The Monkey Boy and the Gruffits

by Joe Thomson-Swift

  Dedication

  For my children: son Joe, and daughters Nicola, Kerry, Lucy, and all the children in the world who like to dream.

  Foreword

  If you enjoy reading the adventure stories from Joe and Lucy’s Story Box, then follow their other adventures and read:

  THE TWIG PEOPLE OF MOSSDOWN WOODS

  THE GIANT, THE ANTMAN and THE MERMAID

  And another story novel by the same author titled:

  THE ADVENTURES OF PRIMROSE PERFECT.

  Introduction

  ANOTHER STORY IN THE ADVENTURES OF THE THOMSON FAMILY [Staring Joe & Lucy]

  It is another holiday for Joe and Lucy. This time, they are off to Buttercup Woods with their new metal detectors. They find a golden trumpet.

  On cleaning it up, they decide to blow it and hear it echo throughout the woods. To their great surprise, they suddenly find themselves surrounded by some furry creatures called Gruffits and a monkey boy. The children learn the monkey boy’s name is Prince Bo Bo, the lost son of King Greywind of the Mighty Shires.

  Bo Bo tells them how the wicked Ixer of MIP stole his father’s memory with the magic trumpet they have found. He tells them how the Ixer wanted King Greywinds secret for making melonade. That he was taken to the wicked Ixer’s castle where the gruffits rescued him then brought him to live in Buttercup woods. He tells them the king no longer knows he is a king because the Ixer has stolen his memory. That he had put his own son in the king’s palace so he would grow up to become the king. Bo Bo tells them how he had taught the Gruffits and other creatures how to talk.

  Joe and Lucy make plans with Bo Bo to return to the king’s palace and capture the Ixers son. Then they will take back the king’s memory from him with the magic trumpet and return it to him. Next they plan to capture the wicked Ixer of MIP and steal his memory to get back the secret for making the kings melonade. They plan to call upon Pongo the skunk, Buck the rabbit, and Hiss the snake and Fallow deer. Buck rabbit is chosen to bite the son of the Ixers bottom as part of the plan.

  After the wicked Ixers capture, they swap his memory with Iff the idiot who giggles while picking his nose, shuffles his feet, and walks around in circles. When all this has been done, the king roars with laughter. Even Iff the idiot laughs not knowing that he was once an idiot like the Ixer was now to be. The Ixers son is so ashamed of his father that he runs off to hide behind a cobnut tree.

  The king is very pleased and orders a great party at his palace. He rewards Joe and Lucy and makes them an honorary Prince and Princess of the Mighty Shires. The Gruffits are rewarded with the freedom of the king’s turnip fields, while Pongo, Buck, Hiss and Fallow deer are given the pick of the king’s finest vegetables.

  On their return to mum and dad, the children tell them their story. Find out how the magic trumpet worked. Read how they put their plan into action to help Bo Bo and King Greywind to become a real king again. Join Joe and Lucy in their plans to make it all happen. Ask mum and dad for a drink of the king’s melonade after you have read The Monkeyboy and the Gruffits.

  The Monkeyboy and the Gruffits

  It was a happy birthday present when Joe and Lucy found out what mum and dad had bought them. It was something they had always wanted. Finding hidden treasure was what they had dreamt about. Now they could do it for real with the new metal detectors they had been given for their birthdays.

  As Joe sat in his favourite armchair admiring it, his sister Lucy was already out in the garden testing hers. The look of excitement on Joe’s face said it all. Now he was asking dad if they could go on a camping holiday to Buttercup Woods. It would be nice to have a long weekend there as they had done so before. Only this time, they could use their detectors. Who knows what they might find? It was an exciting thought they had both agreed. Finally dad gave in and promised to take them after finishing school on Friday afternoon. As usual, mum sat smiling knowing it would turn out to be a great adventure for them.

  Lucy soon came back inside the house with an excited look on her face. ‘Look what I have just found already’ she said. In her hand was a gold ear ring which mum had lost two years before. ‘That’s a good start’ said dad as mum’s eyes lit up. She had been upset when she had lost it. Now she would be able to clean it up and be able to wear it as a pair again, she said. Both mum and dad were pleased that the metal detectors were a good choice for their birthday presents.

