBBLE-BAG
Slip was very worried as he approached Spearhead’s cave. He knew he was in trouble, but had no idea what the great Suddle was going to do or say. He had never been invited into the leader’s grotto before and he needed to blow quite a few bubbles to build up his courage before he entered the darkness.
‘Come in Slip.’ Spearhead’s voice boomed in the gloom. Slip moved slowly, his fins fluttering sluggishly. ‘Quickly! Don’t dawdle!’ The little Suddle moved rapidly now, taking care not to swim into anything hidden in the gloom.
The great Suddle seemed to be even larger now, positioned as he was on top of a slab of grey rock. Slip drifted below him, his head bowed as he waited for his punishment. It seemed so unfair; he hadn’t meant to get trapped in that bottle thing. He was just curious, that’s all.
‘That was quite an adventure you had, young Slip.’ Spearhead’s words boomed around him like on oncoming storm.
‘Yes, sir, I…’ he began, wanting to ask for forgiveness.
‘The main thing is,’ continued the leader, ‘you have now witnessed in a very small way the danger that we, and all the creatures that live beneath the oceans are in. The thing called bottle, that unnatural thing, it is a sign of things to come. Something has got to be done!’
‘Yes sir,’ replied Slip, not understanding.
‘The very fact that it landed here, at the very deepest part of the great oceans is a warning to us all. Somehow we have to warn the creatures that live on the Dry of the peril that threatens to destroy the world that we live in!’
Spearhead let out a stream of bubbles as if to emphasise his words. Slip bleated out a single, weak blip that quickly drifted into nothing. ‘I…I don’t understand, your bubbliness,’ he said quietly, ‘what can be done? The Dry is so far above us. No Suddle has ever been there!’
‘Until now.’ Spearhead looked at him hard. ‘You are going to make the journey! You may take your friend Slop. I have watched you both for some time. You are foolish and disobedient but you are also brave and inquisitive. I need you to make the expedition to the surface!’
The very word ‘surface’ made Slip begin to tremble. No Suddle had ever dared to make such a hazardous trip before. ‘But sir…what will we do if…when we get there?’ he asked.
‘You must discover which species is the most powerful, the most dominant of all the Dry creatures. Transform yourself into their shape and talk to them. Let them know what is happening down here.’
‘But sir…’ Slip began.
. Spearhead held up a fin to silence him.
‘I want you and your friend to go and see Professor Trivle in the green cave. He will show you how you are going to make the journey in safety.’
Slip was about to ask more but the great leader suddenly turned away from him and swam swiftly into the darkness through a stream of bright bubbles. There was nothing more to be said.
Slop drifted aimlessly backwards and forwards, looking very worried indeed. ‘He wants us to go where? To the surface? It’s impossible! We will be eaten the moment we set out from the Suddles caves!’
‘Spearhead says that Professor Trivle has a way to make the expedition safe.’
Slop turned himself upside down and swam in circles, trying to make sense of it all. ‘Maybe if we turn ourselves into sharks we will be safe,’ he said.
‘I thought of that, but we have to discover which creature rules the Dry and it may be that whatever it is may not like to be approached by two sharks! Now, we must go to the green cave and seek out Professor Trivle. He will help us.’
The green cave was at the furthest end of the area and few of the other Suddles had been there. Professor Trivle was often seen about the caves though, a wise old Suddle who seemed to know everything about everything. He welcomed the youngsters into his home and bade them sit on small rocks before him.
‘Spearhead has told me of his plan,’ he began, his voice creaking with age, ‘you are two very, very brave young Suddles!’ Slip was going to say that they didn’t really have much choice in the matter but the old one continued to speak before he could say anything. ‘The ocean is full of dangers and it will be difficult for you to escape injury or worse. Nevertheless, the mission must be completed! I have invented a way that should help you in your quest. Follow me.’ He turned and rapidly swam to the back of his cave. Pulling back a covering of dead weed he revealed what looked like a giant bubble. He drifted back and surveyed his creation proudly. ‘Behold! My bubble-bag!’
Slip and Slop swam up to and around the huge lump. Slip turned to look at the Professor.
‘What is it?’ he asked simply.
‘A bubble-bag!’ replied the old one.
‘Yes, you said, but what does it do? How can it help us?’
‘You will travel to the surface inside the bag in complete safety. I have invented a substance that only a Suddle can swim through. To any other creature it will be as tough as the hardest rock. Try it.’
The two friends shrugged their fins and swam directly towards the fleshy mound. It parted as soon as they touched it, closing immediately behind them. There was nothing inside. They turned and swam back out. The professor beamed happily. ‘Well?’ he asked.
‘So how will it take us all the way up to the surface?’ Slip hated saying that word but felt that he had to.
‘My assistants and I will pack it full of everything that you will need for the journey. Once the bubble-bag is released it will drift gently upwards until you reach your destination. Once there the currents will take you to the nearest Dry.’
Slip and Slop swam slowly back to their cave in silence. There was nothing more to be said. They were going to the surface!’
CHAPTER FIVE
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
The time had arrived. Slip and Slop approached the bubble bag nervously clutching their tiny cases that had been neatly packed for the journey. Spearhead drifted silently behind them, encouraging them with occasional taps with his fins. Their craft loomed ominously in front of them. Slip looked at his friend, half hoping that Slop would suddenly turn and flee so that he could follow and not be thought of as a coward.
Spearhead must have sensed their fear because he moved them forward firmly. ‘This is your moment,’ he boomed, ‘the entire seabed is relying on you!’ Slip knew that they had no choice. He sucked in a stream of water and moved rapidly towards the bag. The soft skin gave way and he was inside. Slop followed and the two friends drifted within their eerie surroundings for a few moments, looking around. Professor Trivle had been good to his word. There was everything that they could possibly need for a very long journey indeed; plenty of food, places to rest, everything.
The strange shell of their craft gave way slightly and Spearhead entered. The old Suddle glanced around appreciatively. ‘The professor has done well,’ he said, ‘you will be safe here. Good luck my brave heroes; I know you will not let the Suddle nation down!’ With that he turned and disappeared through the jelly-like wall and they were alone.
‘What do we do now?’ asked Slop, his fins trembling rapidly.
‘I’m not sure,’ began Slip. The question was answered immediately. The bubble bag began to jiggle and wobble. Slip swam to the edge and tried to peer out. He couldn’t see much, the skin of the bag being so thick, but he could certainly sense that they were moving upwards slowly. He could just make out the shape of the Suddles’ cave entrance gradually disappearing from sight into the gloom. They were on their way to the surface!
Their voyage seemed to be going on forever. They had talked and eaten and slept and talked over and over again as the bubble bag drifted up and up. Slip was getting more and more impatient, anxious to get to wherever they were going, even though he hadn’t a clue what they would find there. Just what would happen when they reached the surface, and where was this place they called the Dry?
Suddenly the bubble bag shook violently causing them both to fall to the bottom. Slip managed to pull himself up but the bag shook again and he turned upside down and thumped his head against a packing case. Slop had managed to stay upright and swam to the edge of their craft and stared though the skin. ‘Shark!’ he cried out, ‘and it’s a whopper!’ Slip moved to drift next to him and peered out. Almost immediately the giant head of the creature loomed into view and its nose bashed heavily against the bag. The two friends were knocked back to the floor with the force of the impact.
‘What are we going to do?’ asked Slop urgently.
‘We’ll be all right,’ answered Slop hesitantly, ‘Professor Trivle said that the skin of the bubble bag will keep us safe. Only a Suddle can break through.’
‘But what if the shark swallows us? We are tiny and he is huge!’ Slop began to swim round and round in circles in blind panic. Slip hadn’t thought of that.
‘I…I’m not sure,’ he replied, ‘but I am certain we will be fine.’ His words did little to calm down his nervous friend who continued to swim rapidly and aimlessly around the place. The shark struck the bag again, turning it completely upside down.
‘We’re going to be eaten!’ cried Slop, ‘and I am not even six million years old!’
Suddenly the bubble bag began to shake and move rapidly upwards. Slip peered out through the skin but could only make out the shape of something absolutely massive. Whatever it was, it was pushing them swiftly out of danger. They were now moving so quickly both friends were forced against the bottom of the bag, unable to move. It seemed to be getting lighter and brighter outside the confines of the bag until with a loud splash they broke the surface of the water and bobbed in the strong sunlight.
