The Indie Collaboration Presents
Snips, Snails & Puppy Dog Tales
A Children's Story Collection
Another collection of free poems and stories brought to you by The Indie Collaboration. This time we take you to a world of dreams. To far-away lands of magic and wonder, where ducks and children have adventures and learn about the world; where heroes help their friends and elephants get lost.
So pack your lunch box, grab your coat and shoes and join us in a land of make believe.
I can't wait. Can you?
ISBN: 9781311580894
Edited by Chris P. Raven
Copyright retained by the Authors
Cover Art by Book Birdy Designs
The Indie Collaboration grew out of a group of like minded independent authors. Together, we decided to show the world how great works of fiction can be created without the involvement of any large publishing companies; creating a direct channel between ourselves and our readers is of the utmost importance to us. Each author has freely donated their time and work and are committed to the Indie Collaboration's cause of:
We offer the best of indie authors in bite size pieces and wherever possible, for free.
We hope you enjoy our books.
CONTENTS
Pockets by Kristina Blasen
Charlie Gobblegike the Traveller by Alan Hardy
Telling Tales by Chris Raven
The Duck Bush by Kristina Blasen
Splat by Peter John
The Case of the Missing Ghost by Donny Swords
Sunday Dinner by James Gordon
Orion and the Giant Snail from Shalamar by Kristina Blasen
The Big Waterslide by Peter W. Collier
The Three Elephants by Alan Hardy
The Secret Society of Postov Feece by Adam Bigden
Hello Friend by Peter John
The Unstoppable Turfunkel Twins! by Kristina Blasen
Chocolate Shake Haiku by James Gordon
Marley and the Nose Gnome by Chris Raven
Surprise! By Charlie Dee
Barracuda Blast by Donny Swords
Screech by Kristina Blasen
The Fishing Derby by Peter W. Collier
***
About the Authors
Other Publications by the Indie Collaboration
POCKETS
By Kristina Blasen
Mama does the laundry and what does she find?
Snips!
What's a snip you ask? Why, it's little bits of this and that - all the things you find in little girls' and little boys' pockets.
Not so many years ago, brother's pockets held Lego bits, little black tires with no car attached, rubber bands to launch stuff with, pennies, paper bits, chewing gum and blue Bic pens that sure do make a mess when mama washes them.
Luckily, I don't think she ever did find any snails, or puppy dog's tails (like the old rhyme says), but once she found a worm in a pocket full of dirt and it was still alive! Eww! Boy was she mad...once she stopped screeching! She touched it! It wiggled!
Little sister has pockets in her pants and dresses...when she was a baby they held lint and Cheerios... but now there's little pink bows, teeny-tiny baby dolls, pocket pets and delicate tea cups with rock hard sugar stuck to the bottom.
What's in your pockets?
© 2014 Kristina Blasen
CHARLIE GOBBLEGIKE THE TRAVELLER
By Alan Hardy
Charlie Gobblegike lived in the village of the Gobblegikes.
***
Charlie Gobblegike was different from all the other Gobblegikes.
Charlie Gobblegike only had one arm because one time he had felt very hungry and had had no money to buy any food, so he had exchanged his left arm for three tins of sardines. He had gone to a village a long long way away to do it. It had taken him all of two days to walk there. He had exchanged his arm at the shop between the baker’s and the post-office. It was called THE SHOP THAT EXCHANGES FOOD OR NECKLACES FOR THINGS THAT HELP YOU SHAKE HANDS MORE EASILY.
He was the only Gobblegike who had ever been there, because other Gobblegikes never went further than a distance of one mile from their village. But Charlie was different. He often disappeared from the village for days at a time, and he was known as Charlie Gobblegike the Traveller. Whenever the other Gobblegikes noticed he was missing, they would all wait excitedly for him to return, so they could hear his strange tales about the World beyond their village.
He was popular with all the Gobblegikes, but there were six Gobblegikes who were his closest friends: Sally, Hector, Mandy, Edward, Daniel and John, who was the leader of all the Gobblegikes.
