The Kingdom of Folklore: Another Visit: Folklore Saga, #2

By Johnny G. Douglas

The Rat Guards of Folklore have taken over. Their leader, Beelzebub, long-thought dead, soon shows up and leads them to victory over the Smalls. The Rats plan to capture the earth by using Folklore's magic of controlling nature. This way they could easily kill off all of the Smalls...and mankind.

On their own in the wild, a fox and four Smalls come across a lone, lost Wiser, a black widow spider, a crazy old elf and the laziest of lazy cats. 

With this rag-tag team of misfits as an army, they return to reclaim their homeland: the Kingdom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Terry A. Parker
• Release date: Oct 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781386177838

Johnny G. Douglas

Terry A. Parker (aka Johnny G. Douuglas) grew up in and around Center, Tx. He has been writing stories and screenplays for well over 25 years. Bojoe and Sally, his cartoon, ran for over a year. In his late 50's now, he resides in Timpson, Tx where he still writes and plots other childrens, and horror, stories. Among his credits are: 'The Kingdom of Folklore' (Books 1-4), 'Invasion of the Killer Tapeworms', and his cartoons that include 'Bojoe and Sally'. His plans for the near future are to finish two sequeals to his 'Folklore' novels: 'The Legend of Folklore' and 'The Myth of Folklore'. He also plans two sequeals for the 'Tapeworms' books in the 19th or 20th year of 2000.  Currently, Part 1 of 'The Legend of Folklore -- The Garden' has been published with sales reaching the shores of Great Britain...Part 2 was published last Halloween and will have seven more following. Each Part ends with a cliff hanger, so readers will just die to see what transpires next within the kingdom.

Book preview

Folklore: The Kingdom –

Another Visit

Terry A. Parker

As told to by

Graham Berry: Peer of the Realm

[e-mail]

Copyright 2013 by Terry A. Parker

All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Printed in the United States of America

Author’s Note – February 16, 2012

You hold in your hands (or nook, kindle, etc.) the Complete Saga of Folklore.  All four Books have been compiled together for the complete experience.

‘Folklore: The Kingdom – Another Visit’ (aka: ‘The Kingdom of Folklore’) has been re-written to include better plots and characters. The final chapter of the story ends differently.  Some of you might like this, others may not.  But if this is your first time reading this book, you won’t be disappointed. Within the kingdom (now over 300 pages long) you will discover more cliff hangers, weirder, talking animals, and most of all, more fun.

So, dear reader....read on....and may the Ratz not invade your Kingdom!

This story is dedicated to the woman who saved me from myself when no one else would: Diane May Hicks. 

Thanks honey, I love you.

Terry A. Parker

‘Folklore: The Kingdom – Another Visit’ is the 5th Edition of ‘The Kingdom of Folklore’.  You may discover that it is ALMOST the same book as before, and wonder why in the world I would re-write it again...than sell it again. You might also be asking yourself why I should purchase the same book as before. It is simple (to me anyway): It has been re-written, done over, and I just wish to share it with the world.

Thank you,

T. Allen Parker

2013

BOOK I—-

Banishment into exile

Forward

CHAPTER 1 THE FOX, the trial and exiled

Chapter 2 beyond the hills, Cherub Black             and WMD

Chapter 3 mushroom kingdom

Chapter 4 leaving

BOOK  II—-

Discovery

Chapter 5 Anti-Smalls

Chapter 6 Flight

Chapter 7 Hidden

Chapter 8 Discovered

Book III:

The Journey (into exile)

Chapter 9 escaped

Chapter 10 on the lamb

Chapter 11 discovery

Chapter 12 Folklore Invaded!  Plus The            Laziest of Lazy Catz

Book IV:

Return (from exile)

Chapter 13 the Smalls attack

Chapter 14 the Smalls retreat

Chapter 15 destruction

Chapter 16 ruins

EPILOG – Folklore Reborn

Forward

THE COMPLETE SAGA OF Folklore includes:

‘Folklore: The Kingdom’

‘Folklore: The Legend’

‘Folklore: The Myth’

‘Folklore: The Kingdom – Another Visit’

This Book was written down from ancient writings pinned down by the Peer of the Realm, Professor Graham Berry.  He was the Head Teacher of ‘School of Mushroomology, within Building 6, Room 3.’