Slip and Slop recovered quickly and swam to look through the skin of the bag. At first they saw nothing and then an enormous head appeared from beneath the waves.
‘Are you all right?’ The monster spoke with a loud but gentle voice.
‘Who…who are you?’ asked Slip. The creature looked incredibly fearsome but there was kindness in his eyes.
‘They call me Nessie,’ he replied. ‘I am named after the place where I used to live, a beautiful Loch in a country called Scotland. I escaped to the sea many, many years ago but I am told that I am still searched for even today! I was trapped in the Loch for a long time until canals were built and I was able to escape to the sea to join my friends in the depths.
‘Friends?’ queried Slop, ‘who are they?’
‘The dinosaurs and dragons of course,’ replied the old monster, his eyes glinting in the strong sunlight. ‘The creatures that escaped from the land many years ago when the asteroid hit. We have been living in the deep ocean ever since!
‘I have heard about the great asteroid.’ said Slip, ‘It was a very long time ago. The old ones speak of it and how for once the Suddles feared they were in real danger.’
‘It was a terrifying time,’ continued Nessie, ‘the dinosaurs fled, many of them unsure where to run for safety. I swam as fast as I could, thinking that I was heading out to sea but instead became trapped in the Loch! But enough about me, who are you and why are two such tiny creatures trapped in that strange container?’
Slip had so many questions that he wanted to ask their saviour but he and Slop told him about their quest. Nessie listened attentively then raised his great head and snorted. ‘There are many things wrong here. The seas are being ruined by selfishness! I have tried to warn the many beings in the seas but most of them seem content to swim or float endlessly without a care. I really don’t know what to do.’
‘That is why we are here,’ said Slop.
‘Yes,’ continued Slip, ‘it is our mission.’
Nessie grunted and blew out a plume of pink smoke from his massive nostrils. ‘Then I wish you well, dear friends. Call me if I can be of any help. I will always be close.’ With that he nudged them forward and then turned and dived back under the waves. The two friends watched him disappear into the ocean depths and then turned to look in the direction they were heading for. There was something very odd breaking through the surface of the sea, something that they would soon learn was…the Dry!
CHAPTER SIX
DRY LAND!
The nearer that the bubble bag got to the edge of dry land the more nervous Slip felt. He could also see that Slop was worried because his friend was swimming upside down, a sure sign that all was not well with him. It all looked so strange; trees and bushes grew at the edge of the water, but they were still, rather than moving with the waves of the sea, and the brightness of the sun was far harsher than the lights provided by the lantern fish in their home grottos.
The bubble bag moved closer and closer to the Dry. Suddenly Slip noticed a strange looking figure at the water’s edge. He called to Slip and pointed with his fin. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘what on earth is that?’
His friend peered through the skin of the bag. The creature was white with thick fur, two big eyes, a nose and mouth and four woolly legs. Its ears were pointed and also covered in fur. It would be sometime before the two Suddles were to learn that this was a kitten.
‘Do you think it will eat us?’ asked Slop trembling.
‘I’m sure that it won’t,’ replied Slip, although he was not so sure at all. They watched nervously as the animal pawed at the surface of the water as though it was trying to catch a fish. All of a sudden it seemed to slip and it fell headlong into the sea. ‘It’s coming to get us!’ cried Slip, swimming away from the edge of the bubble bag.
‘No, no,’ answered Slop who was watching what was happening whilst still swimming upside down, ‘it looks like it is in trouble!’
Slip swam back to the edge. ‘I think you’re right,’ he said, ‘why doesn’t it swim?’
‘Maybe it can’t.’
‘Of course it can. How could anything exist that can’t swim?’ Slip peered hard through the skin of the bag. Whatever this creature was, it was definitely in trouble! ‘We have to help it!’
‘But what if it attacks us?’
Slip thought about that possibility for a second or two then said, ‘No, come on, we must help!’ With that the two friends moved to the side of the bag and pushed with all their strength against it in the way that Professor Trivle had taught them. Slowly their strange craft began to turn and move towards the struggling creature. The skin of the bag pressed against the animal and Slip and Slop pushed even harder. The kitten must have sensed that they were trying to help because it lay still and gradually they were able to push it to the shore. Once there it lept to its feet and shook itself before beginning to rapidly lick its wet furry body.
The two friends watched it fascinated. They had never seen anything like it before. ‘Whatever is it doing?’ asked Slop.
‘I don’t know, replied Slip, ‘perhaps it likes the taste.’ Mentioning the word “taste” reminded them both that the creature might want to eat them and they were about to roll the bag back out to sea when a loud voice boomed behind them.
‘Thank you, whatever you are,’ said the voice, ‘thank you for saving the life of my kitten!’ They looked round quickly and were confronted by another figure, similar to the kitten but much larger. At first they were terrified. It looked so fierce, looming above them. It leant forward and seemed to smile. ‘I am cat,’ it said simply.
Slip found his voice at last. ‘We are Suddles,’ he said, ‘we are from the deep ocean.’
Cat peered into the bag. ‘You are strange ones indeed,’ he purred, ‘do you live in there all the time?’
‘No,’ replied Slop, wanting to join in the conversation, ‘we needed it to bring us to the surface. We are very strong swimmers indeed.’ He did a few backwards flips to emphasise his boast.
‘Then what brings you to this place?’ asked Cat.
‘There are things falling from the surface, strange polluting things that are causing many problems to the creatures of the depths. We have been sent here to find the rulers of the dry lands and to ask them to stop whatever they are doing to cause this.’
Cat stretched himself proudly. ‘We cats are the rulers of the land,’ he said, ‘but the pollution is not of our doing. That is the work of the humans, our servants. They build homes for us, feed us and do everything that we ask. We do nothing, just laze around all day. They construct great buildings, make machines that move, sail or even fly, just so that we, their rulers, can live in peace and comfort. It is they who cast their rubbish into the sea!’
‘Then they must be stopped!’ Slop had suddenly found the courage to speak.
‘But why should we care? We are warm and well fed.’ The cat turned and started to walk away with its tail held high in the air and the little kitten following it obediently. Slip and Slop watched it go, then turned to each other.
‘What can we do?’ asked Slop disappointedly.
Slip looked back at the cat as it strutted away, its tail held high in the air. His fins quivered as he glared at the animal. ‘Wait!’ he suddenly yelled. The cat stopped and slowly turned its head and looked in surprise at the two friends. The cat had clearly never been spoken to in such a way before.
‘I beg your pardon?’ he said, raising his head a little.
Slip moved nervously towards him. The cat looked huge as it towered above the little Suddle. ‘We really need your help,’ he began, his voice shaking, ‘the seas are in danger! We have to do something!’
The cat sat down and lowered his head. ‘I am sorry, but there is nothing we can do. We cats rarely venture into the water and the humans only look after themselves. They don’t care about other creatures on this planet.’
Slip and Slop knew that they were wasting their time. They nodded and turned to return to the bubble bag.
‘There is one thing that you could do!’ The cat spoke as though he had just had a brilliant idea. The friends stopped and looked at him. ‘The Prince of Dragons!’ The cat said the words proudly. ‘He knows everything! You could go and ask his advice.’
Of course, Slip and Slop had never heard of the Prince of Dragons. ‘How do we find this Prince?’ asked Slop.
‘Most of the humans on this planet don’t believe that dragons exist. They think they are just creatures in children’s storybooks. But there is one part of this world where even the dumbest human knows they do exist; in fact they even worship them! That place is called China!’
‘Then we must travel to China!’ announced Slip.
‘It is many, many miles from here,’ continued the cat, ‘a long and dangerous journey.’
‘It doesn’t matter; we must go!’
Slop looked at his friend anxiously. ‘But how?’ he asked, ‘The bubble bag only moves slowly with the currents of the oceans.’
‘Then we must find someone or something to help push us there!’ Slip was already moving back through the wall of their craft. Slop nodded to the cat as if to say thank you and then followed Slip. Once inside they paused and then looked at other.
‘Nessie!’ They both said the name together. Their new friend had offered to help them whenever they needed him. There was no better time than now!
