Charity Parkes and the Two Spiky Ostriches
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Once upon a time, there was a brunette girl called Charity Parkes. She was on the way to see her Jessica Cockle when she decided to take a shortcut through Greenwood Forest.
It wasn’t long before Charity got lost. She looked around, but all she could see were trees. Nervously, she fell into her bag for her favorite toy, Hugo, but Hugo was nowhere to be found! The charity began to panic. She felt sure she had packed Hugo. To make matters worse, she was starting to feel hungry.
Unexpectedly, she saw a spiky ostrich dressed in a purple waistcoat disappearing into the trees.
“How odd!” thought Charity.
For the want of anything better to do, she decided to follow the peculiarly dressed ostrich. Perhaps it could tell him the way out of the forest.
Eventually, Charity reached a clearing. In the clearing were three houses, one made from courgettes, one made from cupcakes, and one made from lollipops.
Charity could feel her tummy rumbling. Looking at the houses did nothing to ease her hunger.
“Hello!” she called. “Is anybody there?”
Nobody replied. Charity took a step inside one of the houses and discovered that this house was full of cake! She was so desperate not to leave any behind that she ate as much as she could fit into her mouth. As quickly as she could she swallowed it all down and then rushed back outside.
She looked left and right again, but the only thing in sight was an enormous tent filled with fairy floss. It certainly seemed worth investigating – and possibly eating! – but Charity hadn’t seen any signs pointing towards the exit.
With every fiber of her being, she wanted to find Jessica as soon as possible. She knew they needed to get back to the magic classroom before Professor Diddilydeedoo returned. If he found out about Hugo, he would probably have Charity’s head on a plate. But how was she going to find Jessica?
She shook her head furiously. This was ridiculous. There must be someone else here who could help her. She scanned the tents and came across a large stall selling giant, colorful mushrooms.
The sign above the mushroom stall said: ‘Eat me! I’m delicious!’
Charity hesitated. She’d eaten enough already to fill an elephant, never mind herself…
“I’ll try one,” she decided.
Carefully taking a bite off its top, she chewed and swallowed. Then another, and another. And finally, she tucked into the biggest mushroom she could find.
A moment later, Charity was sitting by a fire, talking with a tall, thin woman wearing a grass skirt, lei, and coconut shells for jewelry. The woman introduced herself as Lady Tu’uolehua (pronounced ‘TOO-loo-way-uh’).
Lady Tu’uolehua asked if Charity enjoyed her meal.
“Yes, very much.”
“Well done!” said Lady Tu’uolehua. “What are you doing here today?”
“Looking for my friend. Her name is Jessica Cockle. Do you know her?”
“Oh yes!” said Lady Tu’uolehua. “Jessica Cockle! Yes. Why don’t we go and look for her together?”
“But I need to get home first!” said Charity. “My mother has been waiting for ages, and I haven’t even started packing yet. Will you come with me?”
“No fear,” answered Lady Tu’uolehua. “We will pack everything up whilst we are looking for Jessica. Come along, my dear; let us start our search!”
They set off hand in hand through the forest. It didn’t take long before they met some friendly kiwis, who offered them a ride on their bikes. They rode off happily into the sunset until Charity spotted something lying by the side of the road. The thing was shaped like a boot, except it had no heels or toes.
“Look what I’ve found,” she whispered to Lady Tu’uolehua. “An old shoe!”
“Hmm. You can keep it for now,” said Lady Tu’uolehua. “Later I may wish to wear it myself.”
Charity and Lady Tu’uolehua continued searching for Jessica all day, but they had no luck. By evening, both girls were tired and hungry.
“There is nothing to eat here,” complained Charity. “This place is rubbish. We should have stayed at home and eaten my mum’s cooking!”
“I think you’re right,” agreed Lady Tu’uolehua.
When they arrived back in Paradise Village, Charity told her mother about the strange things she had encountered while looking for Jessica.
“Didn’t you say your little brother was supposed to be helping your father build a new school building at the other end of Paradise Island?” Mrs. Cockle said. “We can go and see him after dinner, shall we?”
“Yeah,” said Charity. “Definitely.”
***
At the far edge of the village, next to the dump, was the town hall and the Mayor’s office. Most of the time it felt as though it belonged to the Mayor because people from everywhere came to meet with him. However, it also served to provide shelter for homeless dogs and cats which had strayed too far away.
“It is good to see you two, too!” said the Mayor. “How did you manage to survive in that old shoe?”
“I went on a journey,” explained Charity. “And I found a wonderful lady called Lady Tu’uolehua, who helped me to find my best friend.”
“That is fantastic!” cried the Mayor. “If you would like, I can arrange to send her a letter telling her where you are. Is that okay?”
“Thank you very much!” said Charity. “I really appreciate it. Oh…and while I am thinking about it, could I ask the Mayor whether he knows anyone who might want to buy a pair of size five shoes?”
“Right you are, Miss Cockle,” replied the Mayor. “Let me show you to the station…”
As Charity made her way toward the small police station, she noticed lots of stalls and shops open late, selling food and drinks to the locals, as well as tourists who had lost their way and were hoping for directions. She couldn’t wait to tell Hugo the news about Jessica!
“Hiya, missus!” said Sergeant Stubbs cheerily. “Good to see you again. Did you have a nice weekend? Fancy going for a drink with me and the gang?”