Author’s Note: This work was formerly entitled: ‘The Kingdom of Folklore’.

Book I:

Banishment into Exile

Chapter 1

The fox, the trial and exiled

T he Great Wall reveals only partial truths! proclaimed a red fox that held the book ‘Ka-Knear’s Law of Bad-tuate tucked under one arm.  He had just entered through a side entrance that led out of the underground courtroom.

The fox was dressed in a long, red smoking jacket that flowed about while he walked.  A pair of wire-framed glasses dangled from his pointed, hairy snout as he glanced around.  On his hind legs, he pranced back and forth in front of the four Wisers within the Great Hall of Ka-Knear.

Since he was the only true lawyer the kingdom had, the fox was summoned back to Folklore for yet another trial involving the Smalls. He seemed to have satisfied the Wisers with his antics the first time he appeared in court.  That was a trial that concerned a runaway Elder who hasn’t been heard from since.

The fox came to a halt in front of the Wisers.  They were seated upon tall chairs positioned behind mushroom-type benches.  The fox easily pushed his wire-framed glasses upward for a much better fit. One of the Wisers behind the bench leaned forward, staring at the attorney that had just entered.

Late as usual...I see.

The old Small was somewhat heavy, wearing a dark-blue robe that fell about his feet and chair.  A pair of half-moon glasses covered his ancient eyes.  The hair on his scalp was spiked upward in such a way that it resembled dozens of tiny fingers pointing skyward.

The old fox grinned.  Sorry, Professor Einstein, I assure you...it won’t happen again.  I was late ‘cause I had a last minute appointment with someone concerning me case.  An Irish accent could be heard as the up-right animal talked to his peers.

The Wiser looked to his comrades, than to the almost overcrowded courtroom.  It appeared that all of Folklore had shown up for the case.  It was, after all, the largest case the kingdom had witnessed in years.

Throwing a small laugh toward the three-foot, tall fox, Einstein replied:

We shall see, Mr. Red D. Foxx...we shall see.  I do hope you have better success with this case than with the others.  Even though the old Small’s voice was cracking with age, it had plenty of authority in it.

The fox knew that this case was still up in the air, and he was determined more than ever not to lose it.  Actually, the first case he lost wasn’t really his doing with the Elder disappearing and all. 

One of his second cases involved a drunken squirrel.  It apparently had falling asleep on top of the opening leading down inside the Great Hall, trapping most of the Smalls within.

The red fox won that case with the approval from two of the Wisers (the ones not trapped within).  They found it amusing that their peers had easily been caught in such a fashion, and by a squirrel by all means.

With this new case though, four, young Smalls had broken one of the greatest laws Folklore had ever known.  But Red D. Foxx believed he could win the case easily enough with his surprise witnesses.

Even though the fox had lost almost all of the cases brought before him, the young Smalls’ parents needed him more than ever.  They had sent word of their offspring being charged with ‘Betrayal to the Kingdom’.  This was the worst judgment of the court...and most of all...the one with the most punishment.

A lawyer had to be summoned, and Red D. Foxx was the best in his field.  Besides, the parents’ hadn’t much choice in the matter; the fox was the only attorney around.

For the Smalls’ parents, locating the fox wasn’t really that hard a thing to do.  That was once he had returned from his venture.  His venture had been some miles from Folklore near the Valley of Simms, where most of the giants thrived.

In the Valley, old man Walker (an Anti-Small the fox had encountered numerous times before) kept a barnyard filled to the brim with fat, plumped chickens.  And it so happened that very night the fox was hungry.

Around midnight, Red D. Foxx crept inside the chicken house.  Sure enough, three fat chickens were roosting on an overhang.  They were fast asleep; their heads tucked neatly under their white, feathery wings.

Grinning from ear-to-ear, the sly, old fox saw nothing more than fried chicken cooking in his stove.  He slowly lurked upon them while the others slept nearby, noticing nothing.

Almost upon the fat barnyard fowl, he heard a familiar sound.  It was a noise any animal in his position would recognize right away.  It was the broadcast of a human loading a shotgun, snapping the chamber shut.

