She reached around to her back and tugged on her pull string. “You are my best friend. Let’s play all day!” The recorded voice sounded perfect. Gabby Gabby clapped her hands, bursting with happiness. “Oh, Benson! Did you hear that? Did you hear it? Isn’t that lovely?” She gave the string another pull, making the voice box say, “Time for tea.”
Gabby Gabby beamed at Woody as she thanked him. “All my dreams are coming true because of you.” She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Then she looked at the clock on the wall and exclaimed, “It’s time, Benson!” She hopped into her carriage and picked up Forky, giving him a goodbye hug.
Forky wished her luck and rushed to Woody’s side. The two waved goodbye as Benson wheeled Gabby Gabby away. Benson turned his head all the way around, like an owl, and looked directly at Forky. Then he attempted a smile, which caused his mouth to open stiffly and his eyebrows to wiggle.
Forky giggled and whispered, “He is terrifying!” as he continued to wave.
Just then, the front door chimed as customers entered. Woody heard Bonnie and her mother greet Margaret! He peeked into the aisle and could see them as Bonnie’s mom explained, “We called about the backpack.”
“Oh, yes,” said Margaret. “I couldn’t find it. Feel free to look around.”
Woody couldn’t believe it! He spotted Bonnie’s backpack at the far end of the aisle and urged Forky to run for it. “Quick! Before she finds it!”
Forky began to follow him, but when he saw Gabby Gabby sitting up on a shelf across from Harmony, who was reading a book, he stopped. He watched as the doll pulled her string, making her voice box say, “You make me so happy. Let’s be best friends.” Hearing Gabby Gabby’s voice, Harmony looked up.
“Oh, this is it!” Forky said excitedly.
Woody didn’t realize Forky wasn’t with him until he had made it inside Bonnie’s backpack. He looked around, confused. When he saw Forky on the other side of the aisle, he climbed back out and ran toward him.
Forky pointed to Gabby Gabby and Harmony. He and Woody watched as Harmony picked up the doll and pulled her string. Her new voice box said, “I’m Gabby Gabby, and I love you.”
“I’m gonna cry,” whispered Forky, his voice trembling with emotion.
“Oh, what have you got there?” asked Margaret.
“I found this old doll,” answered Harmony.
“You can take it home if you want.”
Harmony looked at Gabby Gabby for only a moment before saying, “Nah. Too creepy.” Then she tossed Gabby Gabby into an old crate!
Woody and Forky were stunned.
“What happened?” asked Forky. “Gabby was supposed to be her toy….”
“There’s my backpack!” exclaimed Bonnie.
Woody grabbed Forky and raced toward Bonnie’s backpack as fast as he could, leaping in just a moment before she picked it up. She immediately opened it and peered inside.
“Mom!” yelled Bonnie, holding Forky up. “I found him!”
“THERE he is,” said Bonnie’s mom, sighing with relief.
As they walked toward the exit, Woody looked through a plastic window in the backpack to see Gabby Gabby lying motionless in the old crate.
“I guess you and Forky were meant to be together,” Bonnie’s mom added.
Bonnie cheerfully tucked Forky inside her backpack.
Forky looked at Woody with concern. “But what about Gabby?” he asked.
Woody could never leave a toy in need behind. He knew what he had to do. He told Forky to get Buzz to bring the RV to the carousel.
Woody slipped out of the backpack just as Bonnie and her mom walked out of the store. Then he headed straight toward Gabby Gabby.
Gabby Gabby, slumped in the crate, said quietly as he approached, “You can have your voice box back. I don’t need it anymore.”
“Oh, yes you do,” Woody said firmly. “Harmony wasn’t your only chance, Gabby, but we have to hurry.”
Woody climbed into the crate with the doll.
“What are you doing?” asked Gabby Gabby.
“Shh. You hear that?” Woody said. The two listened as the faint sounds of kids laughing and enjoying the carnival outside played like joyful music. Woody continued, “A friend once told me, ‘There are plenty of kids out there.’ And one of them is named Bonnie. She’s waiting for you right now. She just doesn’t know it yet.” Gabby Gabby finally looked Woody in the eyes.
“What if you’re wrong?” asked Gabby Gabby.
“Well,” Woody said, standing, “if you sit on a shelf the rest of your life…you’ll never find out, will ya?”
“He’s right,” a voice said. Bo came out of the shadows and smiled at Woody. After thinking about everything that had happened between them, Bo realized that the most important thing was their friendship. Woody was always trying to do what he thought was right. She couldn’t just leave him without trying to help.
Woody smiled, happily surprised that she had come back. “I learned it from the best,” he said.
“Come on, Gabby,” said Bo, holding out her hand. “Let’s get you to Bonnie.”
