Get your own Free Home PageAt six fifty-five, Kabumpo stopped to read a sign. The message on the sign was, "Beware of Falling Objects."
"Falling Objects? What sort of Falling Objects?" wondered the elephant aloud.
"I don't know," replied Oogab, "but we'd better watch out."
"But what could fall on us?" asked Kabumpo, looking up. "The sky is completely clear."
"Someone's coming," announced the Balance. "Maybe he could tell us."
Someone certainly was coming. This "someone" was an average-sized man in green and yellow clothes. This man was hopping on one foot, and he had one eye closed and his left hand on his head.
"Excuse me, my good man," called Kabumpo, as soon as the stranger came close to him. "Could you tell us what sort of Falling Objects we should watch out for?"
"Could I tell you?" groaned the man. "Could I tell you?"
"Well, could you?" asked the Balance.
"Of course I could tell you! I've been hit by most of 'em! There are Direct Objects, Indirect Objects (One of them hit me on my foot), Objects of Prepositions, Objects of Games (One of those hit my head)-"
"But that doesn't make any sense," objected Kabumpo.
"I don't care if it makes any sense. What matters is that I've been injured! If you value your lives, turn around now!" And with that, the stranger hopped hurriedly away.
"Well, should we take his advice?" inquired the miner.
"His pain did seem pretty real, even if he didn't make any sense," said Oogab. "But maybe if we hurry, we won't be hit. Besides, I'd like to see some of these Falling Objects."
"Then we'll run through this area as quickly as possible," decided the Balance. And before anyone could object, the magical creation had pushed Kabumpo and begun running.
The two largest party members rushed down the road. However, just a little way down the path, they had to stop. A giant treasure chest had just crashed two feet in front of the elephant.
"Great Grump!" exclaimed Kabumpo. "Well, Oogab, you got to see one of the Falling Objects, and we were almost crushed by it!"
"That chest must be the Object of a Quest," stated the Balance.
"Of course," agreed Oogab. "Many Quests are for treasure."
"That may be true, but it's not important right now," said Kabumpo irritably. "What is important is that we get off this road as soon as possible. Even the Rolling Country must be safer than this place!"
Before anyone could move, or even blink, for that matter, another Object had fallen. This Object was a giant stone rectangle with the word "FINISH" printed on it, in red letters.
"The Object of a Game," observed the Balance.
All this time, Araunaudi had been thinking, and he had finally come up with an idea. He ordered his Magic Shovel to dig a hole large enough for Kabumpo and the Balance to fit into. As soon as this hole was finished, which took about a minute, A. Miner told the Elegant Elephant and the Jinn's Balance to enter the hole. This they did, and as soon as these two had entered, Araunaudi had the Shovel dig a passageway to the north. The party followed this passage, thereby avoiding the Falling Objects.
Eventually, the travellers decided that they had definitely left the Land of Falling Objects far behind. They also heard a roaring sound. At this point, A. Miner used the Magic Shovel to dig a passageway back to the surface of the Earth.
The roar happened to be the sound of the great Nonestic Ocean, which was located a short distance from where the party had surfaced. Bordering on this part of the ocean was a beach, but instead of sand, this beach was covered in a strange white powder. Hundreds of people in white clothes were relaxing on the beach, many resting on white towels under white umbrellas. A few of the white-clothed people were washing clothes in the sea.
"What is this place?" asked Oogab.
"This must be Bleach Beach," observed the Balance. "Remember the sign? And that white stuff would be bleaching powder.
"That sounds sensible. Are you sure you don't have any sense?" inquired A. Miner.
"I used to think I didn't, but now I'm not so sure. This travelling definitely seems to be helping me."
"I've noticed that travelling helps almost everyone," said Kabumpo. "For one thing, it opens one up to new experiences. I've been on many journeys before, but until this one, I hadn't ever seen a Magic Shovel, or a living balance, or a beach like this one." The elephant pointed to the nearby shore with his trunk.
"And I, for one, would like to find out more about this beach," declared the ever-curious Oogab.
"Do you expect me to walk on that bleaching powder?" inquired the Elegant Elephant angrily.
"Yes, I do," replied the Winged Monkey. "You said yourself that you enjoyed new experiences."
"Well, all right," agreed Kabumpo grudgingly. "I suppose Jinnicky can clean me off when we reach his castle."
So saying, the elephant approached the beach, with the Balance close behind him. However, Kabumpo had no sooner set one foot on the beach than a lifeguard on a high chair blew a shrill blast on his whistle and yelled, "Halt!"
"What do you mean by telling me to halt?" demanded Kabumpo.
"I mean that you should stop moving," shouted the lifeguard.
"And why should I stop moving?"
"Because, if you become bleached, your colors will wash off and get all over the beach. Only if you're dressed in white are you allowed to walk on this beach."
"He can't talk to us like that!" objected Oogab.
"Wait," stated the Balance. "We don't need to step on the beach. We're trying to get to the Red Jinn's Castle."
"You're quite correct," agreed Kabumpo. "And maybe someone on this beach knows the way there." The elephant was about to shout to the lifeguard, when Araunaudi yelled, "Look behind you!"
"Great Grump!" exclaimed Kabumpo, after he had followed the miner's instruction. "It's a tornado!"
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