It all started one windy day when Granny received a flyer advertising the annual Jamboree. Jamboree time in Acersville got jam lovers especially excited as the best jam makers from all over the country, from near and far gathered together to showcase their most delectable jams.

Granny grinned as she decided to enter her prize winning banana-lade jam. Once home, she got out all her pots and pans along with a truck load of bananas and equal amounts of sugar. The wind teased at her kitchen window and undid the window latch. The wind grinned as it carried the smells of the jam up the mountainside. A Shape who was resting in the long mountain grass smelt the jam, and jumped to its feet!

Now nobody really knows very much about Shapes except that they are one of Acersville’s funniest species, known for their monkey-like behaviour and strangely shaped bodies. They live high up on mount Peakmore and generally don’t come down the mountain, except on rare occasion and today was such an occasion!

The Shape stuck out its head and gave a mighty sniff. It could smell bananas and better yet, Granny’s freshly brewed banana-lade jam! Soon all of the shapes who lived ontop of Mount Peakmore had begun sniffing the wonderous smell of Granny’s jam. Then one by one they began hopping down the side of the mountain as if overcome by some force, compelled to go and seize the jam for themselves!

The Shapes made their way down the mountainside and toward Granny’s home. Now if you know anything about Shapes, you will know that they absolutely have no manners at all.  The How-wheeler monkeys rolled like wheels all over the place killing the neatly planted flowers along the streets.

Leechie shook her paw at them, “You, you villans!” she shouted angrily at them, but they took no notice, none of them did, especially not the Band of Square-illas who had hopped exciteably all the way toward Loopie Hall, followed closely by the Triangle Tangs.

The Babmoons rocked violently on their crescent shaped backs, knocking everyone in their way clean off their feet.

It was a disaster! A complete fiasco! It was so bad that no-body could go out onto the street for fear of coming close to a Shape and being knocked down or rolled over.

Now of all the Loopies in Acresville, none was braver than The Flame. The Flame was better known to the Loopies as Spoof, the quiet and reserved store owner from Spruce Street. He lived a quiet life and nobody would have ever suspected him of being a super hero in his spare time, none excpet for Rufus, Ruff and a few others in Acesrville, but that’s another story entirely! Now on this particular windy and chaotic day, Spoof looked out of his window to find Acersville in ruins. The Shapes had left no stone unturned in their desparate persuit of Granny’s jam.

“Something has to be done!” shouted Mayor Piney to the few Loopies who had braved the mayhem had gathered together in Loopie Hall for the Jamboree.

“But what?” asked Giligan nervously, who secretly wished he had brought along his security blanket, for fear of its safety of course.

“I don’t know, but something!” cried the perplexed Mayor who had to dive beneath a nearby table to avoid being kicked by a Triangle Tang who had been swinging from the light fittings.

“Leave it to me.” thought Spoof as he raced home to put on his Flame disguise.

The Shapes continued to raid Acersville eager to find the jam that had got them so excited in the first place. Petrified Loopies had hid themselves in their homes, with Shapes banging wildly at their doors and trying to enter through the windows.

Suddenly and out of nowhere the Flame came whooshing past! With such speed that the Shapes stopped what they were doing to take a look. As he whooshed the Shapes noticed he had covered his cape in banana-lade jam! Jolly good Flame that’ll get their attention!

The Shapes stopped, smelled the jam and raced after the Flame who ran dripping through the streets! The Shapes followed wildly in pursuit and forgot about Acersville almost instantly. Luckily for Spoof, he could run extra fast and he outran the Shapes with such speed that the jam had difficulty clinging to his cape! Spoof ran all the way back up the mountain, with the Shapes close behind.

The Loopies clapped and cheered.

“Three cheers for The Flame! Hooray!” they shouted.

Later at the Jamboree, Rustaberry was given a gold medal for his Topical Coconut Jam which he’d brought all the way from the Island of Not. But Rustaberry was not the only one to receive a gold medal! Mayor Piney issued the Flame with a gold medal too for the bravery he’d shown in leading the Shapes back to their homes on the mountain side!

That night Spoof smiled as he looked at his gold medal. He chuckled as he thought about those naughty Shapes and tired from the day’s activities, soon fell fast asleep. The moon smiled down on him gently and it watched the Shapes too, as they lay outstretched on the grassy mountainside dreaming of the day’s events and especially Granny’s banana-lade!

Goodnight Spoof, a super hero you are indeed, and may you be close by always, well at least wherever banana-lade jam can be found!

 

© 2010 Ingrid Holtshausen. All rights reserved.

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