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Excerpt from “Bertie, the Bookworm and the Bully Boys”  (c)  A very large, beautiful sea turtle came down the path.  He wore a bright red kerchief tied at his neck and a captain’s cap on his head.

“A-hoy there, mates.  It was a fair wind at my back that blew me to my home port.”

Donald and Emma rushed forward and hugged Thomas almost knocking him over.

“Steady as she goes, mates. You’re about to knock me off me’ pins.” Thomas laughed.

“Oh, Thomas, we are so happy that you are home.” Emma cried.

“How was your voyage?” Donald asked.

“Rough seas around Cape Horn but that’s the way the ’horn’ is.  We came back with a hold full of spices and teas from the Orient. I have to tell you that I miss the constellations in the southern hemisphere. But, all in all it’s good to be at anchor and  to see my friends again.”

“We could have a reading circle about the stars in other hemispheres.” Bertie said.

“Oh!  Excuse me, Bertie, for not including you.  Do you know our friend, Thomas the sea turtle?”

“I can’t say as I’ve had the pleasure, Emma.”

“Thomas, this is our dear friend and teacher, Bertie, the bookworm.” Donald said.

“Well, blow us over and wet me sails.”

Thomas looked Bertie over. “You’re an old one, ain’t ya?”  Thomas declared.

“I’ve lived some years, it’s true,” Bertie replied.

“Thomas! I know you didn’t mean that as rudely as it sounded.

Bertie is a respected elder of the forest. He teaches all of us how to read and spell better.

He introduces us to many new words. It’s very exciting.” Emma scolded.

“No harm done, Emma. I know that Mr. Thomas didn’t mean anything by that. It’s true, I am old.”

“It’s Captain Thomas, if you don’t mind.” Thomas told him.

“Sorry, of course, Captain Thomas.” Bertie smiled.

Thomas turned to Emma. “So, Emma, what brings you so far? You’ve set your sails a far league from your home port.”

“Slam and his gang took Bertie’s eye glasses and hid them somewhere here in the deep forest. We’re trying to find them.”

“Free booters, the lot of ‘em!” Thomas exclaimed. “Slam’s gang is a bunch of scurvy picaroons, every last one of ‘em!”

“Huh? Excuse me? What was that, you say?” Bertie asked. He had never heard someone speak in what appeared to be a new language.

Emma laughed. “Those are sea-going expressions, Bertie. Thomas has been at sea his whole life. You’ll get used to it. ‘Picaroon’ is a rascal and ‘free booters’ are pirates.”

“Ah, I see. Aptly put, Captain Thomas. I fear I will never see my eye glasses again.”

“We aren’t going to find them standing here talking.” Donald said. “Thomas, do you want to join us in the search?”

“Aye, I’ll set sail back to the clearing charting a course to the south and meet you there.”

“Wonderful. We need all the help we can get. Thank you.” Emma said.

“Who?” Stare asked from high in a tree.

Thomas looked up through the branches to where Stare was perched.

“Captain Thomas, at your service, matey,” he told the owl. “Keep a sharp eye out from the crow’s nest, swabbie,

and we’ll find Mr. Bertie’s glasses in no time.” Thomas called as he wandered off to the south through the trees.

“Raise all the rag we’ve got. Full speed ahead. Set a course for twenty-nine degrees longitude and hold steady,” he cried as he left the trail………………’

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Bertie, the bookworm is the fabled forest’s elder and teacher. Every week he has a spelling and reading circle where everyone is welcomed. Slam and his gang of bully boys are forever teasing, disrupting, and bullying Bertie and the group of faeries and woodland creatures. Pansy, the pixie is a new character in this third of the Fabled Forest series. She is a defender of reading, truth, and Bertie. Cheets, our beloved elf from past books gets in with the wrong crowd and his friends are worried that he will become the newest member of the Bully Boys. Best friends with Cheets, Pansy is determined to save her friend.The story teaches gentle lessons about literacy, bullying and ageism.

The book pays special homage to the classical fairy tales with appearances by little red riding hood, the wicked stepsister, the three little piggies and many more as they wander through the Fabled Forest. Variations of these classic stories, such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and many others, have been recorded throughout the world since the first century. The French tale of Cendrillon [Cinderella] was written in France in 1697 by Charles Perrault. Later in the eighteenth century the Brothers Grimm in Germany adapted the tale again. During his life time the master animator, Walt Disney adapted the ancient fables to film.

Coming Soon!  The re-release of “Stanley, the Stalwart Dragon” with full color

illustrations by Jefferson O’Neal

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