***
One day Charlie Gobblegike was walking down the cobbled street of the village when he saw his friend, Daniel Gobblegike, looking very sad.
Daniel Gobblegike looked like all the other Gobblegikes, with a long red beard, a big blue hat, yellow T-shirt and orange trousers with braces. Daniel Gobblegike had a white card pinned to the front of his shirt, with the name DANIEL written in black on it. This was the only way to tell the Gobblegikes apart. Charlie Gobblegike was the only Gobblegike not to have a card, because he was the one who always looked different. He didn’t have a beard, and he only had one arm.
“What’s the problem, Daniel?” asked Charlie Gobblegike.
“Oh, something terrible,” sighed Daniel Gobblegike, stroking his long red beard. “The grass in my back-garden is so high and my lawn-mower is broken.”
“Why don’t you buy a new one?” asked Charlie Gobblegike.
“I don’t have any money,” replied Daniel Gobblegike, two large tears rolling towards his beard.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get you a new lawn-mower,” said Charlie Gobblegike, who had a good heart and always tried to help his friends when they were in trouble.
“But you don’t have any money either!” exclaimed Daniel Gobblegike, looking even glummer.
“Don’t you worry, Daniel. I can do it.”
With that, Charlie Gobblegike strode off down the street, passing by all the identical purple-and-beige houses on either side, and swinging his arm to and fro.
“There he goes,” all the other Gobblegikes whispered as they watched his figure becoming smaller and smaller in the distance. “He’s off on his travels again. I wonder what tales he’ll have to tell this time.”
Charlie Gobblegike went straight to the village that was a long long way away, because he wanted to help his friend and cheer him up. When he got there he went to the shop next to the greengrocer’s. It was called THE SHOP THAT EXCHANGES LAWN-MOWERS FOR THINGS THAT HELP YOU SMELL OTHER THINGS MORE EASILY.
Four days after he had spoken to Daniel Gobblegike, he returned. All the other Gobblegikes rushed out to greet him, and they cheered when they saw the lawn-mower. He gave it to Daniel Gobblegike, whose face broke out into a big grin, though you couldn’t really see much of it because of his long red beard.
“Thanks, Charlie,” he said, “but I don’t think I’ll be able to cut the grass today. Look at those big clouds. I think there’s going to be a storm. I can smell it in the air.”
“I can’t,” said Charlie Gobblegike.
“Look! He’s got no nose!” exclaimed all the other Gobblegikes.
***
A few days later, a freshly-shaven Charlie Gobblegike came out of the barber’s shop. It was called THE BARBER’S SHOP FOR CUTTING HAIR AND FOR CUTTING CHARLIE GOBBLEGIKE’S BEARD.
He was whistling happily, but suddenly stopped. Sally Gobblegike was sitting on the bench in her tiny garden that looked like all the other gardens i
n the village. She was crying.
Sally Gobblegike looked like all the other Gobblegikes who didn’t have long red beards and orange trousers with braces, but instead had long yellow hair and long pink dresses with red spots all over. Charlie Gobblegike knew it was Sally Gobblegike because she had a white card pinned to the front of her dress, with the name SALLY written in black on it.
“What’s the matter?” asked Charlie Gobblegike, who couldn’t bear to see anybody crying.
“Oh…Oh…” stammered Sally Gobblegike, trying to stop her tears and blinking her big blue eyes. “I’ve just broken my mother’s broom. She’ll be so angry and upset. What can I do?”
“Leave it to me,” said Charlie Gobblegike, scratching that part of his face where his nose used to be.
He strode off down the street again, leaving Sally Gobblegike looking puzzled and still so tearful.
When he got to the village that was a long way away, he went straight to the shop that was opposite the cinema. It was called THE SHOP THAT EXCHANGES BROOMS FOR THINGS THAT HELP YOU LISTEN TO THE RADIO MORE EASILY.
When he returned, four days after setting out, all the Gobblegikes met him in the small village square. He went straight up to Sally Gobblegike and handed her a broom. She planted a big kiss on his cheek, and Charlie Gobblegike’s face went crimson.
“But where did you get it from?” she asked.