At his old age, the fox knew instantly that wasn’t a healthy sound to hear.  Besides, he had heard the same sound many times before, and each time it wasn’t a good thing.

Red D. Foxx figured he must have been getting older, because before this he would have been long gone.  He would have been dashing through the night with a chicken stashed neatly between his teeth, not letting the old man ease up right behind him.

Yes, the fox thought, he must have been getting old.

Yeh agin...dern verment!  Caught yer red ‘anded dis time! screamed the angry, cracked voice belonging to Walker.

Pivoting around, the fox saw a double barrel shotgun aimed straight for him.  It resembled two, shining black hollows with endless depths to them. 

Welding the gun was Old Man Walker.  He was dressed in his bedtime pajamas.  They were torn in one corner with the back flap dangling open, blowing in the midnight wind from the open barn door.

Dodging back and forth, the fox barely made it as both barrels went off.  The impact blasted wood and plaster through one of the barn’s far walls.

Using the new exit the farmer just created, Red D. Foxx bounced outside.  He dashed right through screaming, horrified chickens, and into the dark forest.

Foxx prayed the old man hadn’t already reloaded the gun, following behind.  Making it to his home that was a hollow in a giant, fallen log, the fox rushed inside the darkness.  Making sure he hadn’t been followed, he gazed out into the moonlit woods one final time.  Seeing that it was all right for the time being, he heard another familiar sound.

This time it wasn’t the snapping of a gun’s chamber.  It was a spider web that dangled from a far off corner.  It was going insane with vibrations like it hadn’t in years. 

From a small hollow, he pulled out a long leaf covered with fireflies.  Placing it near the web, it lit up the far wall.  Sure enough, the fox had a snail mail (how the Smalls and other animals communicated back and forth) announcing the upcoming trial of the four, young Smalls.

Still with a rumbling belly for lack of food, Red D. Foxx replied back.  Using a tiny twig, he carefully plucked the silvery webs like a fine-tuned instrument.

What he wrote read:

‘I have received your request to have your young ones as my clients.  As you know...my services are not cheap.  But do not worry; I am on the case as of this moment.

Yours truly, Red D. Foxx, Attorney-at-Law with Folklore’.

A short time afterwards, the fox dashed out of his hollow and toward the distant kingdom.  Stopping, and with a quick glance of this and that, he wanted to be double sure Old Man Walker wasn’t lurking about.  Feeling safe at last, Red D. Foxx headed onward toward Folklore.

The place existed beyond the forest, streams and other stretches of mankind, or the Anti-Smalls as the animals of the forest called them.

Folklore was like the mother of all briar patches: it was surrounded by thick, entangled brush; the sharpest of thorns; twisted, snake-like vines; circling bamboo poles, and multitudes of almost every mushroom known.

The kingdom covered three miles (in Anti-Small figures) in every direction.  It was well hidden from the noisy pollution, destruction and construction of forestland, and all of the other weapons of mass destruction of the humans.

Smalls governed the Kingdom of Folklore, inhabiting tiny houses and huts fashioned from crushed leaves and mud.  Others lived in simple dug runs, traveling under the place to hollows and carved out places within the earth.

The Smalls that lived there were the height of simple oak leaves with tiny limbs and lightning bug-size heads.  If a person happened across one, he would be amazed.  He might think he had stumbled across a tiny person, an elf, or a leprechaun.  The creature would be somewhat larger than his index finger, clothed in miniature garments weaved by the spiders of the Northern Hills. 

Tonight, the court proceedings were being held in the Great Hall of Ka-Knear.  It was located in the exact center of Folklore, several feet below the surface.

The place was being illuminated by hundreds of fireflies that remained motionless for the duration.  They rested some inches from the dirt ceiling so all could witness the goings-on.

The four Wisers (very old Smalls) had to decide what to do with the young ones that had nearly brought destruction to the kingdom.

The Smalls’ families met the fox earlier, explaining what happened.  After finding his web address, the Smalls’ parents snail-mailed him right away.

Foxx questioned the little ones until he had what he thought a strong enough case.

Standing before the four Wisers now, he was doing just that.  But for some reason, the fox’s case didn’t seem that strong at the moment.  At least not since U.B. Einstein started the proceedings.

