The Magic Bubbles: The Tilly and George Adventures, #1

By Ellen M James

Tilly and George float away in a bubble after dinner one day whilst doing the washing up and find themselves in a strange Kingdom inhabited by insects and ants.

They have many adventures trying to save the field ants and their insect friends from the invasion of the huge colony of black, soldier ants and their powerful Queen.

With help from such characters as Riff, Captain of the Field Guard, Bootle - a water beetle, Gebbo - a brave spider and many others, they manage to carry out a daring escape plan and restore the Kingdom to its former state of harmony and freedom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ellen M James
• Release date: Aug 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393364009

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

I do wish we could go out.  It’s so boring having to stay in every day, complained Tilly miserably.

All this rain’s getting on my nerves, George muttered crossly as he kicked at the leg of the bed.

I wish Mum would hurry up too.  She’s been sorting out that cupboard for ages!

Then:  It would have been better if we’d stayed at home.  At least we’d have been able to go out on our bikes.

No, we wouldn’t.  Not in this rain! retorted Tilly.

Oh shut up, would you! snapped George.

An argument was about to erupt.  They could both feel it.

I’m going to find Mum, said Tilly, slamming her way out of the room.  She didn’t like quarrels.  Usually she came off badly anyway.  George was good-natured most of the time but on days like this anything could happen.

She stormed upstairs to the attic room, stamping loudly as she went.  She found her mother on her hands and knees with smudges of dust everywhere.  Tilly couldn’t help but laugh.  She could see a black smear right on the end of her mother’s long, pink nose.

Oh Mum, you should see what a mess you are, she giggled.  You look like the coalman.

Mum laughed too and wiped her hair out of her eyes with a smutty hand.

Look what I’ve found, darling, she said, handing Tilly an old plastic bottle with some blue liquid in it.  Tilly shook it.

What is it? she inquired.

Open it and see, replied Mum.

Tilly unscrewed the lid and saw at once from the wand that it was bubble-blowing solution.

I must go and show George, she said eagerly, the argument promptly forgotten.  She walked carefully across to the stairs holding the bottle upright so as not to spill any of the liquid.  Then she stopped, frowning.

It’s okay to use it, isn’t it? she queried thoughtfully.  I mean, bubbles don’t make a mess, do they?

Mum smiled.  Of course you can use it, but dinner should be ready shortly, so I think you had better wait until after that, don’t you?  And why are you worrying about mess when you can see what a state I’m in?  Now hurry along, and ask your brother to wash his hands.

Tilly skipped off to tell George the good news and within five minutes they were both seated at the table with scrubbed palms and eager faces.  It seemed ages till their mother brought the dinner in.  They could hardly wait to eat it so that they could get on with blowing bubbles.

Now it may seem to you that Tilly and George were getting excited over nothing but bear in mind that they have been cooped up inside for more than a week and also that most of that time has been spent in bed with the flu.  The thought of doing something different, something even mildly entertaining, was wonderful!

At last George and Tilly finished their meal.  They were just about to dash off when their mother reminded them that there was still the washing-up to do.  Then what a lot of grumbling and groaning there was.

Mind you don’t break anything, their mother called after them as she watched them trudging grumpily to the kitchen.

We won’t, remarked George, raising his eyebrows.

He turned the hot water tap on and started filling the bowl.

I wish there was a dishwasher here.  It would make things so much easier.

Tilly nodded.  I know what we can do, she said.  Why don’t we empty some of this bubble stuff in instead of washing-up liquid?  There’s plenty of it and we can see what kind of bubbles it makes, can’t we?

She removed the lid and promptly tipped in some of the solution.  George put his hands into the bowl and swished the water around.  There were plenty of bubbles; in fact soon they were foaming up and over the sides of the bowl and down onto the floor.  George laughed.

I can see my face in these bubbles! he exclaimed.  This is amazing! I haven’t even had to blow any.  Look!  They’re enormous!

