Toffee smiled as he polished his glass trophy cabinet with a soft cloth. He had won every single trophy from every single car race ever held in Acersville. He looked at his glinting trophies and puffed out his chest with pride. He looked at the empty space on his shelf reserved for this year’s trophy and then up at his clock on the wall.
“Time to leave!” he grinned.

He was leaving for the Race meeting where Mayor Piney would be announcing the theme of this year’s race for all the Loopies wanting to enter. Every year the theme would change, last year the theme of the race was Birds. Toffee chuckled as he remembered his big chicken car driving over the finish line, covering the crowd in a great flurry of feathers. Mayor Piney had been coughing up feathers for a week after that!

Toffee rounded the corner and joined the other Loopies already there eagerly awaiting Mayor Piney’s announcement.

Mayor Piney finally arrived in his big limousine and walked into the centre of the crowd of Loopies, eating a big salami sandwich.

“This year,” he spluttered between chews,

“I’ve decided that the theme,” he continued at he took another bite of his lunch.

“of the race should be food.”

The Loopies smiled as the Mayor waddled off enjoying his sandwich as he went.

“Food,” thought Toffee.

Toffee thought and thought, what type of food car could he possibly build that would beat every other car that entered into the race? Toffee thought a little more and then chuckled to himself as he strolled home. He had an idea, a very wobbly idea in fact, but it would maybe just work!

A few weeks later, the Loopies gathered for the big Car Race.

All the Loopies who had entered drove their food car creations to the starting line. Mango and Sherbet, the twins of Acersville arrived with a sandwich bicycle car. Granny had helped them to paint the wheels of their car with her prize winning Banana-lade jam.

“It will help you stick to the road.” She explained as she slopped it on in huge dollops.

Next to the twins was Pilot’s hot dog car. He was very proud of his car and drove it slowly to the starting line, being very careful not to splash tomato sauce and mustard all over the road as he idled it along gently.

Behind Pilot was Toffee. The twins snickered and giggled from their sandwich perch as they saw his car, it was made entirely of jelly! Toffee waved at the twins and wobbled his car a little to make them laugh out loud. After Toffee was Crumpet’s Banana-spilt car, complete with whipped cream and lashings of chocolate sauce. Behind Crumpet were the Pirates and Wusky in their run barrel car, singing merrily and jo-ho-hoing!

“Ladies and gentlemen!” boomed Mayor Piney’s voice over the microphone.

“It seems we have a late entry.”

As he announced this Cabbage and Brussel-Sprout, the two naughtiest Loopies in Acersville rolled their cabbage motor-cycle to the starting line.

They nodded at Toffee and the other race entrants with naughty gleams in their eyes.

“Start your engines!” boomed the Mayor’s voice.

The robotic lights at the starting line flashed red then yellow and then green.

“And they’re off!” yelled Piney at the top of his voice as the Loopies and their food cars sped off.

Mango and Sherbet raced off, getting into the lead, but as they entered the woods the leaves and twigs littering the pathway stuck to their jam spread wheels! The banana-lade lathered wheels were so sticky, that they became caked in dry leaves in no time, causing the twins to go slower and slower until they stopped! The other racers cheered as they sped past the twins’ sandwich car.

“It will take forever to scrape this amount of junk off our wheels!” exclaimed Mango peering down to have a look.

“So I guess this means we’re out of the race?” asked Sherbet looking disappointed. Mango nodded and then took a bite out of his sandwich car. The twins giggled as they began munching their food car in the middle of the woods.

The race continued for the other Loopie racers as the race track went round a bend towards the mountain. Cabbage chuckled as she looked over her shoulder, the judges couldn’t see her anymore so she signaled her brother to carry out their naughty plan. Brussel-Sprout lifted a cabbage leaf on the back of their car and two hungry hyenas lept out of the Cabbage car and onto the race track.