“What did you say?” asked Charlie Gobblegike, cupping his hand round where his left ear used to be.
“Look!” cried all the Gobblegikes. “One of his ears is missing!”
***
A little while later, Charlie Gobblegike was drinking a glass of orange in the little café in the village square.
He saw Hector Gobblegike sitting sadly at another table, drinking a large, large glass of milk to drown his sorrows.
Hector Gobblegike looked like all the other Gobblegikes who didn’t have long yellow hair and long pink dresses with red spots all over, but instead had long red beards, big blue hats, yellow T-shirts and orange trousers with braces. Charlie Gobblegike only knew it was Hector Gobblegike because he had a white card pinned to the front of his shirt with the name HECTOR written in black on it.
“What can I do to help?” Charlie Gobblegike called out.
“I need a hammer to mend the door of my house,” answered Hector Gobblegike, suddenly looking happier as he heard Charlie Gobblegike was going to help him. “I’ve lost my old one, and I’ve got no money for a new one.”
Straining to hear with his one ear, Charlie Gobblegike nodded slowly as his friend spoke.
“Leave it to me,” said Charlie Gobblegike. “I’ll just finish my glass of orange, and then I’ll be off.”
“Can’t you go straight away?” snapped Hector Gobblegike. “I’m going to have to wait four days anyway before you come back. It’s cold at night with a door that doesn’t shut properly.”
“Oh, all right,” said Charlie Gobblegike, a little surprised that Hector was so rude.
He went straight to the other village, and visited the shop between the supermarket and the dentist’s. It was called THE SHOP THAT EXCHANGES HAMMERS OR WATCHES FOR THINGS THAT HELP YOU STAND AT BUS-STOPS MORE EASILY.
Five days later, when Charlie Gobblegike got back, Hector Gobblegike was waiting in the square.
“You took your time, didn’t you?” he said crossly, grabbing hold of the hammer.
“I got very tired on the way back,” explained Charlie Gobblegike. “I’ll have to go home for a little rest.”
He hopped off down the street to his white-and-black house, the only white-and-black house in the whole village. All the other houses were purple-and-beige.
“Look!” cried the few Gobblegikes who had bothered to come and meet him. “He’s only got one leg!”
***
A little while later, when Charlie Gobblegike was painting his garden-gate mauve with green spots, Mandy Gobblegike came to speak to him.
Mandy Gobblegike looked like all the other Gobblegikes who didn’t have long red beards and orange trousers with braces, but instead had long yellow hair and long pink dresses with red spots all over.
“Charlie! I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I’ve lost my necklace and I must have a new one before the village-party next week.”
“But I haven’t finished painting my gate!”
“You can finish it when you come back!” she commanded.
“At least give me time to take off my slipper and put on my shoe,” said Charlie Gobblegike as he hopped into the house.
Charlie Gobblegike returned to the shop he had visited a long time ago, the time he had been feeling hungry and had had no money. He went to THE SHOP THAT EXCHANGES FOOD OR NECKLACES FOR THINGS THAT HELP YOU SHAKE HANDS MORE EASILY.
It took Charlie Gobblegike six days to return because he was so tired and only had one leg.
“You’ve only just made it!” exclaimed Mandy Gobblegike, snatching the necklace from his shirt-pocket.
“I don’t know why you’re so angry,” said Charlie Gobblegike, feeling a little annoyed. “It’s getting very difficult for me to make these journeys.”
“I think you’re the one who’s angry!” said Mandy Gobblegike, “But, anyway, let’s shake hands on it.”
“I can’t!” exclaimed Charlie Gobblegike.
“Oh, stop being so angry!” shouted Mandy Gobblegike.
“I’m not angry!” said Charlie Gobblegike angrily.
“Don’t you shout at me!” shouted Mandy Gobblegike. “I’m not scared of you!”
“Oh, forget it, Mandy,” said Hector Gobblegike, who was standing nearby. “You’ve got nothing to fear from Charlie. Even if he is angry, he’s hardly likely to hit you, is he, seeing he has no arms?”
