Buddy Buccaneer

Bud d y Buccane e r W ritte n and Il l us trate d by M atth e w M innich

Bud d y w as no ord inary rab b it, h e l ove d to s ailth e s e ve n s e as . Bud d y w as a b uccane e r, l ik e a pirate b utnotas m e an. In factb ud d y w as ne ve r m e an to anyone , th at's w h y h e w as confus e d w h e n h e found h im s e l f in th e m id d l e of th e d e s e rt. H e d id n'tre m e m b e r h ow h e gotinto th e d e s e rt. Buth e s ure k ne w h e w ante d out. R ab b its and b uccane e rs l ik e coolw e tpl ace s .

“Th is s and in m y b oots fe e l s te rrib l e and th ats un is h ot. I ne e d to ge th om e b e fore d ark .”

So b ud d y s tarte d w al k ing. H e w al k e d untilh e found a cam e lth atw as caugh ton a b ig cactus . H e h e l pe d th e cam e land in re turn th e cam e ls aid “Th ank You. For your k ind ne s s I w il ltak e you outof th e d e s e rt.

Th e y trave l e d q uick l y and w e re s oon atth e e nd of th e d e s e rtw h e re a b e autifulfore s tgre w . Le aving th e cam e l , Bud d y s aid “Th ank s ! Th ank s a l ot.” A s h e h e ad e d into th e fore s tth e b uccane e r th ough t“Th e s un is going d ow n fas tI ne e d to go fas te r.”

A s h e ran into th e fore s ta l arge b ird s cre e ch e d , s w oope d d ow n and grab b e d th e notq uite h e l pl e s s rab b it. Bud d y pul l e d h is s w ord from h is b e l tye l l ing “l e tgo of m e you b ig ugl y b ird ” and s m ack e d th e h aw k 's foot. Noth ing h appe ne d . Th e n h e b e gan pok ing atth e b ird 's b ig b e l l y. Th e h aw k b e gan to l augh . A nd d roppe d Bud d y d ow n into th e tre e s .

“O h No!” Bud d y crie d as h e fe l lth rough th e air. Cras h ing th rough a tre e h ous e roof h e fe l linto a pil e of acorns .

“Ch itte r Ch itte r Ch itte r” cam e th e angry voice s of a s m al lgroup of s q uirre l s. O ne pok e d h im w ith a s pe ar and grow l ing s aid “R rrrh h h W h y are you h e re ?You w il lnots te alour food Pirate !

“I am trying to ge th om e b e fore d ark ” s aid th e frigh te ne d rab b it. “I w as running th rough th e fore s tw h e n a gre atb ig h aw k grab b e d m e . M y s w ord tick l e d h im and h e d roppe d m e into th is room .” Th e s q uirre lCh ie f s te ppe d forw ard “W e l com e trave l ing rab b it. W e k now th e m ons te r h aw k and h is d ange r. You are w el com e h e re to m y trib e as a frie nd . Com e and w e w il ltal k to our w is e O ne . Sh e is ol d b utk now s th e w ays of our fore s t.”

Th e O l d w h ite s q uirre ltook outan ancie ntm ap and s h ow ing th e rab b ith is w ay h om e s aid ... “Your journe y w il l note nd tonigh t” Bud d y b e gan to ob je ct, b uts h e putup h e r h and . “You m us tpas s th e tre e th atd oe s n'ts pe ak , and find th e M oon face m an. H e w il lte l lyou w h e re to find th e Gnom e th ats tand s al one .”

“Now you w il le atand s l e e p b e fore l e aving” s aid th e Ch ie f. “No Th ank You,” Bud d y s aid . “I m us tgo q uick l y” A nd s o b ud d y l e fth is ne w found fore s tfrie nd s . Se e ing th e s un going d ow n h e th ough t “I can s til lm ak e itif I h urry” H e l ook e d atth e M ap and h oppe d into th e fore s t.

