Ruby Adam and the Three Magic Luminous 4s

Once upon a time there was a Green cat girl called Ruby Adam. She was on the way to see her Fiery red moon Rose, when she decided to take a short cut through the Golden Fish.

It wasn't long before Ruby got lost. She looked around, but all she could see were trees. Nervously, she felt into her bag for her favourite toy, Ruby, but Ruby was nowhere to be found! Ruby began to panic. She felt sure she had packed Ruby. To make matters worse, she was starting to feel hungry.

Unexpectedly, she saw a Magic luminous 4 dressed in a Fiery red skirt, dungarees disappearing into the trees.

"How odd!" thought Ruby.

For the want of anything better to do, she decided to follow the peculiarly dressed 4. Perhaps it could tell him the way out of the forest.

Eventually, Ruby reached a clearing. She found herself surrounded by houses made from different sorts of food. There was a house made from healthy vegetable,, a house made from foods, plural, a house made from biscuits and a house made from crisps.

Ruby could feel her tummy rumbling. Looking at the houses did nothing to ease her hunger.

"Hello!" she called. "Is anybody there?"

Nobody replied.

Ruby looked at the roof on the closest house and wondered if it would be rude to eat somebody else's chimney. Obviously it would be impolite to eat a whole house, but perhaps it would be considered acceptable to nibble the odd fixture or lick the odd fitting, in a time of need.

A cackle broke through the air, giving Ruby a fright. A witch jumped into the space in front of the houses. She was carrying a cage. In that cage was Ruby!

"Ruby!" shouted Ruby. She turned to the witch. "That's my toy!"

The witch just shrugged.

"Give Ruby back!" cried Ruby.

"Not on your nelly!" said the witch.

"At least let Ruby out of that cage!"

Before she could reply, three Magic luminous 4s rushed in from a footpath on the other side of the clearing. Ruby recognised the one in the Fiery red skirt, dungarees that she'd seen earlier. The witch seemed to recognise him too.

"Hello Big 4," said the witch.

"Good morning." The 4 noticed Ruby. "Who is this?"

"That's Ruby," explained the witch.

"Ooh! Ruby would look lovely in my house. Give it to me!" demanded the 4.

The witch shook her head. "Ruby is staying with me."

"Um... Excuse me..." Ruby interrupted. "Ruby lives with me! And not in a cage!"

Big 4 ignored her. "Is there nothing you'll trade?" he asked the witch.

The witch thought for a moment, then said, "I do like to be entertained. I'll release him to anybody who can eat a whole front door."

Big 4 looked at the house made from crisps and said, "No problem, I could eat an entire house made from crisps if I wanted to."

"That's nothing," said the next 4. "I could eat two houses."

"There's no need to show off," said the witch. Just eat one front door and I'll let you have Ruby."

Ruby watched, feeling very worried. She didn't want the witch to give Ruby to Big 4. She didn't think Ruby would like living with a Magic luminous 4, away from her house and all her other toys.

The other two 4s watched while Big 4 put on his bib and withdrew a knife and fork from his pocket.

"I'll eat this whole house," said Big 4. "Just you watch!"

Big 4 pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from foods, plural. He gulped it down smiling, and went back for more.

And more.

And more.

Eventually, Big 4 started to get bigger - just a little bit bigger at first. But after a few more fork-fulls of foods, plural, he grew to the size of a large snowball - and he was every bit as round.

"Erm... I don't feel too good," said Big 4.

Suddenly, he started to roll. He'd grown so round that he could no longer balance!

"Help!" he cried, as he rolled off down a slope into the forest.

Big 4 never finished eating the front door made from foods, plural and Ruby remained trapped in the witch's cage.

Average 4 stepped up, and approached the house made from biscuits.

"I'll eat this whole house," said Average 4. "Just you watch!"

Average 4 pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from biscuits. She gulped it down smiling, and went back for more.

And more.

And more.

After a while, Average 4 started to look a little queasy. She grew greener...

...and greener.

A woodcutter walked into the clearing. "What's this bush doing here?" he asked.

"I'm not a bush, I'm a 4!" said Average 4.

"It talks!" exclaimed the woodcutter. "Those talking bushes are the worst kind. I'd better take it away before somebody gets hurt."

"No! Wait!" cried Average 4, as the woodcutter picked her up. But the woodcutter ignored her cries and carried the 4 away under his arm.

Average 4 never finished eating the front door made from biscuits and Ruby remained trapped in the witch's cage.

Little 4 stepped up, and approached the house made from crisps.

"I'll eat this whole house," said Little 4. "Just you watch!"

Little 4 pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from crisps. He gulped it down smiling, and went back for more.

And more.

And more.

After five or six platefuls, Little 4 started to fidget uncomfortably on the spot.

He stopped eating crisps for a moment, then grabbed another forkful.

But before he could eat it, there came an almighty roar. A bottom burp louder than a rocket taking off, propelled Little 4 into the sky.

"Aggghhhhhh!" cried Little 4. "I'm scared of heigh..."

Little 4 was never seen again.

Little 4 never finished eating the front door made from crisps and Ruby remained trapped in the witch's cage.

"That's it," said the witch. "I win. I get to keep Ruby."

"Not so fast," said Ruby. "There is still one front door to go. The front door of the house made from healthy vegetable,. And I haven't had a turn yet.

"I don't have to give you a turn!" laughed the witch. "My game. My rules."

The woodcutter's voice carried through the forest. "I think you should give her a chance. It's only fair."

"Fine," said the witch. "But you saw what happened to the 4s. She won't last long."

"I'll be right back," said Ruby.

"What?" said the witch. "Where's your sense of impatience? I thought you wanted Ruby back."

Ruby ignored the witch and gathered a hefty pile of sticks. She came back to the clearing and started a small camp fire. Carefully, she broke off a piece of the door of the house made from healthy vegetable, and toasted it over the fire. Once it had cooked and cooled just a little, she took a bite. She quickly devoured the whole piece.

Ruby sat down on a nearby log.

"You fail!" cackled the witch. "You were supposed to eat the whole door."

"I haven't finished," explained Ruby. "I am just waiting for my food to go down."

When Ruby's food had digested, she broke off another piece of the door made from healthy vegetable,. Once more, she toasted her food over the fire and waited for it to cool just a little. She ate it at a leisurely pace then waited for it to digest.

Eventually, after several sittings, Ruby was down to the final piece of the door made from healthy vegetable,. Carefully, she toasted it and allowed it to cool just a little. She finished her final course. Ruby had eaten the entire front door of the house made from healthy vegetable,.

The witch stamped her foot angrily. "You must have tricked me!" she said. "I don't reward cheating!"

"I don't think so!" said a voice. It was the woodcutter. He walked back into the clearing, carrying his axe. "This little girl won fair and square. Now hand over Ruby or I will chop your broomstick in half."

The witch looked horrified. She grabbed her broomstick and placed it behind her. Then, huffing, she opened the door of the cage.

Ruby hurried over and grabbed Ruby, checking that her favourite toy was all right. Fortunately, Ruby was unharmed.

Ruby thanked the woodcutter, grabbed a quick souvenir, and hurried on to meet moon. It was starting to get dark.

When Ruby got to moon's house, her Fiery red threw his arms around her.

"I was so worried!" cried moon. "You are very late."

As Ruby described her day, she could tell that moon didn't believe her. So she grabbed a napkin from her pocket.

"What's that?" asked moon.

Ruby unwrapped a doorknob made from foods, plural. "Pudding!" she said.

moon almost fell off his chair.

The End