  Now Joe wanted to try his detector out. If Lucy could find something, he thought, then so could he. So out into the garden he went. With great care, he moved his detector across the grass. Forwards and backwards he continued to sweep the lawn. But he was determined to find something and so he did. It was an old roman coin. At least it was something. Who knows what they might find when dad took them to Buttercup Woods? Roll on Friday, he thought.

  Happy with finding the old coin, he returned indoors. Mum was cleaning the ear ring Lucy had found while dad was reading a book. ‘I found an old penny dad’ said Joe. ‘I bet there are lots of things in Buttercup Woods. Do you think we might find some buried treasure?’ Dad smiled. ‘You will have to wait and see’ he answered.

  Off Joe ran to Lucy’s bedroom to tell her of his find. Lucy was busy sweeping her detector across the bedroom carpet trying to find a lost hair clip. It was going to be fun finding things, they agreed. The children talked about the camping holiday and made plans to bring their cameras. As always, they talked excitedly about travelling and sleeping in dad’s camper van. For the rest of their birthday, they practised using their detectors to find things. Some rusty nails and a shoe buckle proved how easy it was. They had lots of fun guessing what the beeps on their detectors would reveal each time it sounded. Having now gone through the house, they returned to hastily dig up the earth in dads garden while he watched and waited to discover what they would find. Even dad longed to be a child again and experience the thrill of it all as Joe and Lucy searched and searched nearly every inch of the garden. Before they knew it, mum was calling them into supper and ready for bed.

  2

  As the end of the school week arrived, Friday seemed to pass slowly for them. They had told some school friends about their birthday presents and the coming weekend camping holiday. Mum and dad had arranged to pick them up in the camper van as soon as school was finished. It would be all packed up ready for them to go. At last the school day was over. Saying goodbye to their friends, they left the class room to wait by the school gates. It was not long before the camper van arrived and dad pulled up outside the gates. Once inside, they sat down to munch some sweets. Making sure the children were comfortable, dad drove away on their journey to Buttercup Woods.

  The sun was still shining brightly even though it was late afternoon. It would take about two hours to drive to where the woods were. But the open countryside was very beautiful with so much to see. Fields of ripe golden corn and red poppies mixed with apple orchards and strawberry farms. Lush green fields stretched for as far as the eye could see while cows and sheep grazed contentedly.

  Lots of different birds could be seen as they journeyed on. They sang delightfully. Both Joe and Lucy spotted blue tits and great tits, some hawks, and even a pretty coloured kingfisher on a river bank. Pheasants and partridges jumped out of the way as the camper van drove down narrow roads leading to Buttercup Woods. With so much to see and keep them occupied, it was no surprise to arrive at their journeys end. Dad had not forgotten to bring the binoculars and Wellington boots, in case the children wanted to walk in the shallow stream which ran through the woods. It was a favourite beauty spot where wild life could be seen everywhere. There were deer, rabbits, badgers, foxes and squirrels to be seen along with a variety of birds. Havin
g now stopped, they were all glad to have arrived. They all loved the countryside and enjoyed handing out peanuts to the birds and squirrels.

  Firstly, dad insisted they should all have the fresh sandwiches to eat which mum had made for them. But the children were suddenly not hungry. They were already taking out their metal detectors from the back of the camper van. ‘Eat now play later‘ ordered dad. The children frowned and gave him a look of defeat. They wanted to explore things right away. But dad had spoken!

  As they tucked into the ham and cheese sandwiches, some birds chirped in the trees around them. A mouse raised its head from under a leaf beside them as if to beg for a crumb of cheese. It seemed as if all the wildlife was waiting for their left overs too as other hungry creatures began to emerge. Now they had eaten up their food, only the crumbs remained. Lucy threw them to the birds.

  Itching to explore with their detectors, the children looked at dad. ‘Alright, I know you want to make a start, so off you go.’ He told them. ‘Don’t wander too far away. Mum and I will go for a walk.’ Both Joe and Lucy promised to do as he asked. So away they went with detectors in hand in to Buttercup Woods. They soon disappeared into the woods and wondered what they might find. There was still enough light to see what they were doing and where they would dig. It was exciting, they thought.