Soon H e s tood b e fore a tre e w ith a face . “W h ich w ay to th e M oon Face m an?” Th e b uccane e r as k e d . H e as k e d tw o m ore tim e s and th e n re al iz e d th atth is w as th e tre e th atd oe s n'ts pe ak . Bud d y took off h is b ootand rub b e d h is ow n footfor l uck . Th e n h e h e ard th e w ind b l ow ing in th e tre e . A l lof th e l e ave s w e re pointing d ow n a narrow path . Som e l e ave s e ve n b l e w in frontof h is fe e t.

“Is th e M oon Face M an th is w ay?” h e as k e d th e l e ave s . Th e l e ave s d ance d around h is fe e tand as H e s tarte d w al k ing th e l e ave s rol l e d in frontof h im . H urrying afte r th e l e ave s h e cam e to a circl e of tre e s . In th e m id d l e w as a fl attab l e . Th is pl ace w as on h is m ap, s om e w h e re ins id e h e w oul d find th e M oon Face M an.

Stand ing ne xtto th e tab l e Bud d y cal l e d “M oon Face M an?W h e re are you?Th e O l d W is e Sq uirre ls aid you w oul d b e h e re . I ne e d your h e l p.” Th e s un h ad s e tand th e m oon w as ful lin th e s k y. Bud d y w oul d notarrive h om e tonigh t, b utth e w is e s q uirre l h ad tol d h im th atth e m an from th e M oon w oul d onl y s pe ak und e r M oon l igh t. So Bud d y continue d cal l ing. Soon h e h e ard a voice “I am h e re ne xtto you.” Th e re w as no one h e coul d s e e . “Look atth e tab l e .”

Bud d y w as s urpris e d w h e n h e s aw a face on th e tab l e and itw as tal k ing. “I am trying to ge th om e ” Bud d y s aid “You w il lb e h om e s oon, b utfirs tyou m us tfind th e Gnom e w h o s tand s al one . H e w il lre turn l os tth ings .” “I h ave n'tl os tanyth ing, I Jus tne e d to ge th om e ."Bud d y re pl ie d "H us h . O n th e oth e r s id e of th e h il lyou w il lfind th e Gnom e s tand ing in a poolof w ate r."

A s h e s aid th is a cl oud cove re d th e m oon and th e M oon Face d M an s aid no m ore . Fe e l in g con fu s e d b u d d y l ook e d at th e s il e n t tab l e an d m u tte re d a th an k y ou as h e h u rrie d ou t of th e fore s t an d in to an ope n fie l d w h e re h e s aw a h il lris in g tow ard th e s k y . Fu l lof e xcite m e n t, b u d d y

Bud d y gul pe d “Th e M oon Face d m an s aid th e Gnom e w oul d b e s tand ing in a poolof w ate r. I d on'ts e e any pool s of w ate r.” A s h e w al k e d h e b e gan to as k th e Gnom e s “W h e re is th e Poolof w ate r?W h e re is th e Gnom e th at s tand s al one ?I ne e d h is h e l p.” Bud d y w as s care d . H e th ough t“Th e ir l ips l ook painte d on.” Sud d e nl y one of th e Gnom e s w h is pe re d “Be h ind th e b l ue w al ls tand s our l one b roth e r.” Th e R ab b itturne d and s aw a b l ue w al lpainte d w ith a m uralof fis h .

“A H at! I s e e a h at!” Bud d y e xcl aim e d . H e b ounce d up and ove r th e w al l . Bud d y l and e d w ith a Spl as h ! D ripping w ith w ate r a Gnom e s tood in frontof h im . Th e l ittl e m an s m il e d and s aid “Bud d y am I gl ad to s e e you. You've b e e n gone for a l ong tim e . Th e y gave up on find ing you a l ong tim e ago.

Bud d y w as confus e d . I d on'tre m e m b e r anyone th atw oul d w antm e to re turn. I am a Buccane e r.” “But, you k now , I d on'tre m e m b e r anyth ing b e fore I w ok e up in th e d e s e rtth is m orning. “I w il ltak e you h om e .” th e Gnom e tol d b ud d y “Firs tI ne e d your h e l p outof th is pool.”