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHINA
Slip and Slop had to clutch tightly onto anything in the bubble bag that didn’t move as Nessie pushed it rapidly through the waves. They couldn’t believe how fast they were travelling! They managed occasionally to get some sleep but most of the time they watched as fish and other creatures seemed to flash past them in the rushing water. Even when it was Nessie’s turn to rest he swam lazily around them, protecting them. He was a really good friend indeed.
At last they rose to the surface once more. Nessie remained underwater, worried that he might be spotted by the humans. The bubble bag drifted slowly towards the land. Slip and Slop peered through the shell. There was a beach and then what looked like a small village ahead of them, the buildings looking very different from the ones they had seen when they met the cat. Then they saw something that terrified them. A strange looking creature, long and thin and covered in cloth. It was standing on two limbs and had two more hanging from close to its head. The head had the most peculiar looking face and there were no gills or fins! They gasped at the sight and blew bubbles frantically. Nessie must have realised something was wrong because he raised just enough of his head above the surface of the water so that he could see what was happening.
‘That is a human,’ said Nessie before he slipped back beneath the waves.
‘Gosh,’ said Slop, ‘I’ve never seen such an ugly thing!’
‘You’re right there,’ said Slip, ‘no wonder they stay on the land. They would scare all the fishes out of the sea!’
‘What’s that growing out of the top of it?’ Slop was talking about the human’s hair of course.
‘I’m not sure,’ replied Slip, ‘maybe it’s like an anemone; perhaps it ducks its head in the water and it catches little fish that swim by.’
Slop nodded. ‘Yes, that must be it,’ he said, although he was not so sure.
Slip suddenly realised that the bubble bag was drifting rather too quickly towards the shore. He looked around anxiously for Nessie but their friend had disappeared deep into the water in order to hide from the human. ‘Quick!’ he said, ‘try and roll the bag back before the human sees us!’ Desperately the two Suddles pushed against the shell of their craft but the current was too strong and the bag floated quickly to the water’s edge. A small wave washed it onto the sand where it rested. The sun was very hot and the light was blinding.
All of a sudden they felt the bubble bag being lifted high into the air. The human had found them! The two friends quivered at the edge of the bag, their eyes closed tightly. After a few moments Slip opened one eye cautiously and saw a giant human eye peering through the skin of the bag. He slid closer to Slop for comfort, knowing that they were about to be eaten alive.
Suddenly they were shaken by the sound of an almighty roar! The human dropped the bubble bag, which happily landed in the water at the edge of the beach so the two Suddles weren’t hurt. Slip looked up and saw that Nessie had raised his head high from beneath the waves. The human ran as fast as he could away down the beach shouting ‘Dragon! Dragon!’ Other humans appeared from inside the quaintly shaped buildings and screamed in terror then ran back inside and slammed the doors shut.
Nessie carefully reached down and picked up the bubble bag and placed it gently on his shoulder, then swam back a little way into the sea. Slip breathed a sigh of relief. ‘That was close,’ he said.
Slop was still trembling. ‘What a weird looking creature!’ he panted, ‘surely something so oddly shaped can’t have built all those buildings and things?’ Nessie said nothing. He was staring back at the land with a strange expression on his giant face.
‘Are you feeling all right?’ Slip was genuinely concerned. There was definitely something wrong with their friend. Nessie began to swim slowly back to the shore, aiming a little way from the village towards some trees. ‘Nessie? What is it?’ Nessie reached the beach silently then placed the bubble bag onto the sand. Slip and Slop wriggled out of their craft and gulped in some fresh air (Suddles can breathe air; didn’t you know that?).
Nessie pulled himself to his full height and peered into the misty distance. ‘I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but I do know where the cave of the Prince of Dragons is! We must go there now!
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE PRINCE OF DRAGONS
The sun rose and fell three times before the friends reached the foot of a great mountain, many miles from the sea. Slip and Slop had managed to make themselves comfortable nestling in Nessie’s firm shoulders and had slept much of the way. They were awake now, staring at the steep sides of the mountain.
‘We are here,’ said Nessie. The two Suddles looked around. All that they could see were trees and rocks.
‘Where?’ asked Slip, ‘I can’t see a cave entrance.’
‘Close your eyes and concentrate,’ replied Nessie mysteriously, ‘and it will appear. I know it.’ All three closed their eyes tightly. There was a faint rumbling sound and suddenly the ground began to shake. Slip closed his eyes even tighter. What was happening? ‘Look!’ said Nessie abruptly. Slip opened his eyes and was shocked at what he saw. It appeared that the side of the mountain had opened into a giant chasm, a cave so large that even their giant friend could walk in without stooping.
Once inside, the cavern rapidly became darker and darker. Nessie moved forward slowly but confidently, as though he knew exactly where to go. Nevertheless, the two Suddles huddled together fearfully. All of a sudden there was a flash of bright light. Slip blinked and looked ahead of him. The cave walls twinkled with bright little gems that reflected the light around them. At the far end of the cave sat two giant creatures, both almost as large as Nessie himself and looking very similar.
‘We have waited many years for you to arrive.’ It was one of the two creatures that spoke, its voice deep and echoing around the damp walls that surrounded them.
‘Why have you taken so long?’ asked the other monster.
‘It wasn’t until my two friends here brought me to China that I knew I must find you,’ Nessie replied.
The two dragons (for that is what they were) peered at Slip and Slop who sat trembling on Nessie’s huge shoulder. The first dragon’s expression changed to one of kindness. ‘But you are Suddles! We thought you had all died out with the dinosaurs!’
‘Not at all,’ replied Slip, feeling a little more courageous, ‘we escaped to the depths of the oceans like many of the dinosaurs, and we all have lived there ever since.’
‘That is good news!’ They both turned to look at Nessie again. ‘For us, the most important thing of all is that he has returned to us.’’ The two Suddles looked at Nessie, feeling very confused.
‘But why me?’ said Nessie, ‘I don’t understand,’
The second dragon spoke now, his voice gentle but still quite loud to the ears of the little Suddles. ‘Of course; you do not know who you really are,’ he said.
‘I am Nessie, That’s the only name I know.’
‘Ah, that must be the name given to you by the humans. We know you simply as the Prince of Dragons!’
Nessie gasped so loud that Slip and Slop nearly slipped from his shoulder. ‘Me?’ he exclaimed, ‘how can that be?’
‘A few million years have passed since the Earth was struck by a giant asteroid. Creatures forget things with time, but we haven’t. We have waited and now you are here. But there must be a good reason why you have come.’
‘It is the humans,’ answered Nessie, ‘they are killing the planet with their pollution. The forests are going, the seas are becoming filthy and the situation is getting worse by the day. Something has to be done.’
The two dragons looked at each other and sighed. ‘We knew nothing of this,’ said one, ‘we have not been able to leave this cave until you arrived. Such was our duty. But now that you are here we are released. The humans that live in this country called China believe in dragons. They will listen to us, especially if you stay and help us, your highness.’
Nessie took a deep breath. He wasn’t used to being called “your highness” and he quite liked it. ‘Then I must carry my two friends back to the sea so that they can return to their home. I now know where my destiny lies!’
CHAPTER NINE
RETURN TO THE LAND OF THE SUDDLES
Nessie knelt down on the warm sand by the shoreline and spoke softly to his two little friends. ‘I must stay here,’ he said sadly, ‘the two cave dragons and I will be able to speak to the people of China and explain what they have to do to save the planet. China is a huge country and many humans live here. They are good people. They will show the rest of the world the right way to behave.’
‘But what of the seas? How will we clean them up?’
‘That is for you to discover. You have proven yourselves to be great leaders. I am sure that you will find a way. In the meantime, I have called upon a couple of friends to help you return to your home.’ He raised his head high and gave a loud snort. Almost immediately Slip and Slop saw the waters churning in front of them until two small heads appeared from beneath the surface.
‘Seahorses!’ exclaimed Slop. ‘Aren’t they beautiful?’
‘Ride on their backs,’ said Nessie as he turned to walk back to the great mountain in the distance, ‘they will take you home. You will be surprised at just how fast they can go when they want to!’
Slip and Slop climbed onto the backs of two of their new steeds. They turned and watched sadly as Nessie ambled off into the mist. Slip gripped the back of his horse tightly. ‘Right,’ he said, ‘let’s go!’
