Hobee's Quest: Over Mt. Tomtoo

By Robert B. Chambers

First in a series of Hobees Quest Books (Theme: Indifference)that are Non-Violent, is a half duck and half mouse named Hobee that is searching for others like himself. His search soon turns into a quest for the top of Mt. Tomtoo and the community of Solitude. He helps others alonghis way and in turn they find the Pauper Babies andclues about the Marching Rodent Explorers. In the community of SolitudeHobee meets all the strange and unique animals that live there like the Jack-a-lope, Nagha, Platypus,andothers. After an exhausting search of his home island, Hobee decides to set sail and go abroad to search elsewhere for others like himself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 22, 2007
• ISBN: 9781452063546

Robert B. Chambers

After fulfilling my childhood dream of going coast to coast on a Harley Davidson motorcycle, I wanted to share the joys of the experience by giving other children the similar opportunity to find and achieve their dreams with the help of  Hobee’s Quest Book Series. This series is Non-Violent because I wanted every child to have the experience of adventure - that adventure only a child can see and enjoy. I'm donating a portion of the profits from all Hobee’s Books sales toward helping children live out their dreams.  To View or Read Any of Hobee's Quest Books go to:  http://www.authorsden.com/robertbchambers 

Book preview

HOBEE’S QUEST

Over Mt. Tomtoo

Robert B. Chambers

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© 2010 Robert B. Chambers. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 7/27/2010

ISBN: 978-1-4520-6354-6 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4343-0613-5 (sc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2007902685

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

The Oak Hill Preservation Association 2007

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter #1

A New Friend

Chapter #2

Nuts for Free

Chapter #3

The Family Grows

Chapter #4

The Expedition

Chapter #5

Up Mount Tomtoo

Chapter #6

The Cave

Chapter #7

The Leaky Cave

Chapter #8

The Pond

Chapter #9

The Alliance

Chapter #10

Repairing the Leaky Cave

Chapter #11

Back on the Trail

Chapter #12

Crossing the River

Chapter #13

Tunnels Below

Chapter #14

The Caverns

Chapter #15

Drinking Water

Chapter #16

Water’s Edge

Chapter #17

The Beaver’s Den

Chapter #18

High Mountain Desert

Chapter #19

The Top of Mount Tomtoo

Chapter #20

Kicking Back

Chapter #21

Saying Goodbye

Chapter #22

The Descent

Chapter #23

Ledge Ahead

Chapter #24

The Little Town

Chapter #25

Desert Crossing

Chapter #26

The Oasis

Chapter #27

On to Pervious

Chapter #28

Prairie Dog Colony

Chapter #29

Footprints in the Sand

Chapter #30

The Rock

Chapter #31

The Climb Upwards

Chapter #32

Pervious

Chapter #33

The Voting Process

Chapter #34

The Race

Chapter #35

The Vote for Consul

Chapter #36

The Pauper Babies

Chapter #37

The Cage

Chapter #38

More Traps Ahead

Chapter #39

The Dump

Chapter #40

Peddelton

Chapter #41

The Orphanage

Chapter #42

Rat Tracks

Chapter #43

Nit-Picking

Chapter #44

Legion of One

Acknowledgments

Introduction

You have probably heard of the duck-billed platypus, the Jack-a-lop, and even some other strange animals, but have you ever heard of a half-mouse, half-duck mammal named Hobee? No one knows where he came from or how he became this way, and neither does he. The only clue that Hobee has is a flashlight that has Marching Rodent Explorer written on the side, which he keeps close at his side. Hobee starts a search for his parents and others like himself. This search quickly becomes a quest for Hobee to find someone like himself. In helping others, Hobee learns of other places where there might be others like himself. Hobee is about six inches in height and he basically looks like a mouse, but with a duck’s bill and feet. He has the ears and tail of a mouse. Hobee makes friends with a flying squirrel named Bobit, who also joins in on Hobee’s quest. They help others and follow clues that lead them to the strangest places.