  3

  The woods were so thick with trees, that fallen leaves had made a soft carpet for them to walk upon. Here and there, wild bluebell flowers added a dash of colour and rosy red berries hung in little bunches from some vines. Of course the children had been told not to touch or eat them, having been warned of the nasty tummy aches that could follow. But it seemed they were to busy to notice as they swept the ground with their detectors.

  A good hour had passed before Joe’s detector gave a laud bleep, bleep and bleep! Lucy came towards him with hers. She tried the spot where the sound had come from. Again there was a laud bleep, bleep and bleep. ‘Treasure!’ shouted Joe.

  On his belt hung a small metal spade and placing his detector to the side of him, he started to dig, dig and dig. Moving the earth underneath the leaves, he did not have far to go before he saw what it was. ‘Wow!’ he shouted. ‘It’s a gold trumpet! That’s an unusual thing to find in the woods.’ It was six inches long and needed a good clean up.

  Taking it to the stream nearby, he began to wash it. Soon it was sparkling clean and shone brightly under the late afternoon sun. ‘Let’s see what else we can find Lucy’ asked Joe, ‘But let’s give the trumpet a blow so dad can hear us.’ Lucy agreed it was a good idea so they walked back to where they had found it.

  Giving the trumpet a firm blow, Joe puffed his cheeks out until a laud ‘Oooh! Oooh!’ sounded throughout the woods. For a moment they listened to the echo. It was a strange feeling as the woods fell silent. It was quite an eerie moment until they heard what sounded like a trumpet being blown back to them. ‘Listen Joe, Can you hear it? Let’s blow the trumpet again’ whispered Lucy.

  This time Lucy would try it, she told him. So holding it firmly in her hands, she puffed up her cheeks and blew out a laud ‘Oooh Oooh’ Again they listened to the echo throughout the woods. Once more the woods fell silent. Then they heard it again. ‘Oooh Oooh’ came back the reply.

  Suddenly, they heard the noise of a movement somewhere in the middle of the woods. They listened in silence holding hands. Now they could hear the sound of swishing branches coming towards them, followed by more trumpet calls. Joe and Lucy looked at each other then searched the trees with their eyes. Still they could hear the rustle of branches swishing to and fro coming towards them. The noises were too laud and clumsy to be that of a squirrel. Suddenly Joe shouted, ‘Look Lucy look! Over there! It’s a monkey. Can you see it?’ She looked to where Joe was pointing. ‘I can see it’ she whispered.

  Looking up into the trees, they could make out the shape of a monkey. It had now stopped moving and appeared to be looking down upon them. The woods were now quiet again. ‘Blow the trumpet Lucy’ Joe asked her. She agreed, and this time blew it towards the monkey. Immediately, the monkey answered, ‘Oooh Oooh’. Then he began to climb down towards them. The children were in for a big surprise. Now, just a few feet away from them, stood a half boy, half monkey. Joe and Lucy could not believe their eyes. For a few moments the monkey boy stood looking at them. He did not have a tail or a fur coat like normal monkeys have. Instead, he looked as if his whole body was in need of a good haircut.

  The monkey boy looked at the trumpet in Lucy’s hand. The children looked at each other in amazement. ‘Give him the trumpet’ said Joe. Holding out her hand, she offered the trumpet to him. Then he placed it in his mouth and blew out a tune. ‘Oooh Oooh Oooh’ it sounded.

  Once again there was a brief silence in the woods. Then as if by some hidden magic, the woods became alive with a hustle and bustle of noise and movements in the trees and on the ground. Suddenly the children noticed they were being surrounded by strange furry creatures. They looked like something in between a rabbit and a squirrel. The creatures stared at them for a moment then the tallest one spoke to the monkey boy. ‘Bo Bo has called us?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes Wise Gruffit’ the monkey boy replied. ‘These children have found the magic trumpet and returned it to me. Now I can return to my father King Greywind of the Mighty Shires’.

  All the furry Gruffits gathered around the wise gruffit. Bo Bo the monkey boy called out to them. ‘We must reward the children. I shall take them to meet my father King Greywind.’ The wise gruffit bowed and spoke, ‘As you wish, Prince Bo Bo, son of King Greywind. The gruffits shall follow you through Buttercup woods so no harm will come to you.’