He and Tilly peered down into the bowl.  The bubbles were getting larger and larger the more they stared.  Soon they could see their entire reflections in them.  It was definitely amazing!  They looked at each other and grinned.  Then, something very strange began to happen!  Tilly grabbed hold of George’s hand and blinked.  She was beginning to feel dizzy.  George looked at her, a little confused.  Suddenly everything seemed very far away.  He couldn’t see any more bubbles, only one huge one!  He peered around him in disbelief.  Then, with a gasp of astonishment he realised what had happened; only of course it couldn’t have really happened because it was just too incredible for words!  They were both inside the huge bubble and they were floating gently upwards!

Tilly, open your eyes! George ordered, for she had let go of his hand and had her fists dug tightly into them.  We’re in a bubble!

Tilly immediately opened her eyes.

Don’t be stupid! she said scathingly.  Then her eyes widened.  All around her were hazy, shimmering, rainbow colours.  She reached out cautiously and found that her fingers were pushing against a tough, rubbery substance.  She withdrew her hand quickly.  She tried to move her feet and it felt as if they were wedged in a sticky sort of transparent gum.

Eugh, I don’t believe it! she said, feeling a little shocked.  But it must be true.  How did we get here?  It has to be magic!  Oh George, I’ve always wanted something magical to happen, but now that it has - well, I’m not sure how I feel about it.

George gave her a friendly shove so that she wobbled and bounced back up again.  He grinned.

Don’t worry.  Your big bro is here.  Close your eyes again and perhaps it will all go away.  We may be imagining this.  I mean, we have been ill and perhaps there’s some strange ingredient in the mixture that’s making us hallucinate. 

They both shut their eyes and waited.

After what seemed ages, but was in fact only a few moments, there was a sound like a huge explosion and George and Tilly found themselves tumbling through the air and then hitting something hard with a thud.

Ouch! yelped George.  That hurt!

He was the first to open his eyes and to look around hesitantly, and then it was only when he was sure that all the noise had stopped.  He sat up and rubbed at his joints, checking for any cuts and bruises that he might have.  Tilly lay still for such a long time that George thought something was wrong.  He took her by the shoulders and shook her, feeling slightly alarmed.  She opened her eyes slowly, squinting at the sudden brightness everywhere.  She wasn’t hurt after all, just a little shaken.  George heaved a sigh of relief and began to take note of the surroundings.  Everything around them seemed to be extremely large.  Enormous stalks of grass reared up over their heads with slashes of blue sky gaping and peeping in between.  In fact, there seemed to be nothing but grass.  George pushed against a stalk but he had no effect on it, for the long stem just sprang back into place again.  It was thick and furry and highly resistant and it didn’t seem anything at all like the grass in their back garden.  Tilly shifted onto her hands and knees and tried to make her way through the middle of two stalks but it was no good as they were very close together and far too strong.

We’re trapped! she cried, panicking.  Look George, we can’t get out!

George raised his eyebrows.

Don’t worry.  We got in, didn’t we, so we must be able to get out?  He smiled encouragingly but in spite of his brave words he didn’t feel terribly optimistic.  The grass appeared to be incredibly tough; but he would never have admitted that to Tilly.

Let’s have a little think, shall we? he suggested, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.  He settled himself as best he could on the earth below with his back against a stalk and relaxed, letting the sun beat down upon him.  He remained there for a while feeling quite contented and almost drifting off to sleep.  There was one good thing about it all; at least it wasn’t raining here!

Tilly crawled across to the stalk next to him and started to bite her nails.  She tended to get upset at the slightest thing.  How long they sat there they had no idea but George was just about to nod off when Tilly pinched his arm.

Ouch! he cried.  Stop that!

Sssshhh! she whispered, putting her hand over his mouth.  Listen!

George frowned crossly.  He had been having a very pleasant day-dream and he couldn’t hear anything.

What am I supposed to be listening to?

Put your ear to the ground and listen, hissed Tilly.  George did so.