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Chapter #1

A New Friend

In the land that never was lived Hobee who lived most of his life in a small valley nestled in between two small mountain ranges. He had been there for as long as he could remember, and he was getting lonely for someone else to talk to. He had been thinking of venturing out of his small valley to look for someone like himself for some time. On this particular morning, Hobee decided to venture out a little further than usual to look for someone like him while looking for food.

Hobee was out looking for something special to eat. It started out just like any other morning. Then he decided to follow a path that he had just found. He was upturning rocks, lifting up leaves, and moving tall grass from side to side in search of something special to eat when a squirrel popped up out of nowhere startling Hobee. He jumped back and hid behind a clump of grass.

Hobee said, I’m sorry if I walked into your gathering area.

The squirrel asked, What are you and what is your name?

Hobee replied, My name is Hobee, and I’m half-duck and half-mouse and that makes me special!

The flying squirrel remarked, Well, I’m a flying squirrel, can’t you tell by my goggles, and my name is Bobit because my tail is bobbed. What is a special?

Hobee said, A special is someone or something that is rare or unique.

Bobit replied, You can say that again, unique, with a shrug of his shoulder. Hobee replied, Yes, special!

Hobee started to walk away when Bobit said, Wait up, I was only ribbin’ you. Bobit, in a sharp voice, asked, Where are you going in such a hurry?

Hobee replied, I know when I’m not wanted!

Bobit asked, Hold on. Where are you from?

Hobee replied, Nowhere in particular!

Bobit asked, Where are you going?

Hobee said, The same, nowhere in particular!

Bobit asked, Can I come along, too?

Hobee said, I guess so. Just then, Hobee yelled out, If you can catch me.

He started to run up a half-fallen tree and Bobit chased him. Hobee and Bobit started playing, running around rocks, up and over fallen trees, and around small trees not thinking about their differences. Hours had passed without the two noticing how the time was slipping by.

Hobee said, It’s almost noon and I still haven’t found breakfast.

Bobit said, I have a half an apple and a small pile of filberts.

Hobee asked, What’s a filbert?

Bobit replied, That’s what we call hazelnuts around here.

Hobee and Bobit finished off the half apple and nuts of Bobit’s and started to walk while talking about each other.

Hobee and Bobit started on what was going to be the adventure of their lives. They hadn’t gone very far when Bobit asked Hobee what kind of mammal he was once again.

Hobee replied, I don’t know what kind of mammal I am. I was abandoned when I was very young and didn’t ever know my parents, nor have I ever met anyone like myself.

I never met a flying squirrel with a short tail either, mumbled Bobit to himself in a low voice.

Hobee said, Then we can search for others like ourselves together. That’s if it is okay with your family and friends.

Bobit replied, It’s only my three older brothers and I, and they tease and torment me about my tail constantly. They have their own families to raise now and they don’t need me around.

Hobee said, If I had a brother, I think that I would miss him.

Bobit replied, Not if they didn’t want you around because others would make fun of them if they were with you.

Hobee said, Yeah, I know that feeling all right.

How did you lose your tail? asked Hobee as the two of them walked along the trail.

Well, Bobit replied, one day, my brothers and I were playing around this old dead tree that had fallen, then, all of a sudden, this big thing on two big wheels came whooshing by my brothers and me. It knocked all of us out, and when we came to, my tail had been run over and cut off and that is how I lost my tail.

The two walked and talked for hours.

The day was starting to cool down and that meant that nightfall was soon to follow.

Hobee said, We should think about looking for a place to stop for the evening.

Bobit said, I usually just sleep in my hole in a tree.

Hobee asked, Did you bring your hole with you?

Bobit replied, No.

Hobee replied, Then you can share my bedroll and lean-to with me until we make you a bedroll and lean-to of your own.

Hobee untied his bedroll and took the lean-to out and rolled it out between two trees. He took a piece of plastic from his bedroll and placed it over the bedroll at an angle and between the two trees making a lean-to.