Moments later, Gabby Gabby, Woody, Bo, and Giggle sat inside the doll’s carriage. The rest of their new friends were ready to help as well. Duke was on his stunt cycle on the floor below, and the sheep, Ducky, and Bunny were in the skunkmobile in front of him. When Bo gave the signal, the skunk took off toward the exit, with Duke racing close behind.
Benson pushed the carriage and raced it forward, zooming right out the door, passing Margaret without her noticing!
In the street, people jumped out of the way as the skunk raced ahead, clearing a path for the carriage behind it. Benson hung from the handle in toy mode, his body flapping around. Giggle laughed, thoroughly enjoying the wild ride as they jumped the curb and flew straight onto the carnival grounds, crashing against the side of the bounce house.
The carnival-goers gasped when they saw the carriage, and a woman approached.
“Oh, poor baby,” she said. “You’re okay.” She pulled back the cover to see Benson sitting there with his mouth open and screamed! Bo, Woody, and the others hid safely in the shadows.
“Too many people to cross,” warned Giggle, surveying the scene. “Gonna need an alternate route.”
“Can we make it to the carousel in time?” asked Gabby Gabby.
Wordlessly formulating their plan, Woody and Bo looked at each other with a grin and said, “Yes, we Can-ada.”
They smiled at Duke, who stared back, confused.
“What?” he said. “What is it?” Duke had no idea what Woody and Bo had in store for him.
As night fell, Bonnie was fast asleep inside the RV, clutching Forky while her parents sat up front, driving away from the RV park. Forky had told the other toys about Woody’s instructions, so they knew they had to figure out a way to get to the carousel. The sound of the GPS gave Jessie an idea, and the toys immediately put her plan into action. After disconnecting the system, Trixie hid beneath the dash and announced directions, imitating the computerized voice of the GPS.
“Take. A. Right,” she said.
“What?” said Bonnie’s dad. “A right?”
“Right. Turn. Ahead,” said Trixie.
“Huh. Does the GPS sound funny to you?” he asked.
“Honey, it’s fine,” said Bonnie’s mom. “Just drive.”
Mrs. Potato Head sat beside Trixie, wearing only one of her ears. Her other ear was on the roof of the RV with Buzz. Buzz focused on the carousel lights as he navigated, telling them which way to go by talking into Mrs. Potato Head’s ear.
“Another right!” he said.
“Right!” said Mrs. Potato Head.
“Take. A. Nother. Right,” said Trixie in her GPS voice.
“Huh?” said Bonnie’s mom.
“Another right?” said Bonnie’s dad. “Really?”
Seeing that they weren’t turning, Buzz panicked. “Turn right!” he shouted.
Under the dash, Mrs. Potato Head poi
nted to the right with urgency.
“NOW!” said Trixie. “TURN RIGHT! RIGHT!”
Bonnie’s parents gasped as her dad anxiously made the turn, sending the RV across multiple lanes to exit the highway. Buzz clung to the roof with all his might to avoid falling off….
Back at the carnival, Duke sat at the center of the Ferris wheel with a string of flags fastened to his cycle. Ducky and Bunny revved him back and forth, winding up the motor.
“Nope,” said Duke. “No way. Decline. No dice. Negative—”
“Duke, Duke, you got this,” said Bo.
“This is the fastest way to the carousel,” explained Woody. “You made the last jump.”
“Yeah, but that was four feet. This is forty!” said Duke, his voice cracking.
“Exactly!” said Bo. “Duke Caboom would never repeat a stunt.”
“No,” said Duke dramatically. “He’d never do that.” But after a few more encouraging words from his friend, Duke felt a rush of confidence. “I’M DUKE CABOOM!” he shouted. “Oh, man, I can DO this!”
“Yes, you Can-ada!” cheered Woody.
“I can do it with my eyes closed,” said Duke.
“Yes, you—What?” said Bo.
“Three, two, one—GO!” shouted Duke. Without another word, he jumped his cycle to the nearest spoke of the Ferris wheel and sped down it as it turned. When the spoke reached the perfect angle for a ramp, Duke hopped his feet onto the seat of the bike!
“What is he doing?” asked Gabby Gabby.
“Oh, no…,” said Bo.
“Posing,” explained Woody.
He launched the cycle off the Ferris wheel with the string of flags triumphantly waving behind him. The toys watched in awe as he seemed to soar over the carnival in slow motion, standing with his arms out and his eyes closed.
“This is for you, Rejean,” he whispered.
Duke managed to sail through the target and crash onto the roof behind it!
“Caboom,” he said coolly. The toys cheered as he quickly zipped around one of the booth supports, securing the other end of the string.