(Now, you may not know this but seahorses can swim faster than the speed of light as long as they have a rider to steer them. You don’t believe me? Well, next time you see a seahorse with a Suddle on its back ask them!)
It was some time before Slip and Slop began to recognise the ocean around them. They would soon be home! They excitedly urged their mounts to go even faster. Suddenly, however, the seahorses slowed to a stop, almost throwing their two riders into the distance. The creatures hovered now, motionless. Slip peered into the gloom and saw a horrifying sight in front of them. Not one, but at least fifty giant sharks were lazily swimming in front of them. But these were no ordinary sharks. Instead of long, pointed snouts these creatures had wide, flat heads with massive mouths and tiny eyes at each side of their great jaws. ‘Hammerheads!’ exclaimed Slop, ‘don’t worry. They can’t harm us as long as we keep out of the way of their huge mouths. They suck everything up that comes their way!’
The seahorses seemed to understand and moved swiftly around the huge shoal. The dark shapes moved listlessly around them. Slip looked at them fearfully. His friend had just said that they were harmless, but they certainly didn’t look it! He watched fascinated as they seemed to snort along the seabed, sifting the sand and sucking up anything that they could find.
It was then that he had a flash of inspiration! Slip knew what they could do to save the seas! ‘I want to speak to them!’ he said as loud as he could.
‘Why?’ asked Slop, ‘can’t we just get home?’
‘Please, help me get their attention!’ Slip began to blow bubbles as hard as he could. Slop did the same and the seahorses followed suit until the whole area was awash with pretty bubbles. One of the giants stopped and looked at them.
‘What is it that you want?’ he boomed.
‘You and your friends can save the seas!’ replied Slip. He told them the story of the bottle, of pollution and of how Nessie and the two dragons were going to convince the humans that their ways were wrong. ‘The crabs and many other sea creatures do their best but there is much more to do,’ he continued, ‘you and your friends are large and powerful! You can suck up the rubbish from the sea and get rid of it!
‘Mph,’ grunted the hammerhead, ‘that sounds like hard work. We sharks do not do the work thing. We merely drift.’
‘If you do not,’ said Slip, ‘then soon there will be no seas for you to drift in!’
The massive shark turned and swam back to his friends. There was a lot of grunting and bubble blowing before he returned. ‘We will do it!’ he announced simply.
Slip and Slop watched as the herd swam away, snorting and suckling at everything in their path.
Slip turned to Slop and grinned. ‘Now, let us return to our home and tell Spearhead that our task has been completed!’
It would be many years before the land and seas were freed of the curse of pollution, but it was done at last. The humans thanked the dragons, but the creatures of the sea knew who to thank; two tiny little Suddles named Slip and Slop!
THE END
(For now!)
The Suddles(Graham Kendall)
THE SUDDLES
By
Wynter-Rose and Grandpa
Note to reader: This story was made up in its entirety by my 11 year old autistic granddaughter, with me simply putting it on paper for her. I didn't change a thing!
CHAPTER ONE
ABOUT THE SUDDLES
The Suddles are remarkable individuals. Living in the very deepest part of the deepest oceans in the world they are tiny, shrimp-like creatures with shells tougher than diamonds but with the ability to change shape at will, a skill that often leads them in good stead whenever they are threatened with being a small part of a larger being’s dinner.
The most marvelous thing about the Suddles is that they can never die, unless they are eaten of course. They do get old but, instead of passing away they curl themselves into a kind of aquatic cocoon and wait to be reborn, something like the way that caterpillars turn into butterflies on land. The difference is that when they re-emerge from their shelter they keep all their memories of their past existences. Every Suddle will have lived through the birth of the planet, seen the dinosaurs come and go, the formation of the lands above them; seen everything in fact.
Now, most people know that the deepest part of the ocean is very dark; pitch black in fact. Unlike most of the creatures that live in these extreme depths, Suddles need to see where they are going and they are able to do so thanks to the lantern fish. As their name suggests, these amazing fish have a small, bright light on the end of a long tube that they use to attract and catch unwary tiny prey. Many, many years ago the Suddles made a pact with them, promising them a safe haven in the grotto in return for them lighting up the area and making it appear very magical indeed.
Suddles rarely occasionally venture from the safety of their deep sea homes to explore the world around them but they are a very curious bunch, and this can lead them into all sorts of trouble, but more of that later.
Our story is mostly centred on one very curious and mischievous Suddle who swims by the name of Slip. That’s the nearest that we can get to his name for the purposes of this tale. His Suddle name is Xncvnvbj, but that is very hard to pronounce, as we are sure you will agree.
Despite being over 4 million years old (which actually is quite young for a Suddle) Slip could be very irresponsible and silly. Despite that, he was much loved by the other Suddles in the community who tended to tolerate his less mature ways. It must be said that some of them were quite envious about his adventurous and often dangerous exploits.
Slip’s best friend was Tkhkgd, whom we shall call Slop for reasons explained above. The two aquatic heroes enjoyed many amazing times together, as you are shortly to discover.
Enough then; let us descend to the very depths of the ocean and tell the first tale…
CHAPTER TWO
THE BOTTLE
Slip was awakened by the sounds of great excitement coming from outside the Suddles’ cave. He wearily drifted outside on a cool, slow current to find a large group of Suddles crowded around a strange, shiny object. Slip was worried right away. For something to be shiny so deep in the dark ocean meant only one thing…danger! He floated gently, his fins keeping him almost motionless in the still water, and wondered what he should do.
‘What is going on here? What’s all this noise about?’ The angry sound of Tskfnh’s voice made Slip startle. Tskfnh (or Spearhead as we shall call him), was the oldest Suddle of them all, and he was very, very wise. The Suddles moved away immediately from the object that was causing such interest and fell into total silence, something that always happened when Spearhead spoke. The old Suddle drifted forwards cautiously and he examined the item that lay partly buried in the sand. He blew a stream of bubbles irritably and moved back rapidly to the cave entrance.
‘It has finally happened,’ he said, his voice shaking with anger, ‘it was only a matter of time.’
‘What’s finally happened?’ asked Slip, probably the only Suddle there who had the nerve to question Spearhead. The old Suddle looked at him fiercely.
‘There are things, objects that fall from above, from a place the old ones call Dry.’
‘Dry?’ asked Slip. ‘There is no such place as Dry!’ He had heard the stories of course, about a land where there was no water, where instead creatures breathed in air and walked around in a thing called sunshine, but every Suddle knew that these were just old tales told by older Suddles to scare the youngsters into behaving themselves. Spearhead looked at him sternly, making Slip wish he had kept his gills closed.
The old Suddle turned and faced the crowd, sucking water deep into his throat as he prepared to speak. ‘My friends,’ he said, his voice quivering with emotion, ‘this is just the beginning. For an object to fall so deep into the ocean is a sign that there will be much more to come. That place we call Dry does exist, but it is so far above and away from here it has always been assumed that it presented no danger to the realm of the Suddles. That object, which I tell you is called bottle, is a sign that we must act now, or forever be lost!’
There was a loud gasp from the crowd and thousands of bubbles rose from them to disappear into the darkness above. Slip looked round at Spearhead. ‘What do we do?’ he asked.
‘We?’ laughed the old Suddle, ‘you are young my friend. We need experienced warriors to deal with this situation.’
‘I am more than four million years old!’ protested Slip.
Spearhead chuckled. ‘A baby!’ he said with a sneer. ‘You would run from the first sign of danger!’
Slip was furious. Just how long must a Suddle live in this deep ocean before he was accepted as worthy of respect? ‘I would not, sir!’ he exclaimed. There was another gasp from the crowd, and more bubbles. Spearhead regarded him for a moment, then smiled, something that rarely happened.
‘You will have your chance, young Slip,’ he said, ‘I promise you.’
‘Thank you father,’ replied the youngster, ‘you won’t regret it.’
CHAPTER THREE
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT
Slip could barely contain his excitement. Spearhead was not the sort of Suddle to go back on his word. ‘You will have your chance,’ he had said. But whatever did he mean? How could he, only four million years old know how to solve this great problem? And, what was the problem? A bottle. So what? It was just a lump of stuff; didn’t even move. How could this thing be a threat to the Suddles? OK, Spearhead was known to be very wise. He had been around as long as there was life on the planet, but whatever could this strange bottle do?