“Sorry, I can’t tonight,” said Charity. “I’m meeting my friend at ten o’clock for a coffee!”
“Coffee?” questioned Constable Precious, a rather rotund girl whose hair color changed depending on how much she ate. “Why not just have dinner there with us?”
“Do you do tea, then?” asked Charity.
“Oh yes!” exclaimed Constable Precious. “Some of my favorite dishes include carrot and coriander soup, roasted chicken breast stuffed with sesame seeds, and rice pudding with raisins.”
“Sounds lovely!” cried Charity. “Count me in!”
Constable Precious showed Charity inside the station, where everyone got ready for an evening of fun, laughter, and friendship. There was a bar area with several tables, so people could sit and talk over a few drinks. At the entrance, a large noticeboard displayed information about the various types of crime that had been reported recently.
This was followed by details of any arrests. Next to this board was a map showing the locations of different crimes.
“I wonder if we’ll ever catch the thief who stole all the milk bottles from my shop last week?” wondered Constable Precious, taking a seat near a window and glancing out of it. “Perhaps she needs more calcium in her diet!”
“Wasn’t it hard work opening the door to let the man in?” giggled Constable Pincer, one of the most mischievous policemen in Paradise Valley. “Did he give you any trouble?”
“No, he was quite charming really,” admitted Constable Precious. “He even complimented me on my beautiful smile.”
“You always look gorgeous, don’t you, Missus?” smiled Constable Stubbs.
“Are you sure you don’t fancy someone else?” teased Constable Humpy, who was six-foot-four inches tall and weighed three hundred pounds. He had an amazing array of facial hair, which made him resemble a scarecrow. “What about the handsome sergeant? Perhaps you’d prefer him instead?”
“Don’t be silly, Constable Humpf,” laughed Precious. “Sergeant Stubbs has his eye on someone who isn’t me.”
“Well, you know what they say about men with big feet…” remarked Stubbs. “They’re only after one thing!”
“Ahem,” said Constable Scruffy, pretending to cough.
Charity joined them at the table. The last thing she wanted was to spend her evening talking about men, but she was genuinely interested to discover why Constable Precious looked so sad when she mentioned her date with Sergeant Stubbs.
“So how did you get involved with the Mayor’s nephew, Constable Pincer?” asked Constable Precious. “Is everything alright between you?”
“Yes, fine,” said Charity. “I think he is happy with the situation and I’m certainly enjoying myself.”
“Just thought I’d ask,” sighed Precious. “People often complain about his attitude, but he is actually really good to work for. Sometimes he tries to be a bit funny, though…”
“Only occasionally…” said Charity, smiling politely.
The conversation moved on to other topics, such as the weather and the latest local news. As they spoke, Charity spotted a pretty blonde lady drinking tea alone at a table near a window. She couldn’t help wondering if the Mayor’s niece had already gone home or if she was still looking for her missing friend.
Although Constable Precious seemed to like working alongside Hugo, Charity wondered whether she would feel happier having a boyfriend. Just then, she heard someone call her name.
“Miss Cockle!” called Corporal Beadnose. “Is that you? Where were you hiding?”
“Here,” gasped Charity. “How do you know my name?”
“Because I’ve got your scent,” replied Corporal Beadnose. “We need to take a quick walk, okay? Hurry up, before the others spot us.”
“Really?” grinned Charity. “And where are we going? I hope it’s somewhere interesting.”
“It will be soon enough,” promised Corporal Beadnose. “First, I want you to meet a new friend of mine. Come on.”
Corporal Beadnose led Charity away down a corridor, past two guards, and along another hallway. They walked briskly until they reached the end of a long passage. On the other side, there was a door marked ‘Private – Authorised Personnel Only.
“Nowhere,” explained Corporal Beadnose, gesturing towards the door. “this is where our adventure begins…”
***
When Charity opened the door, she found herself outside on top of a high building. From the roof, she could see Paradise Valley spread out below her. It was dark, but lights twinkled in many windows as people went about their business. She could also hear car horns blaring and sirens wailing as the police force dealt with the many crimes that occurred every day.
“Wow,” breathed Charity, walking slowly across the rooftop and trying not to wobble too much. “This place looks great! How did you find all this space?”
“We can use it whenever we like,” answered Corporal Beadnose. “As long as no one sees us. Our new Chief Constable likes the idea of having lots of surveillance cameras, but I have been keeping an eye on things for a while now.”
“So, what exactly are you doing here?” asked Charity, moving nearer to him.
“Oh, I just wanted to show you the view,” said Beadnose, scratching himself awkwardly behind the ears. “Isn’t it fantastic?”
“It’s incredible,” murmured Charity. “You must get bored of seeing the same thing all the time?”
“Not at all,” lied Corporal Beadnose. “There’s plenty to keep me occupied around here. You never know what might happen next.”
“Has something happened today?” asked Charity.
“Why does everyone always assume the worst when they talk to me?” muttered Beadnose. “Anyway… look over there. That’s a restaurant that we patrol regularly.”
“But we haven’t had any complaints from the residents recently,” reasoned Charity.
Beadnose puffed out his cheeks and crossed his arms. For a moment, he appeared almost angry. Then he smiled. “I suppose we probably should have,” he grumbled, reluctantly nodding in agreement with Charity.