The 'Be Brave' Stories

By Andrew Pender-Smith

A little bit crazy, fun-loving, friendly, adventurous, and definitely brave. Big Bruce the blue balloon, Linda the potato who loves singing and everything pink, and Sylvester the carrot with long purple hair who enjoys dancing, are the three unusual characters you will meet in this book. The four adventure stories that have been put together to make this book are: 'Floating into Happiness' (The little story with a big heart.), 'Singing and Clapping', 'THAT'S' FANTASTIC!' and 'BIG in the Big Top'. If you are looking for a book that is uplifting, warm, fun-filled and, at times, more than a bit zany, Big Bruce the blue balloon, Linda the potato and Sylvester the carrot might just be the very ones to help you have fun while encouraging you to 'Be Brave' in your life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Green Monkey Publications
• Release date: Jan 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386209454

Andrew Pender-Smith

Andrew Pender-Smith lives in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He has written and published lots of poems as well as stories for children and adults in different genres. When he is not writing, the author enjoys dog training, raising tropical fish and gardening. 

Book preview

The

‘Be Brave’

Stories

By

Andrew Pender-Smith

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Green Monkey Publications

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Now in one book you can get all the adventures of Big Bruce the blue balloon, Linda the potato who loves singing and everything pink, and Sylvester the carrot with long purple hair who likes to dance.

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The four ‘Be Brave’ stories in this book are:

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Floating into Happiness

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Singing and Clapping

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THAT’S FANTASTIC!

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BIG in the Big Top

Floating into Happiness

In a Scary Place

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Oh no. Oh no, Linda said between sobs. I heard her say it. I honestly did. We are going to be eaten this evening, and I did so, so want a long life and to do and see lots of lovely things. I wanted to be a famous singer. I wanted thousands and thousands of people to come and hear me at concerts. Now I’m going to be put into a stew.

It’s the worst thing for both of us, Sylvester said in a deep, sad voice. In the two days we have known each other, I have loved dancing in the kitchen while you sang to me. I always wanted to be on stage as the world’s first dancing carrot. I also wanted to be famous, and now I never will be.

And I ... I ... said Linda, and then she stopped because she was too upset to continue. She wiped her large eyes and then her misted-up glasses on a pink tissue. I loved watching you dancing in the evening. I even thought we could be a singing, dancing team one day. We are best friends and I always believed we’d be together forever. Now ... Now we are going to be chopped up and put into a stew after being kept in this horrible basket. To think it was raining and we went to look for shelter in an old doll’s house in someone’s garden. An old lady thought we were toys that had been forgotten and donated us to a fête. We should never, ever have left the Land of Magical Happenings. We were always told never to cross the little flower bridge at the end of the stream. My mother always told me that the flower bridge was where the Land of Magical Happenings ended and a scary place began.

Mine did too, said Sylvester. All I ever saw across the little flower bridge was green fields and I didn’t think it looked dangerous at all.

We were so silly, Linda the potato said before sighing. We should have listened, but we thought we were on an amazing adventure and then the mist and rain came. We got so lost and scared, and now ... and now I’m crying again. She screwed up her face so hard her glasses began to slide down her button nose and she had to push them back up again.

Sylvester gently stretched across and touched Linda the plump little potato with one of his long purple fingers, and then he hugged her. She was so sad and nervous she was now twisting the tissue over and over in her short, fat fingers.

We couldn’t have chosen a worse place to shelter from the rain and now we’re in really bad trouble, Sylvester moaned, as he closed his eyes tight because he did not want any tears to trickle down his thin, orange face. We should have stayed in the Land of Magical Happenings where we all knew and cared for each other. Now there’s no one to help us. We’re finished. It’s the end.

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Big Bruce

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Excuse me, said someone in clear voice, but I think I can help.

The clear voice was coming from outside. Sylvester turned his head towards the sound.

Who are you? Linda called out. She stood on tiptoes in her pink shoes to see who it was.

"Where are you?’ Sylvester asked. 

I’m a balloon, said the voice. I’m floating just outside the kitchen door. If you want me to help, you had better come now. If a breeze comes, I will simply drift away and you will never be saved.

What’s a balloon? asked Linda in a loud whisper because she was a bit nervous about what a balloon might be.

I am big and round, came the voice from outside, and I’m made from very thin rubber. I started off life small and then I was blown full of air and, after that, a knot was tied at my base so that I didn’t lose all the air. Now I can travel all over the world.

A smile spread across Sylvester’s orange face and his green eyes lit up with excitement. That sounds so cool, and now I think you want us to float away with you and be saved.

Yes! Yes! Yes’! shouted Linda, You do, don’t you? She clapped her hands while blinking her huge blue eyes behind her thick glasses. Her plump-potato body shook with excitement.

You are one hundred percent right. I am Big Bruce the extra-big balloon, and I can take you to safety.

Hooray. Hooray.

Come on then, said Big Bruce. Be quick because I am starting to move because of a breeze, and I don’t want to float away without you.

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Help!

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Sylvester took Linda by the hand, and the carrot and the potato climbed out of the vegetable basket and began to run towards the door which, luckily, was slightly open. Just as they were halfway across the kitchen floor, a woman called out in the house, I’m going to start dinner. It’s time we ate the carrot and the potato dressed up as dolls I bought at the fête.  First, I’ll peel the potato and the carrot in the basket and then I’ll chop them up. After that, I’ll add them to the beans and mince.

Quick, shouted Sylvester.

Hurry, hurry, hurry, squealed Linda, as she battled to get her short legs to catch up with Sylvester, who was almost dragging her with his purple hands to the gap in the doorway. They ran and ran and ran across the kitchen floor. Once again the woman inside the house said, The carrot and the potato will make the food extra tasty. I’ll go scrape, scrape, scrape and then chop, chop, chop before putting them into the pot. Mmmm. I can already taste them in my dinner.

Just outside the door, Sylvester and Linda saw a large, round object bouncing up and down. Attached to it was a yellow string. Big Bruce the bouncing blue balloon opened his wide, rubbery mouth and said, Come on. Come on. Catch the string and lift yourselves up. You can hold onto my hair when you reach the top of my head.

At that moment, a strong gust of wind blew across the yard and Big Bruce began to lift off the