He decided to go and have a closer look. He moved slowly through the shadows to where it lay in the sand. There was only one Suddle guarding it now, and it looked like he was asleep, drifting in the gentle current like a…like a…Suddle. Slip moved quietly up to the object. In the semi-darkness (the lantern-fish were also asleep) it did indeed look strange. He touched it nervously. Its shell was smooth, not like anything he had touched before. Slip looked closely and realised that he could almost see through it. There didn’t appear to be much if anything inside, so he thought how could it be dangerous?
He swam around to the thinner end of the object. There was an opening. His first thought was to swim back and tell his friend Slop what he had discovered; that there was nothing to be scared about. He didn’t though. Slip never did sensible things like that. The opening seemed to be drawing him towards it, welcoming him, saying ‘Come on Slip, come inside.’
The bottle moved slightly, startling him. The current was getting stronger, as often happened in the Suddles’ rest times. He dashed back into the shelter of a rock and peered out. The bottle now remained motionless. Slowly and fearfully he drifted out again and approached the opening. ‘Come on, Slip, come inside,’ it seemed to be whispering, and yet there was no real sound. It was all in his imagination, but then a Suddles imagination has been known to change the direction of the strongest sea current.
Slip blew a gasp of bubbles and entered the neck of the bottle. Suddenly all was strangely quiet. The familiar sounds of the deep ocean were silenced. He was in another world. He swam cautiously around, occasionally bumping into the hard, shiny shell of the thing. There was nothing to be found. It was completely empty.
Shrugging his fins he turned and headed back towards the entrance. He was almost there when the bottle seemed to shake and roll, clearly disturbed again by the strengthening sea current. The force of the sudden movement caused Slip to fall to one side against the shell and knocked him breathless for a moment. When he had recovered he headed quickly as his fins would carry him back to the entrance to the bottle.
But it was blocked! Blocked by sand where the bottle had tipped almost vertically, the neck now buried firmly. He was trapped! Immediately he let out a stream of noisy bubbles in the hope of waking the guard but the bubbles floated noiselessly around his prison before fading to nothing. He tried swimming around rapidly, even knocking himself against the shell on purpose in the hope of moving the thing but it remained stuck in the sand, hardly moving at all.
Slip leant exhausted against one side of the bottle and gazed out into the gloom. There was his home; so near and yet so far! How he now wished that he hadn’t been so curious, so inquisitive. Spearhead had been right; the thing was indeed dangerous!
There came a slight tapping sound, so quiet that Slip barely heard it. He looked on the direction of the sound and his heart leapt with joy. Slop! His friend was on the other side of the shell, peering in anxiously. Slip swam to face him, waving his fins frantically and blowing bubbles to let Slop know of the danger. His friend seemed to understand but then swam away into the darkness. Slip relaxed. He knew that help would come.
There are only a few billion Suddles in the world but it seemed that every one of them arrived to rescue Slip from his predicament. There was a lot of heaving and push until, at last the bottle moved to lay on its side once more. Slip managed to dig the remaining sand from the neck and swam out, bubbles of delight rising from the massive crowd as if to welcome him.
‘Slip!’ It was Spearhead’s voice that boomed through the general uproar. Slip shrank back. The wise Suddle swam up to him and glared as only an angry Suddle can. ‘Slip, I will see you in my chamber NOW!’ Their great leader turned his back on Slip and drifted away, Slip following dejectedly behind him. Perhaps he wouldn’t be given a special task after all.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE BUBBLE-BAG
Slip was very worried as he approached Spearhead’s cave. He knew he was in trouble, but had no idea what the great Suddle was going to do or say. He had never been invited into the leader’s grotto before and he needed to blow quite a few bubbles to build up his courage before he entered the darkness.
‘Come in Slip.’ Spearhead’s voice boomed in the gloom. Slip moved slowly, his fins fluttering sluggishly. ‘Quickly! Don’t dawdle!’ The little Suddle moved rapidly now, taking care not to swim into anything hidden in the gloom.
The great Suddle seemed to be even larger now, positioned as he was on top of a slab of grey rock. Slip drifted below him, his head bowed as he waited for his punishment. It seemed so unfair; he hadn’t meant to get trapped in that bottle thing. He was just curious, that’s all.
‘That was quite an adventure you had, young Slip.’ Spearhead’s words boomed around him like on oncoming storm.
‘Yes, sir, I…’ he began, wanting to ask for forgiveness.
‘The main thing is,’ continued the leader, ‘you have now witnessed in a very small way the danger that we, and all the creatures that live beneath the oceans are in. The thing called bottle, that unnatural thing, it is a sign of things to come. Something has got to be done!’
‘Yes sir,’ replied Slip, not understanding.
‘The very fact that it landed here, at the very deepest part of the great oceans is a warning to us all. Somehow we have to warn the creatures that live on the Dry of the peril that threatens to destroy the world that we live in!’
Spearhead let out a stream of bubbles as if to emphasise his words. Slip bleated out a single, weak blip that quickly drifted into nothing. ‘I…I don’t understand, your bubbliness,’ he said quietly, ‘what can be done? The Dry is so far above us. No Suddle has ever been there!’
‘Until now.’ Spearhead looked at him hard. ‘You are going to make the journey! You may take your friend Slop. I have watched you both for some time. You are foolish and disobedient but you are also brave and inquisitive. I need you to make the expedition to the surface!’
The very word ‘surface’ made Slip begin to tremble. No Suddle had ever dared to make such a hazardous trip before. ‘But sir…what will we do if…when we get there?’ he asked.
‘You must discover which species is the most powerful, the most dominant of all the Dry creatures. Transform yourself into their shape and talk to them. Let them know what is happening down here.’
‘But sir…’ Slip began.
. Spearhead held up a fin to silence him.
‘I want you and your friend to go and see Professor Trivle in the green cave. He will show you how you are going to make the journey in safety.’
Slip was about to ask more but the great leader suddenly turned away from him and swam swiftly into the darkness through a stream of bright bubbles. There was nothing more to be said.
Slop drifted aimlessly backwards and forwards, looking very worried indeed. ‘He wants us to go where? To the surface? It’s impossible! We will be eaten the moment we set out from the Suddles caves!’
‘Spearhead says that Professor Trivle has a way to make the expedition safe.’
Slop turned himself upside down and swam in circles, trying to make sense of it all. ‘Maybe if we turn ourselves into sharks we will be safe,’ he said.
‘I thought of that, but we have to discover which creature rules the Dry and it may be that whatever it is may not like to be approached by two sharks! Now, we must go to the green cave and seek out Professor Trivle. He will help us.’
The green cave was at the furthest end of the area and few of the other Suddles had been there. Professor Trivle was often seen about the caves though, a wise old Suddle who seemed to know everything about everything. He welcomed the youngsters into his home and bade them sit on small rocks before him.
‘Spearhead has told me of his plan,’ he began, his voice creaking with age, ‘you are two very, very brave young Suddles!’ Slip was going to say that they didn’t really have much choice in the matter but the old one continued to speak before he could say anything. ‘The ocean is full of dangers and it will be difficult for you to escape injury or worse. Nevertheless, the mission must be completed! I have invented a way that should help you in your quest. Follow me.’ He turned and rapidly swam to the back of his cave. Pulling back a covering of dead weed he revealed what looked like a giant bubble. He drifted back and surveyed his creation proudly. ‘Behold! My bubble-bag!’
Slip and Slop swam up to and around the huge lump. Slip turned to look at the Professor.
‘What is it?’ he asked simply.
‘A bubble-bag!’ replied the old one.
‘Yes, you said, but what does it do? How can it help us?’
‘You will travel to the surface inside the bag in complete safety. I have invented a substance that only a Suddle can swim through. To any other creature it will be as tough as the hardest rock. Try it.’
The two friends shrugged their fins and swam directly towards the fleshy mound. It parted as soon as they touched it, closing immediately behind them. There was nothing inside. They turned and swam back out. The professor beamed happily. ‘Well?’ he asked.
‘So how will it take us all the way up to the surface?’ Slip hated saying that word but felt that he had to.
