From my vast files of typed paper, I came upon another piece that seemed worth sharing- especially to any of my family and friends with younger children. Many years ago, well before my own children, I raced with a family who had a little boy named Drew. Drew actually did have a “Mooey”, and I was one of the few people he would allow to share his Mooey with him. This led to my first children’s story, and it may be the only one I’ve ever put to paper. This story was even used for story time in his mother’s classroom for several years! My children and I regularly made up stories, many of them about the “Yazbitz”, a little imp that caused trouble in all the stories, but they were ever-evolving, and I never wrote them down. We got the Yazbitz idea from my late Grandpa Mekinda- it was the nickname he lovingly gave my son when he was still a baby. After reading this again, maybe it’s time to bring the Yazbitz back to life!
Enjoy!
-mike
THE ADVENTURES OF DREW AND HIS MAGICAL MOOEY
Somewhere, in this great big world of ours, is a little boy named Drew. He could be the little boy next door, or down your street, or he may live all the way on the other side of the earth from you. But he is out there, and very much like you or I.
Drew is a just an ordinary boy, with blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, and a smile -Drew loves to smile- that always makes his friends and family feel wonderful! Drew likes to play outside in the dirt, and hates to take baths when he is done, and sometimes he doesn’t eat all his dinner.
You see, Drew is very much like you and me!
Drew does have something that no one else may ever have, though (but if you ask him very nicely, he may share —Drew likes to share). Drew has a magical Mooey, a soft, warm blanket that allows his imagination to take him to faraway places. Maybe even to your neighborhood! Let us find Drew and see what he is doing today…
There he is! He is sitting on the soft, green grass in the yard behind his family’s house, watching the birds flying high in the blue sky above him. The sky and birds give Drew an idea, and he lays his Mooey on the grass beside him.
Stepping carefully onto his Mooey, Drew sits down and ties a length of the cloth around his waist to hold him in place. Then, very slowly, he and his Mooey rise high into the deep blue of the sky far above.
Drew is flying!
He waves to a beautiful black and yellow bird that is flying alongside of his Mooey, and the bird tweets a short happy, song back to Drew. The bird is welcoming Drew to his world, and asking him to play!
Follow the pretty bird” Drew says to the Mooey, see if we can keep up! As the bird takes off toward the clouds, Drew and his Mooey follow close behind.
Into the fluffy, white clouds they go, with the sun shining brightly above them.
Isn’t it beautiful?” Drew asks the Mooey, and the Mooey wiggles in reply. “The clouds are so white, and the cool mist feels very good on my face” says Drew, ” but I’m tired of spiraling and chasing, I want to go back toward the ground.”
Drew says goodbye to the pretty yellow and black bird, and aims his Mooey down, out of the sky. Soon they are coasting above the treetops, trying to find a place to land. “There, Mooey, a clearing in the middle of the forest” and Drew points to a hole in the treetops.
Down, down, down they go, circling slowly down into the clearing. There is no sound as they touch the ground, for the Mooey is very careful of Drew. As Drew steps off the Mooey, he looks around him at the dark and unfamiliar forest. A shiver runs down his spine, as the trees creak and groan in the wind.
“I don’t like this, Mooey” Drew says, and he grabs his Mooey from the ground. “It Is cold and wet and very dark in these woods.” The Mooey shivers in Drew’s arms. “And I don’t know which way to go!” says Drew, and he nearly starts to cry. But Drew is a very strong little boy, and he does not cry. Instead, he asks his Mooey to point for home, and holds the Mooey in front of him.
After a moment, the Mooey lifts a corner of its fabric and points for home. “Thank you, Mooey” says Drew, always remembering that his parents taught him to be polite, and he begins to walk in the direction the Mooey had pointed.
Suddenly, there is a loud roar in the woods, and Drew jumps back! “Who is there?” he asks, and no one answers. He holds his Mooey extra tightly and asks again; “Who is there?” Again, no answer. As he starts to speak again, the woods tear open and a horrible beast with purple skin and two heads crashes toward Drew and his Mooey! The beast has four fiery orange eyes, claws like the knives that Drew knows not to play with, and long pointed fangs that threaten to bite at any moment.
“What do you want?” Drew asks, trying not to sound scared.
“Your Mooey. I eat Mooeys” replies the nasty beast, “and yours looks particularly delicious! ”
The Mooey in Drew’s arms began to shake like Jell-O. “Don’t worry,” whispers Drew “I won’t let him eat you.”
“You can It have my Mooey!” yells Drew in his deepest voice, but the beast just snarls an evil laugh. As the beast laughs, it roars “I am a giant Jabjabar, direct descendant of the famous Jabberwocky. You are just a little boy. How will you stop me?” And the Jabjabar lashes out and snatches the Mooey right from Drew’s arms! Drew watches helplessly as his Mooey struggles to free itself from the giant beast. He searches his mind for a way to help, but he can think of none. When all seems lost, Drew feels a slight breeze in his hair and looks up. Floating above him is a ball of orange fur that is no bigger than an apple. The ball opens a tiny mouth and says “Do not be afraid. I am Zerbert, and I can help you free your Mooey.” “Oh, please hurry” cries Drew, “before it is too late! ”
Zerbert speaks quickly to Drew, and now Drew knows what to do.
He yells to the Jabjabar, who slowly turns to face him. “LET MY MOOEY GO!” shouts Drew, and, as before, the beast simply laughs and turns away.
Drew takes a long, deep breath. . . and GROWLS at the Jabjabar the way Zerbert had told him! He growls until he has no more wind in him, and still he growls. The woods are still echoing Drew’s mighty roar when the very surprised Jabjabar drops the Mooey and runs back into the forest as quickly as he can.
Drew runs to his Mooey, with Zerbert floating right behind, and scoops it from the dirt. Drew hugs his Mooey tightly to him and says “Thank you Zerbert, you have saved my Mooey!”
Zerbert giggles “No Drew, you saved your beloved Mooey. I just helped you realize what you already knew.” Zerbert continues “There will be many times that you will find yourself wondering what you should do. Remember, do what you KNOW is right and you will always do what IS right.” With that, Zerbert simply disappears.
“I love you Mooey” says Drew as he waves to Zerbert, wherever he might be. “I think want to go home now.” Drew looks around and yawns “Maybe I’ll just rest a while first”, and his Mooey spreads itself at his feet.
Drew curls up on his Mooey and closes his eyes. A deep, grey, swirling fog rolls in and carries Drew off to sleep, and he silently floats back to the soft, green grass behind his family’s house. And that is where we will leave Drew until the next time he invites us to share an adventure with him and his magical Mooey.
Oh, look, there is Drew’s mother, carrying her exhausted little boy inside.
She can only wonder what Drew is smiling about now, but we know… Goodnight Drew.
-the end
Random Ramblings of a Rarebird 