  Joe and Lucy listened with great surprise at the talking gruffits. They had never seen anything like these creatures before. Now Prince Bo Bo spoke to them. ‘These gruffits are my friends. They rescued me from my fathers’ enemy, the wicked Ixer of Mip. When I was a royal baby, the Ixer stole my father’s memory with the magic trumpet. Then the Ixer took me away to his mountain castle and swapped his son to spy on my father King Greywind.’

  Both the children’s eyes were as wide as saucers. Was this a dream, they thought. Joe was bursting with questions. ‘But why would he want to do that?’ he asked. Prince Bo Bo answered, ‘Because my father had the secret for making melonade which made him a rich man. No one in the world knew how to make it, except King Greywind of the Mighty Shires. The Ixer of Mip wanted to steal it from him so he stole his memory.’

  ‘But how did he do that?’ asked Lucy. Bo Bo continued, ‘The Ixer pretended to be my fathers friend and gave him a gift of poisoned cob nuts to eat. After my father fell down and fainted, the Ixer blew into my father’s ear with his magic trumpet and sucked out his memory. This gave the Ixer my father’s secret for making melonade. Now his son is being brought up to be the king, while my father no longer knows he is the real king.’

  The children were fascinated. ‘So how did the trumpet get lost in the woods?’ asked Joe.

  Prince Bo Bo told them how a thieving jackdaw stole it from the Ixers mountain castle and dropped it from the sky where it fell into Buttercup woods. Here it had been lost until the children had found it.

  The Gruffits began to clap their paws as wise gruffit spoke to the children. ‘We rescued Bo Bo from the Ixers castle by tunnelling under the walls. Then we brought him to live in Buttercup woods. As he grew up, he taught all the animals to talk. Bo Bo has lived in a tree house ever since that day. Now that you have found the magic trumpet, he can return to his father and make plans to return his memory to be a king once again.’

  Again the gruffits clapped their paws. It seemed they were all happy for Prince Bo Bo. Both Joe and Lucy were happy to hear it too. ‘King Greywind was kind to us’ continued wise gruffit. ‘He allowed us to eat some of his delicious turnips for keeping his turnip field clean. But now we have to live on the wild mushrooms of Buttercup woods. It will be so nice to return to the Mighty Shires of King Greywind.’

  Bo Bo smi
led at wise gruffit. ‘Then so you shall my friends’ he told them all. ‘Tomorrow we shall call a meeting of all the animals in Buttercup woods. We shall make plans to capture the son of the Ixer. Then we shall blow the magic trumpet into his ear and give his memory back to my father the king. He will then recognise me as his son again.’

  Both Joe and Lucy liked the sound of what they were hearing. But tomorrow was not today. They realised that the sun had gone and knew they would have to get back to mum and dad. When the children explained this to Bo Bo, he thanked them again. ‘Here’ he told them, ‘Take with you the magic trumpet and call me on your return tomorrow to Buttercup woods. I shall take you to meet my father, King Greywind who will give you a great reward.’

  Once again the gruffits shouted. ‘Hip! Hip! Hip! For Joe and Lucy. Hooray! Hooray!’ The children took the magic trumpet and promised Bo Bo they would return the next day. So saying goodbye, Joe and Lucy skipped away with the trumpet and their detectors.

  4

  When the children returned to the camper van, as usual, dad was waiting for them. Their faces were flushed with excitement. Joe was almost out of breath having raced Lucy back to the camp. ‘Well, how did you get on?’ asked dad. Lucy showed him the trumpet. ‘We met Prince Bo Bo the monkey boy and the gruffits’ she replied. We are meeting them again tomorrow, aren’t we Joe?’

  Joe smiled and nodded. ‘Yes and his father King Greywind is going to give us a great reward’ he added.

  Dad stood looking at them scratching his head. ‘Don’t be silly’ he told them, ‘There’s no such thing as a gruffit or a monkey boy. Is that all you found, a silly old trumpet?’ The children frowned and pulled a face at him. ‘Look, here’s the magic trumpet to prove it! Go on, blow it and see what happens’ replied Lucy. Dad smiled. Perhaps they were trying to pull a trick on him, he thought. ‘I won’t bother’ he told them. Go and wash your hands ready for tea’.