“Ge ton m y b ack .” Bud d y tol d th e l ittl e m an. So th e Gnom e cl im b e d on h is b ack and th e y jum pe d one tw o th re e outof th e w ate r and ove r th e w al l . Stand ing outs id e th e w al lBud d y s aid “ Tak e m e h om e ” Th e Gnom e re s pond e d “ W e ne e d to ge tyou tre as ure firs t.”

Bud d y s m il e d and s aid “M y Tre as ure I forgotab outm y tre as ure . W h atis m y tre as ure ?” “Itis not far aw ay.” Said th e gnom e , “ jus tund e r th attre e ”

Bud d y h oppe d ove r to th e tre e and pul l e d outh is tre as ure . “Now l e ts s e e w h atI h ave .” “Stop” s aid th e Gnom e “w aituntilyou ge th om e .” “I d on'tw antto w ait” Bud d y re pl ie d “...ButI w il l .”

Th e y w e nta l ittl e furth e r and found a l arge h ous e w ith an e norm ous d oor. Bud d y as k e d “Is th is th e h ous e of a giant?” Butth e n h e re m e m b e re d “No, nota giantth is is m y h ous e .” Turning to th e Gnom e Bud d y s aid “I am h om e , b uth ow d o I ope n th atgiantd oor?”

“Look Bud d y th e re is a Be l l .” re pl ie d th e Gnom e , “Jum p up and pul lth e cord , th e n w aitfor th e d oor to ope n.”

Bud d y th e Buccane e r w as ne rvous and s care d . “I w antto b e h om e b utcan'tre m e m b e r w h y.” H e s aid “W h y is it s o b ig?W h atis ins id e ?Buccane e rs are s uppos e d to b e fe arl e s s , b utnow I am afraid .” Th e Gnom e re pl ie d “Bud d y I can'ts tay , th is l as tpartof you journe y is onl y for you. I m us tre turn to m y b roth e rs , b utyou are h om e and itis good . Fare w e l lBud d y.”

Bud d y s tare d ath im and s aid “W ait! I re m e m b e r you now , you are M ind e r th e Gard e n Gnom e . W e h ave h ad s o m any ad ve nture s toge th e r. You are trul y m y frie nd .” “Ye s ,” M ind e r re pl ie d , “b utI m us tl e ave you now ol d frie nd . M ayb e w e w il ls e e e ach oth e r again.” “I h ope s o.” Sm il e d Bud d y “Good b ye M ind e r and th ank you.”

“You're w e l com e ” M ind e r re pl ie d and as th e Gnom e w al k e d aw ay h e l ook e d ove r h is s h oul d e r and s m il e d as h e s aw Bud d y b e nd ing h is k ne e s and th e n jum ping up up up to grab th e b e l lcord .

Th e b e l lb e gan to ring and Bud d y l and e d b e s id e th e d oor. H e pick e d up h is tre as ure ch e s tand w aite d . Soon Bud d y h e ard th e d oor b e gin to ope n. H e w as e xcite d . Sud d e nl y Bud d y coul d n'tm ove . W h atw as w rong? A b ove h im a giantol d w om an, l ook e d d ow n and s m il ed.

Sh e Pick e d h im up and s aid “Bud d y w h e re d id you com e from ?” Sh e ope ne d th e tiny tre as ure ch e s tand e xcl aim e d , “Bud d y you found m y m oth e r's ring, is th atw h e re you w e nt?”

A s Bud d y l ook e d into h e r e ye s h e re m e m b e re d e ve ryth ing. Bud d y w as nota b uccane e r, h e w as n'te ve n a re al R ab b it. Butas h e re m e m b e re d pl aying w ith th e ol d w om an w h e n s h e w as a l ittl e girla re alte ar rol l e d from h is e ye .

H e w as h e r toy. Sh e w as th e re as on h e ne e d e d to b e h om e b e fore itw as d ark . TH E END