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Chapter #2

Nuts for Free

Morning soon arrived. Hobee and Bobit were just waking up. Bobit, in a grumbling voice, said, I’m hungry.

Hobee replied, Let me pack up my bedroll and we’ll be on our way.

Minutes later, the two were on their way, skipping down the path looking from side to side for something good to eat for breakfast, pausing just long enough to look under a rock or leaf for something sweet and juicy.

Bobit yelled out, I found a pile of nuts down in this hole!

Hobee ran over to the hole where Bobit was standing. The two checked out the surrounding area for predators or the owners of the pile of nuts. Once they were convinced it was safe to enter the hole and the nuts didn’t belong to anyone, Hobee and Bobit ran down to where the pile of nuts were.

Hobee and Bobit looked around once they were inside the hole.

Bobit said, It’s really quite roomy in this hole.

Hobee replied, This is my first time in a hole.

Bobit said, There is a lot of cobwebs and dust; it reminds me of my place, with a laugh.

Hobee replied, There isn’t a back way out!

Bobit said, There’s not anyone around. Come on and let’s check out the pile of nuts.

Rolling around and eating their newly found treasure of nuts, the two lost track of time. Soon, hours had passed and the two had not even noticed that a passing cat had heard their cries of joy.

All at once, they heard a loud meow and a long furry paw with claws was reaching down the hole at them. Hobee and Bobit quickly moved to the back of the hole where the long paw could hardly reach.

The cat, with a loud vicious voice, yelled out, I smell a squirrel and I don’t know what the other smell is, but you’re my breakfast! Come on out, you have nowhere to go or hide.

Hobee said, Throw some nuts out of the hole at the cat.

Hobee and Bobit started throwing nuts out of the hole to scare the cat away. Hobee replied, That’s not working at all.

Bobit, with a trembling voice, said, We’re cat food for sure now.

Hobee, with a puzzled look, said, Hold on, let me think for a minute, scratching his head. Seconds later, Hobee let out a squawking, hair curling cackle that cut through the air like a hot knife through butter. The cat was so startled by the unknown sound that it ran away in fright.

Bobit asked, What was that sound that you made?

Hobee replied, It was my half-duck and half-mouse sound that I make.

Once they were over being scared, Hobee looked out of the hole to see if the coast was clear. Hobee said, Come on, Bobit, grab some nuts and let’s get out of here.

They ran for a while until they came upon a fallen tree where they ran for refuge in the twisted ball of roots. Still out of breath, Bobit told Hobee, If it weren’t for that loud cackling sound you made, we would be cat food for sure right now.

Hobee replied, Yeah, I know. I’ve used it before to escape from being someone’s meal.

Bobit said, I guess being different has its advantages, ha! Hobee?

Hobee, in a lonely voice, said, At times, I guess it does, but there’s lots of times I wish that I were like everyone else, or at least a mouse or a duck. Yeah, I’ve gotten kind of used to being different all right, I guess.

Deep down inside, Hobee longed to be like others, not to be special or different. Hobee didn’t know what it was like to be like everyone else, not to stand out in a crowd, not to have others make fun of him for the way he looked or acted. Just to have had a loving family to go home to every day would have been nice indeed.

Bobit exclaimed, Ha, what are we doing, crying in our milk? We have all the nuts we can carry and then some. Let’s eat!

Hobee said, It just doesn’t feel right taking nuts that might be someone else’s.

Bobit replied, Those nuts could have been there for a long time.

Hobee said, Maybe so.

Bobit replied, There were cobwebs and dust all over the place.

Hobee said, You could be right, I guess.

Bobit replied, You know, Hobee, that cat could have gotten the last owners of the pile of nuts.

Hobee said, You’re probably right; those nuts had been there for a long time.

They ate and they ate, until their bellies were full and they could not even think of eating another bite. They were sitting there patting their stomachs and moaning about how much they had eaten. They talked about how close that cat came