The Wiser stepped down from his mushroom bench, making his way toward a wall covered with sparkling quartz.  It resembled multitudes of rainbows changing colors every so many seconds.

Around Einstein’s neck dangled an amulet containing triangle-shaped quartz similar to the ones found in the Great Wall.  Using an ancient, straw-like hand, the Wiser adjusted his long, flowing, dark blue robe.  Then he tapped the quartz wall with the amulet six times. 

Each time he touched it, sounds of thunder emitted throughout the courtroom.  At the final tap, it started flickering on and off like a massive theater-like screen.

Grinning at the fox, and to the other Smalls within the room, Einstein replied, We will start this trial by watching what transpired between the accused...and the terror of what almost happened to our home.

The Wiser’s eyes were transfixed upon the four, young Smalls.  They were seated nervously behind tables fashioned from wide, oval toadstools.

Let us see, he now eyed the fox, if what the lawyer says ‘bout the wall is true.  Is it only partial truths...or the whole truth?

Red D. Foxx backed up to the young ones with a grin.  Behind them, their parents were patting their children, reassuring them.

It’ll be alright, whispered the fox out of one corner of his mouth.  Like I said before...it only speaks partial truths.

U.B. Einstein smiled as if he had heard the fox from across the room.  His old eyes sparkled behind half-moon glasses.  As I said...we shall soon see.

The Great Wall flickered with shadows and lights.  It quickly blared on revealing scenes of the four, young Smalls walking down a leafy, forest path.

The other Smalls in the courtroom watched, wondering what would happen next.

As we all know, continued the spiked-hair Wiser, darting a fleeting glance in the fox’s direction, the quartz never lies...nor tells partial truths.  He returned his attention back to the wall.

The Na-tuate within records and recalls everything that has transpired in nature.  Behold...my fellow Smalls!

The Great Wall flickered one final time.  This time it revealed the four Smalls walking down the trail, soon entering the Forbidden Zone.  The place was clearly marked by seven, very large orange mushrooms that created a circle.

Peering beyond the zoned mushrooms, the Bad Na-tuate (non-living things in nature) trees and barbed vines, the four Smalls’ eyes on the screen grew with size.  They were witnessing a creation that made them freeze with fright. 

Seeing what the wall was revealing, the Smalls in the Great Hall’s courtroom stared in terror.  Never had anyone dare pass the orange, zoned mushrooms. 

Some of them seemed ready to faint; others grabbed up writing tablets taking notes.  Some for the local paper ‘Sprouting Times’, or the forest wide news service called ‘Mushroom National News’ (or MNN, for short). 

The Head Wiser grinned as the Great Wall continued glowing with the moving pictures.  Before the courtroom’s eyes was a dry river bank that appeared to travel many miles in either direction. 

Instead of surging water, metal and iron-like things were going up and down the waterless river.  They created noises a hundred times worse than thunder.

‘Weapons of mass destruction’ some of the Smalls thought aloud with horror.

One of the rolling mountains traversing the waterless river came to a halt.  It squealed like a thousand fingernails upon a chalkboard.

It was at this point when the accused were spotted...threatening Folklore’s very existence!  This, the fat Wiser with spiked hair shouted so all the witnesses could hear.  He gestured toward the pictured wall once more.

Observe...my fellow Smalls!

The wall showed what the Smalls in the room could only describe as a gigantic metal contraption.  Behind it was another, much longer machine attached to it.

If the Smalls were to explain what they were seeing, most of them would think it larger than the largest downed tree they had ever witnessed. 

Others thought the metal monster an over-sized alligator that somehow got upon the dry river.  But still, others knew the truth as to what it really was:  Weapons of Mass Destruction, created by the Anti-Smalls. 

And as of all AS’s (Anti-Smalls) did throughout history, they would, and did, destroy everything in nature.  They did this just to make room for their cities of stone and brick.

Out of this gigantic machine stepped one of the giants.  His feet were covered in black, shiny Bad-tuate boots.  He quickly stomped his way toward the four Smalls that were still frozen in fear.

How such a creation could have spotted them was a mystery.  The Smalls in the courtroom screamed their terror witnessing an Anti-Small this close up.  It was if waking from a nightmare and discovering that the monster was still in hot pursuit.

U.B. Einstein witnessed the mummers within the place, and smiled.