The hungry hyenas raced towards Pilot’s hotdog car and began munching it up!! Pilot couldn’t believe his eyes as the two hungry dogs ate his car while he was riding in the race! They spotted Crumpet’s Banana-split car next and quick as a flash ate up her car too. Crumpet was cross. She shook her fist at Cabbage and Brussel-Sprout who were laughing and left her and Pilot in a puff of their smelly cabbage car fumes!

Soon Cabbage and Brusel-Sprout caught up to Wusky and the Pirates and past them too, now it was only Toffee that they had to get in front of to win the race. But Toffee was too far ahead and whizzed over the finish line, followed by an angry Cabbage and a not-so-happy-Brussel-Sprout. Last to finish were the Pirates, who were so jolly by now after drinking so much rum that they didn’t mind who won the race!

The Mayor smiled as he handed a shiny gold trophy to Toffee. Cabbage and Brussel-Sprout edged closer hoping to get some sort of second prize. The Mayor only looked them up and down and said,

“No one likes cheaters, or cabbages for that matter.”

The Loopies laughed. Toffee smiled and hugged his trophy, his silly plan had worked. His wobbly car had won the race!

© 2008 Ingrid Holtshausen. All Rights Reserved.

Download “The Wobbly Car” PDF Document

It all began when Wallace found an old treasure map, stuck to the bottom of one of Wusky’s rum barrels as they rolled it from the basement into his Beach Cabana Café. Woody’s eyes gleamed at the thought of finding treasure.

“How will we find the treasure?” asked Wusky excitedly, he’d never gone on a treasure hunt before.
“It’s simple laddie,” replied Patch, “All we need do is build us a mighty Pirate ship and go and fetch it and bring it back here!”
“We won’t be doing any plundering will we?” asked Wusky cautiously.
Patch laughed a hearty laugh, “None at all I promise ye that lad.” Patch crossed his heart.
“Okay then what are we waiting for?” exclaimed Wusky, picking up his hammer.

Patch drew up the plans for the building of the ship and like one man, Woody, Wallace, Wusky and Patch began to build. When they had finished they stood back to admire their handy work.
“What should we call her?” asked Wallace.
“As the newest member of our Piratey crew, let Wusky have the honour in naming the ship.” Replied Patch.
“How about …” Wusky thought aloud, “The Sea Mermaid?”
“Aye! That’ll do!” smiled Patch approvingly.

So they all boarded their new Pirate ship, raised their flag and set sail. Woody climbed to the top of the mast and sat in the crow’s nest with his telescope. It was his job to be the look out. Wallace took his mop and began to swab the deck. Patch took his place at the bridge of the ship as ship’s captain.
“Wallace, bring me that map of yours ya sea dog!” yelled Patch.
“Aye Cap’n!” replied Wallace.
“Nothing like being out to sea, hey Wusky?” said Patch, the wind blowing through his beard.

They sailed for a while, while Patch studied the treasure map. He was then interrupted by a shout from Woody.
“Land ho!” he cried.
Wallace took out his binoculars and looked, sure enough, there it was a huge island. The Pirates and Wusky danced with glee.
“We found her lads!” shouted Patch.
As the Sea Mermaid neared the island, Patch gave the orders.
“Trim the sails and lower the anchor!” he barked.
“Aye, aye Cap’n!” said his crew.

They set down the anchor and the ship swayed gently in the tide. Patch looked at the treasure map.
“Yup, it’s this island for sure Mateys!”
So they took their shovels, got off the ship and waded through the water until they reached the beach.
“X would be marking the spot now.” Explained Patch.
Wusky grinned, Woody’s eyes glinted. They could smell the treasure!

“The map says to take twenty paces to the right.” Instructed Patch. The Loopie pirates followed Patches hand movements and took twenty paces in the direction he was pointing.
“Now it says to take fifty paces towards the Coconut Trees.” Wallace counted out the steps until they were right underneath the biggest tree.
“Now she says ta dig boys! X is where me treasure lies!”
The Loopies were so excited, they began digging ferociously. Sand flew in all directions, until … THUD!