“No,” laughed the two or three other Gobblegikes who had gathered round Charlie Gobblegike. “He’s perfectly harmless!”
***
A few days later, Charlie Gobblegike was visited by another friend, Edward Gobblegike, who looked like all the other Gobblegikes who didn’t have long yellow hair and long pink dresses with red spots all over.
“My problem, Charlie, is that I can’t get up on time in the morning. I’m always late for my job at the ice-cream shop. I never know what time it is.”
“I know what you want. You want a watch, don’t you?” sighed Charlie Gobblegike, suddenly looking very worried.
Without saying anything more, Charlie Gobblegike hopped off to the village he now knew so well, and visited the shop between the supermarket and the dentist’s called THE SHOP THAT EXCHANGES HAMMERS OR WATCHES FOR THINGS THAT HELP YOU STAND AT BUS-STOPS MORE EASILY.
It took Charlie Gobblegike eight days to roll back to the village of the Gobblegikes.
Edward Gobblegike met him in the square and took the watch from Charlie Gobblegike’s shirt-pocket, without saying a word.
“Sorry I was so late,” said Charlie Gobblegike, looking very sad and tired, “but I had to be very careful not to roll over on the watch.”
As he spoke, he tried to keep upright as far as possible. Wiping away a tear, he tried to move off, but fell over, rolling along the ground.
“What’s the matter with Charlie?” asked a group of Gobblegikes who had come to see what was happening. “Is he drunk?”
“Well, he certainly appears legless,” Hector Gobblegike said, and they all laughed.
Charlie Gobblegike burst into tears.
At that moment Sally Gobblegike happened to be passing, carrying her nice new broom on her shoulder, and rushed over to her friend.
“Oh, Charlie, Charlie! What’s happened to you?” she asked, tears forming in her big blue eyes.
She turned round to face the other Gobblegikes who were slowly all coming to the square.
“Can’t you see what we’ve done to poor Charlie? We’re supposed to be his friends. We’ve just been selfish and greedy and not worried about him at all.”
She immediately knelt down by her friend and then, to gas
ps from everybody watching, took off her left ear and placed it on Charlie Gobblegike’s head where his own left ear used to be.
“And what about you others?” she cried, looking up quickly. “You can all help. C’mon, Daniel! He helped you when you needed it.”
Daniel Gobblegike walked up, holding his nose in his right hand. He placed it on Charlie Gobblegike’s face.
“Above his mouth, silly!” shouted Sally Gobblegike. “Have you ever seen anybody with a nose under their mouth?”
“OK, OK,” said Daniel Gobblegike, readjusting Charlie Gobblegike’s new nose.
“C’mon, Hector! Stop hiding behind the others!” said Sally Gobblegike, scolding Hector Gobblegike whose head was peeping out from behind the crowd.
“Oh, all right then,” said Hector Gobblegike, taking off his right arm and moving towards Charlie Gobblegike.
Then Mandy Gobblegike and Edward Gobblegike came forward and gave Charlie Gobblegike a leg each.
Charlie Gobblegike stood up, smiling a big big smile, and wiped tears of joy from his eyes.
“One more thing!” a voice boomed out.
It was John Gobblegike, the leader of all the Gobblegikes in the village. He looked like all the other Gobblegikes who had a long red beard and orange trousers with braces, only his big blue hat was the biggest one of all.
“As a reward for your sacrifice and kindness, Charlie, I am going to donate my left arm to you.”
So saying, he took it off and placed it on Charlie Gobblegike.
Charlie Gobblegike couldn’t believe it. As all the Gobblegikes cheered and cheered, he stood there with tears streaming down his cheeks. He was now complete!
He was surrounded by his closest friends, Sally, Hector, Mandy, Edward, Daniel and John. As he smiled and smiled, he noticed his closest friends suddenly looking very sad as they watched him, even though they did their best to hide it and share in his joy. He stopped smiling, and raised his left arm.
“Wait!” commanded Charlie Gobblegike, and all the Gobblegikes fell silent. “I’ll be back in four days!”
With that, he turned round and strode off down the street.