The fox even appeared glued to his position, as he witnessed the horror upon the screen.  On the Great Wall, the four Smalls started to run. 

It was too late though.  The giant simply reached down, plucking up the youngest of the Smalls.

At this point...all the Na-tuate was screaming for them to flee! exclaimed Einstein, as he adjusted a protruding vine next to several others on the Great Wall.  Listen!

The sound grew louder, with everything in nature (the trees, mushrooms, plants, animals, etc.) crying for the young Smalls not to pass beyond the Zoned Area; pleading for them to run from the tractor rig.  But upon the screen, it was too late.

The giant lifted the tiny person up, up into the air; higher than he had ever been in his entire life.

The other three Smalls stopped; staring in terror as the Anti-Small brought their friend in for a closer view.  From afar, the tiny Small resembled a dangling doll being held by the thumb and index finger of the truck driver.  The Anti-Small’s cap brim appeared to be grinning as the miniature person kicked and cried.

The Webbers (spiders of Folklore that lived in the nearby Northern Hills) started talking ‘Spiter’.  They leaped and jumped on many shaped webs, sending messages across the kingdom.

Not long afterwards, all of the webs were communicating back and forth, as a deep hole in the ground cracked open.  Out of this hollow darted out a multitude of winged creatures.

Like a sneak attack of warplanes, they zeroed in on the giant’s face, neck and baseball cap.  The winged things numbered in the hundreds, as some tangled in his curly hair and trucker’s cap.  The giant slapped at them with hands the size of mud houses.

Some met their fate on the grassy ground with gigantic, boulder-size boots squashing them into oily spots. 

The scene was way too much for some of the Smalls within the room.  Nearly all of them dashed outside, while others had to be carried out as they fainted, dead over.

Even the four, young Smalls on trial watched in terror as to what their actions had caused.

The scenes on the Great Wall revealed the dragonflies’ labors were not in vein.  As the Anti-Small whacked at the flying things, he let go of the captured Small.  Falling like he had tripped off the edge of a mountain, the Small screamed as the rocky ground came up fast.

At the last moment, three, darting dragonflies swooped underneath the endangered Small, saving him from certain doom. 

Running away from what he thought was mad hornets, the truck driver climbed back inside his eighteen-wheeler.  Within seconds, he was speeding down the highway.  The rest of the Smalls were picked up and flown back toward Folklore.

The quartz wall revealed the entrance to the kingdom.  There, at the base, awaited the four Wisers for the runaway Smalls.  As they entered the kingdom of thorns, the doorway of stickers closed behind like it never was.

The colorful quartz returned to its original state leaving behind just the bare wall.  The chubby Wiser adjusted his wire-framed glasses and slowly returned to his position behind his bench.

As you just witnessed... he scanned the courtroom looking at the absence of some of the Smalls, ...for those of you still with us, the four accused almost brought destruction to us all.  I clearly say...remember our comrades that gave their life’s for...them!  He shot an accusing finger at the young ones.

They backed up in their seats as if expecting fireballs to be shot toward them.

I repeat, declared the fox, trying to get the images of what he saw out of his mind, that the Wall...reveals only...partial truths!  It has never been proven...that the quartz works at all!

The lawyer fox danced in a small semicircle, scanning the entire courtroom.  Then he once again eyed his clients, then the Wisers.  I tell you ...the Great Wall is great at showing movies...and that there are great movie directors here!  And the special effects...were out of this world!

He darted a slanted eye toward Einstein. 

Once, he continued, I watched an epic on this same wall...it kept me awake for nearly a week!  It shows great movies indeed...but nothin’ more than dat...just movies and special effects!

The fox slapped the law book of Ka-Knear so all in the room could hear.

The four Wisers looked down upon the upright fox with arrogance.  In here, all creatures had human-like traits. 

In the span of time, the citizens of Folklore had witnessed walking fish, flying snakes, over-talkative cats, and worse of all this upright, walking fox who wore a smoking jacket with reading glasses to match.

Why he needed such attire confused the Wisers.  Maybe it made his job more enjoyable.

The first Wiser seated to the far left was U.B. Einstein, the one that revealed the quartz wall to the court.  He eased his wire-framed glasses downward getting a better view of the defendants.