Woody looked out to see the RV in the distance, heading toward the carnival. He hurried to the others. “All right,” he said. “Our turn.”
“You heard the sheriff—let’s go,” said Bo.
Ducky and Bunny screamed as they hopped onto the string and zip-lined toward Duke. Woody held out an arm to help Gabby Gabby, then he followed.
“YEE-HAW!” he shouted, enjoying the ride.
Inside the RV, Bonnie’s parents could see that the GPS was sending them in the wrong direction, and they were getting frustrated. To stop Bonnie’s dad from turning around, Buttercup crept beneath the dash and held down the gas pedal!
“Honey, what are you doing?” shouted Bonnie’s mom, realizing they were picking up speed. “Slow down!”
“I can’t!” shouted Bonnie’s dad, pressing his foot against the brake.
On top of the RV, Buzz snapped his helmet into place as they jerked forward. Bonnie’s dad continued to hit the brakes, but Buttercup, still hidden from view, forcefully gave the engine gas. Pedestrians stared as the RV made its way onto the carnival grounds, jolting forward and stopping again and again!
Bo and Woody led the toys as they jumped from one game-booth roof to the next, toward the carousel.
“Got a visual on the RV heading southbound,” said Giggle.
“This is gonna be close…,” said Bo, tossing her staff to her sheep and taking out her coiled sticky hand.
Woody noticed that Gabby Gabby’s attention was focused on something else—a little girl stood alone nearby, crying. He looked back at the RV and then again at Gabby Gabby, her gaze fixed on the sad little girl.
“Gabby?” asked Woody.
“I think she’s lost,” said Gabby Gabby, her voice full of sympathy and concern.
“Here comes your ride!” said Bunny. The RV was about to reach the carousel!
“It’s now or never!” urged Ducky.
“Woody. I think I can be there for her,” said Gabby Gabby. “This is my chance.”
“Are you sure?” asked Woody. Gabby Gabby nodded. Woody turned to Bo and said, “Change of plans.”
Seconds later, Woody and Bo stood alongside Gabby Gabby on the ground as they hid behind a game booth near the lost girl.
“I’m so nervous,” said Gabby Gabby. “What if she doesn’t like me? I don’t know if I can do this….”
Woody looked into Gabby Gabby’s eyes. “It’s just like you said…this is the most noble thing a toy can do,” he said. Gabby Gabby nodded nervously. “She needs you.”
With Bo’s help, Gabby Gabby inched her way out toward the girl. “Just edge yourself a bit into the light—not too far…,” suggested Bo. “That’s it…perfect.” When it was time, Woody cued Ducky and Bunny, who were peeking out from behind a game booth on the other side of the girl.
The two gently rolled a ball in front of the girl, catching her attention. She followed it as it bumped into Gabby Gabby’s foot. The toys watched as the girl lifted Gabby Gabby up and pulled her string, causing the doll to say, “I’m Gabby Gabby. Will you be my friend?”
“Are you lost, too?” the little girl asked through sniffles. “I’ll help you.” She gave Gabby Gabby a hug and then looked around. Spotting a security guard, she bravely walked over and told her she couldn’t find her parents.
“It’s okay,” said the security guard. “We’ll help you find them. I’m sure they’re not far.”
Woody, Bo, and the others stayed hidden as they made their way to the top of the carousel. From there, they watched the little girl reunite with her parents.
“I couldn’t find you, and then I found this doll…,” she explained, happily holding Gabby Gabby up. “Her name is Gabby Gabby.” The girl hugged her again, and Gabby Gabby looked up at the gang, smiling brightly. With her chin resting on the little girl’s shoulder, she closed her eyes, enjoying the incredible feeling of her kid’s grateful hug.
Woody and Bo looked at each other for a moment, overwhelmed with emotion.
“Look at Gabby,” said Ducky. “She’s so happy.”
“She really helped that little girl,” said Bunny.
“We did that!” Giggle cheered while Duke posed in celebration. “We make a great team, guys.”
Standing on the carousel with Bo by his side, Woody felt on top of the world. He had returned Forky to Bonnie and helped Gabby Gabby find her kid. Woody and Bo took a moment to enjoy the view of the lively carnival together. Everywhere they looked, kids were having fun with toys—some were playing with them, some were hugging them, and others were eagerly trying to win a new one. The world was full of kids and toys, and Woody and Bo had both seen their share, but they somehow never grew tired of watching kids and toys share happiness and love.
Just then, the RV came back around, hopping the curb and landing right beside the carousel! Woody smiled—Bonnie’s toys had made it, and they once again proved that when toys worked together, they could accomplish anything!
Toy Story 4 Junior Novel Page 7