‘My assistants and I will pack it full of everything that you will need for the journey. Once the bubble-bag is released it will drift gently upwards until you reach your destination. Once there the currents will take you to the nearest Dry.’
Slip and Slop swam slowly back to their cave in silence. There was nothing more to be said. They were going to the surface!’
CHAPTER FIVE
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
The time had arrived. Slip and Slop approached the bubble bag nervously clutching their tiny cases that had been neatly packed for the journey. Spearhead drifted silently behind them, encouraging them with occasional taps with his fins. Their craft loomed ominously in front of them. Slip looked at his friend, half hoping that Slop would suddenly turn and flee so that he could follow and not be thought of as a coward.
Spearhead must have sensed their fear because he moved them forward firmly. ‘This is your moment,’ he boomed, ‘the entire seabed is relying on you!’ Slip knew that they had no choice. He sucked in a stream of water and moved rapidly towards the bag. The soft skin gave way and he was inside. Slop followed and the two friends drifted within their eerie surroundings for a few moments, looking around. Professor Trivle had been good to his word. There was everything that they could possibly need for a very long journey indeed; plenty of food, places to rest, everything.
The strange shell of their craft gave way slightly and Spearhead entered. The old Suddle glanced around appreciatively. ‘The professor has done well,’ he said, ‘you will be safe here. Good luck my brave heroes; I know you will not let the Suddle nation down!’ With that he turned and disappeared through the jelly-like wall and they were alone.
‘What do we do now?’ asked Slop, his fins trembling rapidly.
‘I’m not sure,’ began Slip. The question was answered immediately. The bubble bag began to jiggle and wobble. Slip swam to the edge and tried to peer out. He couldn’t see much, the skin of the bag being so thick, but he could certainly sense that they were moving upwards slowly. He could just make out the shape of the Suddles’ cave entrance gradually disappearing from sight into the gloom. They were on their way to the surface!
Their voyage seemed to be going on forever. They had talked and eaten and slept and talked over and over again as the bubble bag drifted up and up. Slip was getting more and more impatient, anxious to get to wherever they were going, even though he hadn’t a clue what they would find there. Just what would happen when they reached the surface, and where was this place they called the Dry?
Suddenly the bubble bag shook violently causing them both to fall to the bottom. Slip managed to pull himself up but the bag shook again and he turned upside down and thumped his head against a packing case. Slop had managed to stay upright and swam to the edge of their craft and stared though the skin. ‘Shark!’ he cried out, ‘and it’s a whopper!’ Slip moved to drift next to him and peered out. Almost immediately the giant head of the creature loomed into view and its nose bashed heavily against the bag. The two friends were knocked back to the floor with the force of the impact.
‘What are we going to do?’ asked Slop urgently.
‘We’ll be all right,’ answered Slop hesitantly, ‘Professor Trivle said that the skin of the bubble bag will keep us safe. Only a Suddle can break through.’
‘But what if the shark swallows us? We are tiny and he is huge!’ Slop began to swim round and round in circles in blind panic. Slip hadn’t thought of that.
‘I…I’m not sure,’ he replied, ‘but I am certain we will be fine.’ His words did little to calm down his nervous friend who continued to swim rapidly and aimlessly around the place. The shark struck the bag again, turning it completely upside down.
‘We’re going to be eaten!’ cried Slop, ‘and I am not even six million years old!’
Suddenly the bubble bag began to shake and move rapidly upwards. Slip peered out through the skin but could only make out the shape of something absolutely massive. Whatever it was, it was pushing them swiftly out of danger. They were now moving so quickly both friends were forced against the bottom of the bag, unable to move. It seemed to be getting lighter and brighter outside the confines of the bag until with a loud splash they broke the surface of the water and bobbed in the strong sunlight.
Slip and Slop recovered quickly and swam to look through the skin of the bag. At first they saw nothing and then an enormous head appeared from beneath the waves.
‘Are you all right?’ The monster spoke with a loud but gentle voice.
‘Who…who are you?’ asked Slip. The creature looked incredibly fearsome but there was kindness in his eyes.
‘They call me Nessie,’ he replied. ‘I am named after the place where I used to live, a beautiful Loch in a country called Scotland. I escaped to the sea many, many years ago but I am told that I am still searched for even today! I was trapped in the Loch for a long time until canals were built and I was able to escape to the sea to join my friends in the depths.
‘Friends?’ queried Slop, ‘who are they?’
‘The dinosaurs and dragons of course,’ replied the old monster, his eyes glinting in the strong sunlight. ‘The creatures that escaped from the land many years ago when the asteroid hit. We have been living in the deep ocean ever since!
‘I have heard about the great asteroid.’ said Slip, ‘It was a very long time ago. The old ones speak of it and how for once the Suddles feared they were in real danger.’
‘It was a terrifying time,’ continued Nessie, ‘the dinosaurs fled, many of them unsure where to run for safety. I swam as fast as I could, thinking that I was heading out to sea but instead became trapped in the Loch! But enough about me, who are you and why are two such tiny creatures trapped in that strange container?’
Slip had so many questions that he wanted to ask their saviour but he and Slop told him about their quest. Nessie listened attentively then raised his great head and snorted. ‘There are many things wrong here. The seas are being ruined by selfishness! I have tried to warn the many beings in the seas but most of them seem content to swim or float endlessly without a care. I really don’t know what to do.’
‘That is why we are here,’ said Slop.
‘Yes,’ continued Slip, ‘it is our mission.’
Nessie grunted and blew out a plume of pink smoke from his massive nostrils. ‘Then I wish you well, dear friends. Call me if I can be of any help. I will always be close.’ With that he nudged them forward and then turned and dived back under the waves. The two friends watched him disappear into the ocean depths and then turned to look in the direction they were heading for. There was something very odd breaking through the surface of the sea, something that they would soon learn was…the Dry!
CHAPTER SIX
DRY LAND!
The nearer that the bubble bag got to the edge of dry land the more nervous Slip felt. He could also see that Slop was worried because his friend was swimming upside down, a sure sign that all was not well with him. It all looked so strange; trees and bushes grew at the edge of the water, but they were still, rather than moving with the waves of the sea, and the brightness of the sun was far harsher than the lights provided by the lantern fish in their home grottos.
The bubble bag moved closer and closer to the Dry. Suddenly Slip noticed a strange looking figure at the water’s edge. He called to Slip and pointed with his fin. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘what on earth is that?’
His friend peered through the skin of the bag. The creature was white with thick fur, two big eyes, a nose and mouth and four woolly legs. Its ears were pointed and also covered in fur. It would be sometime before the two Suddles were to learn that this was a kitten.
‘Do you think it will eat us?’ asked Slop trembling.
‘I’m sure that it won’t,’ replied Slip, although he was not so sure at all. They watched nervously as the animal pawed at the surface of the water as though it was trying to catch a fish. All of a sudden it seemed to slip and it fell headlong into the sea. ‘It’s coming to get us!’ cried Slip, swimming away from the edge of the bubble bag.
‘No, no,’ answered Slop who was watching what was happening whilst still swimming upside down, ‘it looks like it is in trouble!’
Slip swam back to the edge. ‘I think you’re right,’ he said, ‘why doesn’t it swim?’
‘Maybe it can’t.’
‘Of course it can. How could anything exist that can’t swim?’ Slip peered hard through the skin of the bag. Whatever this creature was, it was definitely in trouble! ‘We have to help it!’
‘But what if it attacks us?’
Slip thought about that possibility for a second or two then said, ‘No, come on, we must help!’ With that the two friends moved to the side of the bag and pushed with all their strength against it in the way that Professor Trivle had taught them. Slowly their strange craft began to turn and move towards the struggling creature. The skin of the bag pressed against the animal and Slip and Slop pushed even harder. The kitten must have sensed that they were trying to help because it lay still and gradually they were able to push it to the shore. Once there it lept to its feet and shook itself before beginning to rapidly lick its wet furry body.
The two friends watched it fascinated. They had never seen anything like it before. ‘Whatever is it doing?’ asked Slop.
‘I don’t know, replied Slip, ‘perhaps it likes the taste.’ Mentioning the word “taste” reminded them both that the creature might want to eat them and they were about to roll the bag back out to sea when a loud voice boomed behind them.
