Holler Book 2: Tales of Tossledowns

By Laurence Knighton

Once a year, the quiet catteracks of Lowdly host a hollering contest out in the windy Scatterocks. Many will try but only one ever wins. This year a bellowing murmoose is sure to give a good shout. So might the efforts of a loud-mouthed joinerworm or a scruffy orangilla that can imitate the jarring sound of a sonic boom.
A tiny carvermole from the mines of Matterlooms
believes he has the stuff to win. All it takes is a good holler.
But first, he has to get there.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laurence Knighton
• Release date: Mar 2, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452489155

Laurence Knighton

Born in the Rocky Mountains under a loaf of wry bread, Laurence (Larsky) Knighton is a graphic designer and illustrator by trade, having written and illustrated Disney's 'Donald Duck' syndicated daily comic strip for years before its cancelation in the American market. Still illustrating and writing fun, entertaining stories, he resides in Boise, Idaho with his handsome plush-stuffed black Lab 'Buck' who never sheds, barks, or runs away.

Book preview

Tales of Tossledowns – Book 2

HOLLER

by

Laurence Knighton

Smashwords Edition

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PUBLISHED BY:

Laurence Knighton on Smashwords

Holler – Book 2 - Tales of Tossledowns

Copyright © 2011 by Laurence Knighton

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Prologue

A soft push of air stirred in the quiet crawlspace beneath the sagging floor of the old house that sat atop Karnberry Hill. It was too early for tarklegnats and crawlybugs, much too early for stunnerhornets and scamperpedes. Except for occasional whistle of wind as it found a way out, it was quiet.

When the day warmed, though, plenty of insects would move about in the crawlspace.

No doubt, muttered the yellow spinspider that had the wisdom to make the narrow space her home over the years. Many senseless noodle-brains have walked right into her traps like they intended to get snared all along. That’s how she came by so many meals to hang in storage for aging. But to keep it that way, she was constantly keeping the webs in good order.

It was a spider’s life, her life beneath the old house, and all was well with her world, until life took an unexpected turn. Earlier that day one of her sticky webs snagged the granddaddy of all captures—a rare tomebeetle that happened upon her trap.

As any spider would do, she ignored the large beetle’s pleas and secured him with a proper wrap of sticky silk. She laced strands around the insect’s torso, pulled in the feet and stitched them tightly together. Then, while imaging how many days she could dine on the enormous bulk she added even more thread. What spider wouldn’t?

But her intentions didn’t turn out the way she envisioned. She got sidetracked.

Her work to prepare the tomebeetle started out just fine. She had the beetle partially laced with silky strands and had a good rhythm going when she noticed a book tucked away in a tattered pack that was slung over the struggling tomebeetle’s shoulders. Just like that, curiosity set in and the wrapping came to an abrupt halt. In doing so she broke a dozen spider rules, but she couldn’t help it.

That’s because a spider’s life is a cautious one and oftentimes down and out boring. Every waking moment is spent tending webs, and visitors are rare because they easily end up as meals. For that reason alone, when the tomebeetle explained how the book, Tales of Tossledwons, was a collection of stories from his travels, the spinspider strayed from her usual spider discipline.

It had been a long time since she heard a good story.

So, when the tomebeetle suggested reading a story as barter for a moment of her time, she was over the top hooked.

But to show any sign of enthusiasm would be breaking the code of spider ways. It was why she ignored the tomebeetle when he finished reading that first story. She’d still be ignoring him were it not for her temper. A spider’s hearing is very sensitive, and yelling was at the top of her list of things she didn’t like.

I’m ready when you are! the tomebeetle shouted for the third time as if she hadn’t heard.

You don’t have to be so loud! the spider snapped.

Letting a strand of silk lay