“We’ve found her!” shouted Woody in glee as his shovel hit the chest.
“We sure have!” smiled Wallace, who was proud to have found the map in the first place. They dusted the sand off of the chest and opened the rusty lock with one of Woody’s knives. The chest creeked open, the Pirates danced and Wusky howled, the chest was filled to the brim with chocolate dog biscuits!

They shouted and laughed and threw sand into the air. Wusky did a jig, this was his first treasure he had ever found! Well if you don’t count Patch, Woody and Wallace that is! The Pirates excitedly picked up their prize and loaded it onto their ship. They sailed back to Acersville singing and drinking Rum all the way home!

When they got back, other Loopies from Acersville excitedly ran out to meet them. When the Pirates saw all of the Loopies they decided to share their treasure. The Loopies were delighted! They all enjoyed their shared treasure of chocolate dog biscuits with glasses of milk at Wusky’s Beach Cabana Café, listening to the pirates telling their piratey stories.

Surely these were the kindest Pirates that had ever lived!
Thank you Wusky, Woody, Wallace and Patch!

© 2007 Ingrid Holtshausen. All Rights Reserved.

Download “A Piratey Adventure” PDF Document

The smells of Christmas cookies wafted through the air.
“I can’t wait to get to Granny’s tonight to celebrate Christmas Eve!” smiled Sherbet as she licked the cookie icing off her finger.

“Me neither!” replied her brother wrapping another present.
It was Loopie Christmas tradition to go to Granny’s house on Christmas Eve, have a huge dinner, open presents and spend time visiting with all the Loopies of Acersville.

“Blast!” said Patch.
“I canno’ get this present wrapped Mateys!”
Mango and Sherbet giggled. They had agreed to teach the Pirates about Christmas traditions in Acersville and this included sessions in “How to wrap presents” and “Baking Christmas cookies”.
“Here, let’s try again.” said Mango handing Patch a fresh piece of Gift Wrap and a new ribbon.
“Aaaah!” screamed Patch about to pull his hair out with frustration!
“No more lad, enough is enough, Pirates were made to plunder things, not to be giving gifts at Christmas time!”
Wallace sniffed his fresh batch of cookies as he lifted them carefully out of the oven.
“Come on Captain, it’s not so bad, look I made Santa cookies just for you!”
“Aye Captain, and they taste mighty fine too!” said Woody munching a leg off of his Santa cookie.
Patch scowled. He was clearly not impressed.
“Come on, let’s get a bit of fresh air and try something new shall we?” offered Mango, he had an idea. So Patch and Mango left the cottage, leaving Wallace, Woody and Sherbet to bake and gift wrap to their hearts content!

Rounding the bend they got to Tubblie’s house. Tubblie was home, you could tell by the naughty giggles that were coming from his garden! Mango smiled at Patch, motioning him to open Tubblie’s gate. Patch was a little confused but welcomed the change in plans, he was adamant never to gift wrap another present ever again in his life and Santa cookies … well lets just say he would eat them, but not bake them!

Tubblie’s gate creaked, sending a bucket full of water tumbling down and emptying itself over Patch!
“Arg!” mumbled Patch who was soaked right through.
“Oops!” winced Mango, who wasn’t deliberately trying to frustrate the all ready on-edge Pirate Captain.
“I forgot about Tubblie’s doorbell!”
“Aaaah! Visitors!” exclaimed Tubblie as he came forward to greet them. He was the practical joker of Acersville so it made sense that his house would be rigged with all sorts of unexpected surprises!
“What brings you here on this fine, fine Christmas Eve!” Tubblie just sounded naughty. He was definitely up to something, just as Mango had suspected.
“Sherbet and I have offered to teach the Pirates about our Christmas traditions here in Acersville.” replied Mango.
“I was wondering if you would be able to offer any help?”
Tubblie grinned.
“Can you keep a secret?” he asked, his eyes dancing with anticipation to share something he’d obviously been keeping to himself all afternoon.
“Aye lad, you can trust old Patch, I keep my word.”
Mango nodded in agreement.
“Well alright then, follow me!” Tubblie led them around the corner towards the back of the garden. He pointed towards his Brandy Bottle treasure with great delight and grinned with glee.