‘Thank you, whatever you are,’ said the voice, ‘thank you for saving the life of my kitten!’ They looked round quickly and were confronted by another figure, similar to the kitten but much larger. At first they were terrified. It looked so fierce, looming above them. It leant forward and seemed to smile. ‘I am cat,’ it said simply.
Slip found his voice at last. ‘We are Suddles,’ he said, ‘we are from the deep ocean.’
Cat peered into the bag. ‘You are strange ones indeed,’ he purred, ‘do you live in there all the time?’
‘No,’ replied Slop, wanting to join in the conversation, ‘we needed it to bring us to the surface. We are very strong swimmers indeed.’ He did a few backwards flips to emphasise his boast.
‘Then what brings you to this place?’ asked Cat.
‘There are things falling from the surface, strange polluting things that are causing many problems to the creatures of the depths. We have been sent here to find the rulers of the dry lands and to ask them to stop whatever they are doing to cause this.’
Cat stretched himself proudly. ‘We cats are the rulers of the land,’ he said, ‘but the pollution is not of our doing. That is the work of the humans, our servants. They build homes for us, feed us and do everything that we ask. We do nothing, just laze around all day. They construct great buildings, make machines that move, sail or even fly, just so that we, their rulers, can live in peace and comfort. It is they who cast their rubbish into the sea!’
‘Then they must be stopped!’ Slop had suddenly found the courage to speak.
‘But why should we care? We are warm and well fed.’ The cat turned and started to walk away with its tail held high in the air and the little kitten following it obediently. Slip and Slop watched it go, then turned to each other.
‘What can we do?’ asked Slop disappointedly.
Slip looked back at the cat as it strutted away, its tail held high in the air. His fins quivered as he glared at the animal. ‘Wait!’ he suddenly yelled. The cat stopped and slowly turned its head and looked in surprise at the two friends. The cat had clearly never been spoken to in such a way before.
‘I beg your pardon?’ he said, raising his head a little.
Slip moved nervously towards him. The cat looked huge as it towered above the little Suddle. ‘We really need your help,’ he began, his voice shaking, ‘the seas are in danger! We have to do something!’
The cat sat down and lowered his head. ‘I am sorry, but there is nothing we can do. We cats rarely venture into the water and the humans only look after themselves. They don’t care about other creatures on this planet.’
Slip and Slop knew that they were wasting their time. They nodded and turned to return to the bubble bag.
‘There is one thing that you could do!’ The cat spoke as though he had just had a brilliant idea. The friends stopped and looked at him. ‘The Prince of Dragons!’ The cat said the words proudly. ‘He knows everything! You could go and ask his advice.’
Of course, Slip and Slop had never heard of the Prince of Dragons. ‘How do we find this Prince?’ asked Slop.
‘Most of the humans on this planet don’t believe that dragons exist. They think they are just creatures in children’s storybooks. But there is one part of this world where even the dumbest human knows they do exist; in fact they even worship them! That place is called China!’
‘Then we must travel to China!’ announced Slip.
‘It is many, many miles from here,’ continued the cat, ‘a long and dangerous journey.’
‘It doesn’t matter; we must go!’
Slop looked at his friend anxiously. ‘But how?’ he asked, ‘The bubble bag only moves slowly with the currents of the oceans.’
‘Then we must find someone or something to help push us there!’ Slip was already moving back through the wall of their craft. Slop nodded to the cat as if to say thank you and then followed Slip. Once inside they paused and then looked at other.
‘Nessie!’ They both said the name together. Their new friend had offered to help them whenever they needed him. There was no better time than now!
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHINA
Slip and Slop had to clutch tightly onto anything in the bubble bag that didn’t move as Nessie pushed it rapidly through the waves. They couldn’t believe how fast they were travelling! They managed occasionally to get some sleep but most of the time they watched as fish and other creatures seemed to flash past them in the rushing water. Even when it was Nessie’s turn to rest he swam lazily around them, protecting them. He was a really good friend indeed.
At last they rose to the surface once more. Nessie remained underwater, worried that he might be spotted by the humans. The bubble bag drifted slowly towards the land. Slip and Slop peered through the shell. There was a beach and then what looked like a small village ahead of them, the buildings looking very different from the ones they had seen when they met the cat. Then they saw something that terrified them. A strange looking creature, long and thin and covered in cloth. It was standing on two limbs and had two more hanging from close to its head. The head had the most peculiar looking face and there were no gills or fins! They gasped at the sight and blew bubbles frantically. Nessie must have realised something was wrong because he raised just enough of his head above the surface of the water so that he could see what was happening.
‘That is a human,’ said Nessie before he slipped back beneath the waves.
‘Gosh,’ said Slop, ‘I’ve never seen such an ugly thing!’
‘You’re right there,’ said Slip, ‘no wonder they stay on the land. They would scare all the fishes out of the sea!’
‘What’s that growing out of the top of it?’ Slop was talking about the human’s hair of course.
‘I’m not sure,’ replied Slip, ‘maybe it’s like an anemone; perhaps it ducks its head in the water and it catches little fish that swim by.’
Slop nodded. ‘Yes, that must be it,’ he said, although he was not so sure.
Slip suddenly realised that the bubble bag was drifting rather too quickly towards the shore. He looked around anxiously for Nessie but their friend had disappeared deep into the water in order to hide from the human. ‘Quick!’ he said, ‘try and roll the bag back before the human sees us!’ Desperately the two Suddles pushed against the shell of their craft but the current was too strong and the bag floated quickly to the water’s edge. A small wave washed it onto the sand where it rested. The sun was very hot and the light was blinding.
All of a sudden they felt the bubble bag being lifted high into the air. The human had found them! The two friends quivered at the edge of the bag, their eyes closed tightly. After a few moments Slip opened one eye cautiously and saw a giant human eye peering through the skin of the bag. He slid closer to Slop for comfort, knowing that they were about to be eaten alive.
Suddenly they were shaken by the sound of an almighty roar! The human dropped the bubble bag, which happily landed in the water at the edge of the beach so the two Suddles weren’t hurt. Slip looked up and saw that Nessie had raised his head high from beneath the waves. The human ran as fast as he could away down the beach shouting ‘Dragon! Dragon!’ Other humans appeared from inside the quaintly shaped buildings and screamed in terror then ran back inside and slammed the doors shut.
Nessie carefully reached down and picked up the bubble bag and placed it gently on his shoulder, then swam back a little way into the sea. Slip breathed a sigh of relief. ‘That was close,’ he said.
Slop was still trembling. ‘What a weird looking creature!’ he panted, ‘surely something so oddly shaped can’t have built all those buildings and things?’ Nessie said nothing. He was staring back at the land with a strange expression on his giant face.
‘Are you feeling all right?’ Slip was genuinely concerned. There was definitely something wrong with their friend. Nessie began to swim slowly back to the shore, aiming a little way from the village towards some trees. ‘Nessie? What is it?’ Nessie reached the beach silently then placed the bubble bag onto the sand. Slip and Slop wriggled out of their craft and gulped in some fresh air (Suddles can breathe air; didn’t you know that?).
Nessie pulled himself to his full height and peered into the misty distance. ‘I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but I do know where the cave of the Prince of Dragons is! We must go there now!
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE PRINCE OF DRAGONS
The sun rose and fell three times before the friends reached the foot of a great mountain, many miles from the sea. Slip and Slop had managed to make themselves comfortable nestling in Nessie’s firm shoulders and had slept much of the way. They were awake now, staring at the steep sides of the mountain.
‘We are here,’ said Nessie. The two Suddles looked around. All that they could see were trees and rocks.
‘Where?’ asked Slip, ‘I can’t see a cave entrance.’
‘Close your eyes and concentrate,’ replied Nessie mysteriously, ‘and it will appear. I know it.’ All three closed their eyes tightly. There was a faint rumbling sound and suddenly the ground began to shake. Slip closed his eyes even tighter. What was happening? ‘Look!’ said Nessie abruptly. Slip opened his eyes and was shocked at what he saw. It appeared that the side of the mountain had opened into a giant chasm, a cave so large that even their giant friend could walk in without stooping.
