Mr Gum and the Power Crystals by Andy Stanton Read Free Book Online

Polly, and down on the ground Mrs Lovely threw her end of the rope to the animals. Instantly they grabbed it up between their teeth, all three of them – Jake, Barcelona Jim and Friday O’Leary.
    â€˜Now PULL!’ Mrs Lovely commanded themighty beasts. ‘PULL, I say!’
    And pull they did, like no beasts have ever pulled before or since. With all their might theypulled, the sweat running down their faces, the muscles on their necks standing out with the strain.

    But even as they struggled, the sails made their first complete turn and Polly saw a lick of flame spring up in the distance, a lick of flame as tall as a hotel. The power crystals were doing their terrible work and Lamonic Bibber was about to burn.
    â€˜For the Forces of Good – PULL HARDER!’ commanded Mrs Lovely and Polly together.
    â€˜ WOOF! ’ barked Jake, digging his paws deeper still into the muddy ground.
    â€˜ HEE-HAW! ’ brayed Barcelona Jim, grimacing as he tugged on the rope.
    â€˜ NEIGH! ’ bellowed Friday, tossing back his head wildly. ‘ NEEEEIIIIIGGGGHH! ’
    â€˜You’ve nearly done it!’ shouted Polly. ‘The sails are a-slowin’! Keep pullin’, keep pullin’!’
    â€˜But how much longer can they pull?’ cried Mrs Lovely anxiously. For the brave beasts were almost at the end of their strength.
    â€˜Hang on!’ shouted Polly suddenly. ‘Try tyin’the rope to that enormous castle over there! That oughts to hold it!’
    It’s true, there was a massive castle next door to the windmill, I forgot to mention it before. And a pyramid.
    Panting and heaving, inch by hairy inch, the tiring beasts dragged that rope towards the castle. And Mrs Lovely ran over and with her nimble little hands she tied the end of the rope to the castle’s door.
    And then and only then, the windmill’s sails
    came
    to
    a
    complete
    stop.

    And so it was done. In the wind and the rain and the howling of the storm, the sails of the windmill stood still once more. With the last of her strength Polly slid down the rope and crawled over to where the great beasts lay in an exhausted heap, their sides moving rapidly in and out as they recovered from their ordeal. Mrs Lovely sat beside the poor things, patting and stroking and making soothing noises all the while.
    â€˜There, there, boy,’ she said, popping a sugar lump into Friday’s quivering mouth. ‘There,there, it’s all right now.’
    â€˜Mrs – Lovely,’ gasped Polly. ‘Mrs – Lovely, is – it – really – over?’
    â€˜Yes,’ came a voice just then. ‘The terror is truly at an end.’
    And standing at the window of the windmill, gazing out peacefully over them all was none other than that wondrous boy, the Spirit of the Rainbow.
    â€˜Friends,’ he beamed. ‘You have all worked hard together to save the day and the Forces ofGood are very proud of you. But now your work is done. It is my turn to shine.’
    Without another word, the honest lad removed the power crystals from the Control Panel. At once the flames in the distance disappeared and Lamonic Bibber was safe and sound.
    â€˜We don’t need this any longer,’ said the boy, cutting the rope from the windmill’s sail with his special Rainbow Scissors. ‘It’s time to make the world glow with happy colours once more.’
    And then the Spirit of the Rainbow did a very strange thing. He took the power crystals and put them back into the Control Panel,I’m not even kidding, he really really did.

    â€˜Spirit of the Rainbow, DON’T!’ cried Polly in horror. ‘You’re gonna make it all start up ’gain!’
    â€˜Yes, child,’ nodded the boy, though he was no older than she. ‘But look! I have put the pink crystal in the white slot – and the white crystal in the pink slot. You see, Nicholas de Twinklecakes designed the power