Elise and the Gold Gloop

By S.B. Davies

Elise and her annoying dog Smorg explore the twisty tunnels and tottering towers of Porridge Castle that sits between the Dogtooth mountains and the Miserable sea like an elephant on a beach towel.
A magical place of happy ghosts, giant dancing spiders and rude signposts. Where the flying cows roam and a flame-proof hat is essential in case of dragons. Yet things are going wrong, the magic is running out and the castle thinks Elise can help.
With armour and sword to protect her, Elise and her companions search hidden, dangerous places for the Lost Mines, only to find the Mini Miners and answer the mystery of the missing magical gold Gloop.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S.B. Davies
• Release date: Mar 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311748942

Book preview

Preface

I wrote this book in 2011 for my six year old daughter Elise. She wanted:

Dragons, princesses, zombies, vampires, ghosts, but not spiders and it should be funny and scary and have fighting in it.

I tried my best, sorry about the spiders. I thank Kate for her patience and Buzz the dog for being the inspiration for Smorgasbord.

Elise and the Gold Gloop

S.B. Davies

Copyright 2013 by S.B. Davies

All rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition

Cover design by Stuart Stanton-Davies

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Elise

and the

Gold Gloop

by

S.B. Davies

A Porridge Castle story

Table of Contents

Copyright notice

Preface

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

About SB Davies

Other titles by SB Davies

Chapter One

Elise sat in the garden watching Smorg chase butterflies. Silly dog, she thought, what will you do if you catch one? Smorg looked at her and gave a little woof, as if to say eat it, of course. Elise giggled, did a roly-poly backwards onto her knees and plucked another daisy from the lawn. The daisy chain was falling apart. Elise put it on her head anyway and ran to look at her reflection.

It wasn’t even close to a princess. Her long brown hair was wavy, that was fine. Her leggings and tee shirt were fine, even the best princesses don’t wear dresses all the time. Her face was pretty, that was fine too. She just didn’t look like a princess. Daddy said to be a princess, you just had to act like one. Perhaps you had to believe deep down that you were? Elise shut her eyes and tried really hard to believe. Inside her head a little voice said, You’re not a princess, you’re just a little girl. Elise sighed.

Elise threw a stick and Smorg ignored it. Elise threw a ball and Smorg ignored it. Elise put the daisy chain on Smorg’s head and he ate it. She rubbed his tummy and thought; I’m bored I wish Daddy would hurry up.

Daddy and his guest, an important man from the Ministry, were not to be disturbed; dogs and little girls were to play in the garden. Daddy promised ice cream later if they kept quiet. And dogs like ice cream even if they can’t hold the cornet.

The ginger cat wandered into the garden and started sniffing the flowers in the borders. Smorg’s eyes locked on the cat. His body tensed.

No Smorg! shouted Elise, Leave the cat alone.

Smorg couldn’t resist, crashing through the borders, he chased the cat straight up the apple tree. Smorg leapt up at the cat, growling and barking. The cat hissed and spat. They were making a tremendous noise. With ice cream at stake, Elise grabbed Smorg by the collar and tied him to the tree with the rope that helped her over the first, difficult bit when she climbed up. Then she put the cat indoors. This, she supposed, was a good idea, but when she untied Smorg he ran straight into the house through the open French windows.

Elise sighed, stamped her foot and ran after Smorg. She found him in the Back Lounge. He was standing on his back paws, up inside the huge open fireplace with his head in the chimney. Smorg’s barks boomed out of every chimney around the house. Elise grabbed his collar and pulled him away. He was a big dog and it took all her strength. She made Smorg sit and when he stopped making a fuss, Elise heard the cat meowing from the chimney.

Daddy said she was not to climb up the chimney anymore after she posted her letter to Father Christmas last year. This, however was a cat rescue emergency, she was sure Daddy would understand. Elise thought for a moment, pulled out her notepad and wrote:

I am up the chimney rescuing the cat.

Love

Elise

She put the note on the mantelshelf and ducked into the fireplace. Inside the chimney were bricks steps, just hand and foot holds really. She climbed up carefully moving one foot or hand at a time. She smelt burnt toast and the soot got up her nose.

Elise called Puss, puss, puss. The cat meowed close by. She struggled up another step and in the weak light that filtered down from above saw a side chimney and in it a sooty cat. She reached out and the cat backed away. Elise climbed up another step and reached further, the cat backed away again. Then Smorg started barking up the chimney. It sounded really loud.

Oh dear, though Elise, this isn’t working at all. She decided to climb back down. The cat could take care of its self.

Suddenly everything wobbled. Elise felt she was on a swing that couldn’t make up its mind which way to go. There was crackling and then a loud bang. Smorg yelped. A huge gust blew up the chimney and soot was everywhere.

Elise couldn’t see anything, it was black. She held on tight waiting for the air to clear. Something pushed her foot; a bouncy floor. Elise stepped on to it, making sure it was firm before letting go with her hands. Something bumped into her and she grabbed it. It was furry and soft; it licked her.

Smorg shouted Elise and hugged him.

The floor