Once inside, the cavern rapidly became darker and darker. Nessie moved forward slowly but confidently, as though he knew exactly where to go. Nevertheless, the two Suddles huddled together fearfully. All of a sudden there was a flash of bright light. Slip blinked and looked ahead of him. The cave walls twinkled with bright little gems that reflected the light around them. At the far end of the cave sat two giant creatures, both almost as large as Nessie himself and looking very similar.
‘We have waited many years for you to arrive.’ It was one of the two creatures that spoke, its voice deep and echoing around the damp walls that surrounded them.
‘Why have you taken so long?’ asked the other monster.
‘It wasn’t until my two friends here brought me to China that I knew I must find you,’ Nessie replied.
The two dragons (for that is what they were) peered at Slip and Slop who sat trembling on Nessie’s huge shoulder. The first dragon’s expression changed to one of kindness. ‘But you are Suddles! We thought you had all died out with the dinosaurs!’
‘Not at all,’ replied Slip, feeling a little more courageous, ‘we escaped to the depths of the oceans like many of the dinosaurs, and we all have lived there ever since.’
‘That is good news!’ They both turned to look at Nessie again. ‘For us, the most important thing of all is that he has returned to us.’’ The two Suddles looked at Nessie, feeling very confused.
‘But why me?’ said Nessie, ‘I don’t understand,’
The second dragon spoke now, his voice gentle but still quite loud to the ears of the little Suddles. ‘Of course; you do not know who you really are,’ he said.
‘I am Nessie, That’s the only name I know.’
‘Ah, that must be the name given to you by the humans. We know you simply as the Prince of Dragons!’
Nessie gasped so loud that Slip and Slop nearly slipped from his shoulder. ‘Me?’ he exclaimed, ‘how can that be?’
‘A few million years have passed since the Earth was struck by a giant asteroid. Creatures forget things with time, but we haven’t. We have waited and now you are here. But there must be a good reason why you have come.’
‘It is the humans,’ answered Nessie, ‘they are killing the planet with their pollution. The forests are going, the seas are becoming filthy and the situation is getting worse by the day. Something has to be done.’
The two dragons looked at each other and sighed. ‘We knew nothing of this,’ said one, ‘we have not been able to leave this cave until you arrived. Such was our duty. But now that you are here we are released. The humans that live in this country called China believe in dragons. They will listen to us, especially if you stay and help us, your highness.’
Nessie took a deep breath. He wasn’t used to being called “your highness” and he quite liked it. ‘Then I must carry my two friends back to the sea so that they can return to their home. I now know where my destiny lies!’
CHAPTER NINE
RETURN TO THE LAND OF THE SUDDLES
Nessie knelt down on the warm sand by the shoreline and spoke softly to his two little friends. ‘I must stay here,’ he said sadly, ‘the two cave dragons and I will be able to speak to the people of China and explain what they have to do to save the planet. China is a huge country and many humans live here. They are good people. They will show the rest of the world the right way to behave.’
‘But what of the seas? How will we clean them up?’
‘That is for you to discover. You have proven yourselves to be great leaders. I am sure that you will find a way. In the meantime, I have called upon a couple of friends to help you return to your home.’ He raised his head high and gave a loud snort. Almost immediately Slip and Slop saw the waters churning in front of them until two small heads appeared from beneath the surface.
‘Seahorses!’ exclaimed Slop. ‘Aren’t they beautiful?’
‘Ride on their backs,’ said Nessie as he turned to walk back to the great mountain in the distance, ‘they will take you home. You will be surprised at just how fast they can go when they want to!’
Slip and Slop climbed onto the backs of two of their new steeds. They turned and watched sadly as Nessie ambled off into the mist. Slip gripped the back of his horse tightly. ‘Right,’ he said, ‘let’s go!’
(Now, you may not know this but seahorses can swim faster than the speed of light as long as they have a rider to steer them. You don’t believe me? Well, next time you see a seahorse with a Suddle on its back ask them!)
It was some time before Slip and Slop began to recognise the ocean around them. They would soon be home! They excitedly urged their mounts to go even faster. Suddenly, however, the seahorses slowed to a stop, almost throwing their two riders into the distance. The creatures hovered now, motionless. Slip peered into the gloom and saw a horrifying sight in front of them. Not one, but at least fifty giant sharks were lazily swimming in front of them. But these were no ordinary sharks. Instead of long, pointed snouts these creatures had wide, flat heads with massive mouths and tiny eyes at each side of their great jaws. ‘Hammerheads!’ exclaimed Slop, ‘don’t worry. They can’t harm us as long as we keep out of the way of their huge mouths. They suck everything up that comes their way!’
The seahorses seemed to understand and moved swiftly around the huge shoal. The dark shapes moved listlessly around them. Slip looked at them fearfully. His friend had just said that they were harmless, but they certainly didn’t look it! He watched fascinated as they seemed to snort along the seabed, sifting the sand and sucking up anything that they could find.
It was then that he had a flash of inspiration! Slip knew what they could do to save the seas! ‘I want to speak to them!’ he said as loud as he could.
‘Why?’ asked Slop, ‘can’t we just get home?’
‘Please, help me get their attention!’ Slip began to blow bubbles as hard as he could. Slop did the same and the seahorses followed suit until the whole area was awash with pretty bubbles. One of the giants stopped and looked at them.
‘What is it that you want?’ he boomed.
‘You and your friends can save the seas!’ replied Slip. He told them the story of the bottle, of pollution and of how Nessie and the two dragons were going to convince the humans that their ways were wrong. ‘The crabs and many other sea creatures do their best but there is much more to do,’ he continued, ‘you and your friends are large and powerful! You can suck up the rubbish from the sea and get rid of it!
‘Mph,’ grunted the hammerhead, ‘that sounds like hard work. We sharks do not do the work thing. We merely drift.’
‘If you do not,’ said Slip, ‘then soon there will be no seas for you to drift in!’
The massive shark turned and swam back to his friends. There was a lot of grunting and bubble blowing before he returned. ‘We will do it!’ he announced simply.
Slip and Slop watched as the herd swam away, snorting and suckling at everything in their path.
Slip turned to Slop and grinned. ‘Now, let us return to our home and tell Spearhead that our task has been completed!’
It would be many years before the land and seas were freed of the curse of pollution, but it was done at last. The humans thanked the dragons, but the creatures of the sea knew who to thank; two tiny little Suddles named Slip and Slop!
THE END
(For now!)
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Graham Kendall
11/30/2021Sadly Wynter-Rose is no longer with us, but her stories will live forever.
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JD
12/15/2021OH no! Why? What happened? I'm SO sorry to hear that she has passed, Graham. I am in shock. She was so young and so talented. Please tell us about Wynter-Rose so we can celebrate her life.
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Gail Moore
11/24/2018Wynter Rose, you are an extremely clever girl. Such an imagination for someone so young. I loved your story and hopefully you will write more for us to read in the future.
Gail
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Graham Kendall
06/13/2021Hi Gail. I just thought that I would mention that Wynter-Rose wrote another book, also on here called 'The Railway Foxes', sadly again published here under my name. Hope you like it.
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JD
11/01/2018What a wonderfully fun and imaginative adventure story! I know it was written by an 11 year old girl, but I think she has storytelling abilities far beyond her years, and that not only will kids really love this story, but teens and adults will too. It is a great story for all ages of readers! Thank you for sharing your granddaughter's story with us, Graham! Please let her know how much we love it! :-)
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Kevin Hughes
11/01/2018Graham,
I almost skipped this one, and I am so glad I did not. You see I am Autistic too! Much much older than your grand daughter but I live in a world that is different - just like hers. Folks like her and I, just pay attention to different things than so called "normals" do. I couldn't have written a story as beautiful, complex, and hopeful as her story - not at eleven!
I would have devoured this story tho when I was Eleven. My room had hundreds of books in it, and that is where I found a world - or many of them, that I could wander at will.
You let her know how well written and beautifully told her story is. And tell her I said: "It is all going to be okay. You will have a great wonderful life with caring folks who will be your advocates on the things you find difficult. And they will admire you for who you are- because you will teach them that being different is not "bad" it is just...different. Like your beautiful story that could only be thought up by a curious, intelligent, kind mind!
Smiles, Kevin
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Graham Kendall
04/12/2021I didn't realise that I could reply to comments on here. A big thank you from Wynter-
Rose and me!
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