The Magical Cup and the Bushy Blue Beast
by L.S. Sharrow
Once, a boy named Leo lived in a village on the other side of the big mountain. His Grandma gave him a magical cup before she traveled home over that mountain.
“Leo,“ she said. “You are a pure-hearted boy and this cup is my gift to you. It will fill with water when anyone drinks from it. You will never be thirsty. But, be careful never to take the cup into the forest. The Bushy Blue Beast lives there. He has sharp claws and pointy teeth. He will try to take away your cup.”
“I promise,” Leo said to his Grandma.
One day, after Grandma had traveled over the mountain, Leo’s Mommy and Daddy went off to get food for supper. Before they left, his Mommy said to Leo: “Whatever you do, don’t go into the forest. The Bushy Blue Beast might get you.”
His Daddy added: “Listen to your Mommy, and don’t go into the forest.”
“I won’t,” Leo promised.
After they left, Leo walked back and forth and all around the house. He stepped out onto the front porch, and walked down the stairs. He walked to the edge of the forest, carrying his magical cup–in case he got thirsty. When he reached the forest, he saw a shimmering light in between the trees. He had to go see what was there. He told himself that he would only go a little way in, and then run right out again.
When he got to the place of the shimmering light, it had disappeared. The trees rustled, and something blue flickered further in the forest. What could be the harm of tiptoeing to that rustling, blue-flickering place? He told himself that, even though he was breaking his promise to his Mommy and Daddy and Grandma, it was important to see what was there in the woods. And he would only stay a moment before he returned to the village where he lived.
Leo tiptoed toward the blue flickering light, but when he got there, the air had filled with hot dust. Where had the blue flickering light gone? He turned to run for home, when he saw, at a distance, a huge creature with blue fur all over its body! Leo stood frozen in fear, and choking on the heat and dust. The Bushy Blue Beast coughed and heavy brown dust filled the air! He swung his arms back and forth, walking toward Leo. CLOMP! COMP! COMP! His sharp claws stuck straight out!
Leo ran as fast as he could, holding tight onto his magical cup, past where the blue light had flickered and faded into a cloud of dust, past where the trees had rustled, past where something had shimmered, past the edge of the forest. He ran up the steps of his house and onto his porch, pulled opened the door, ran inside, and slammed and bolted the door shut. He ran into the corner of his bedroom and hid, holding the magical cup close to his chest. Cold water spilled all over him, and the cup filled up again.
The Bushy Blue Beast CLOMP! CLOMP! CLOMPED! out of the forest. He coughed up more dust from his throat. He CLOMP! CLOMP! CLOMPED! through the village, and all the people ran away.
Fiery puffs of smoke and dust shot from his nose and mouth as he CLOMP! CLOMP! CLOMPED! up to the first house, and pounded on the door. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ground shook. But, no one was home. He growled, and he roared, and the ground shook more.
Leo hid deep under his bed’s covers with his magical cup, and it filled with water and spilled out over his blankets. He felt the heat from the beast against his skin.
The Bushy Blue Beast CLOMP! CLOMP! CLOMPED! up to the next house. He pounded on the door: BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ground shook even more. But, no one was home there, either. He growled and he roared some more. Fire and acidic clouds of dust shot from his throat, and the sidewalk split open.
Leo scuttled further over the damp bed and under the wet blankets with his magical cup spilling more water.
The Bushy Blue Beast CLOMP! CLOMP! CLOMPED! up to Leo’s front porch and the ground shook even more. He pounded on the door. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ground shook even more than before, and another long split ripped open the ground, as more fire and acidic clouds of dust shot from his mouth.
Leo shivered, while rivulets of sweat fell from his forehead. He crawled out from under the wet, soggy blankets, slipped off the damp bed, holding his magical cup. He walked with dripping feet right up to the front door, unbolted it, and threw it wide open to the beast.
“Here,” he said, shoving his magical cup at the Bushy Blue Beast.
The Beast grabbed Leo’s cup with his long, sharp claws and swallowed the water down his fiery throat past his pointy teeth.
“Thanks,” he coughed. His blue fur was flecked with bits of soot. The magical cup filled with water again, and again the Bushy Blue Beast drank all the water down. He coughed one last puff of dust, and drank a third cup. Then, he smiled at Leo with his big sharp teeth, and said: “Thank you so much. I was so thirsty! There’s no water where I live on the other side of the forest.”
Leo felt so bad for the Beast that he held his bushy hand in his own. The Beast’s fur tickled his skin, but the Beast was careful not to scratch Leo with his sharp claws. Together they walked into the forest where the Bushy Blue Beast lived with his own family. Leo shared his magical cup with the Mommy Bushy Blue Beast and the Baby Bushy Blue Beast until no one was thirsty anymore. He said they could keep that magical cup because there was plenty of water where he lived and his Grandma would give him another one.
When Leo arrived back at his village, everyone came out of hiding. They cried and they laughed with joy! His Daddy lifted Leo onto his shoulders! From that day forward, he was known to everyone, far and wide, as Leo the Brave.
THE END
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May 13th, 2016 at 11:08 pm
You started it !
May 18th, 2016 at 11:51 am
I do not know what you are saying