“Aren’t ye a little on the young side to be taking up drinking laddie?” asked Patch looking a little worried.
Mango only grinned, waiting for Tubblie’s explanation.
“My dear Patch, Brandy isn’t just for drinking at Christmas time here in Acersville.” said Tubblie walking over and placing his arm around Patch’s shoulder.
“We use it to make trifle and Christmas pudding too!”

Mango’s eye lit up. Everyone in Acersville knew that Granny would begin making her special trifle and plum pudding early in the morning for their annual Christmas Dinner that night. It was a Loopie tradition for Granny to light the Plum pudding after dinner and bring it into the dinning room in all its flaming glory!
“And because this is your first Christmas in Acersville, I’ve taken it upon myself to enhance the Christmas Festivities this year. And that my friends; is how this specific Brandy bottle fits in!” Tubblie’s eyes danced once more.

“But how?” asked Mango in amazement.
“I stole it from Granny!” Tubblie confessed and then broke out into fits of laughter.
“But now how is Granny supposed to light the Plum pudding without any Brandy?” asked Mango crossly. The Loopies would be very disappointed if Tubblie had gone and ruined the very high light of Christmas Eve in Acersville! No flaming pudding? What a disaster that would be!
“You’ll see! You’ll soon see!” Tubblie just giggled all the more and ushered them out of the gate.

Soon it was time to go to Granny’s house for the Christmas dinner. The Loopies got themselves washed and dressed and headed off armed with colourful presents and enough ice-cream to sink a small ship!
“Come in, come in!” smiled Granny in her most welcoming voice. She seated the Loopies at the table and proceeded to serve the Christmas food. After the Loopies had finished eating they looked at Granny expectantly for the grand finale of the evening!
“Should we eat the pudding before we open the presents?” asked Granny as she usually did each year, just to built a little more onto the already mounting anticipation.
“Yes!” grinned the Loopies, hardly able to contain their excitement.
It was then that Mango darted a glaring scowl in Tubblie’s direction!
“Well then I’ll go and get it.”
“Let me help you Granny.” said the naughty Tubblie grinning back at Mango.
“Why thank you Tubblie, that is very kind of you.” She said and the two of them headed into the kitchen.
“Granny, I was thinking, wouldn’t it be more spectacular this year, especially for the Pirates, if you would pour the Brandy over the pudding at the table and then light it?”
“Well, I’ve never thought of doing it that way before.” said Granny a little surprised.
“But alright Tubblie, if you think it would make it more spectacular this year, okay then.”

So Granny and Tubblie walked back out of the kitchen armed with a not so flaming pudding and a very suspicious looking Brandy bottle, well at least it looked that way to Patch, who recognized it as the same one he’d seen in Tubblie’s garden that afternoon. Mango almost had a heart attack, but Tubblie motioned him to keep quiet and did something very un-Tubblie like.
“This year I have taken it upon myself to make sure that the Christmas Festivities are extra special!” he explained. “Please would you all put on these special shades before Granny lights the pudding to see what I have planned.”
Tubblie began handing out sunglasses to each of the Loopies present and then handed Granny his Brandy Bottle, which didn’t contain Brandy at all, but Lighter Fluid! He then turned down the lights.

Granny poured the contents of the bottle all over the pudding until it was soaked through. She then took a match and lit the pudding. The pudding glowed with all it’s might as strong as a flame from a blow torch, the Loopies sat back in awe and watched with shielded eyes as the pudding continued to burn and burn. First in brilliant white, then fading to orange and then flickering to yellow, until the lighter fluid had been burnt up and the flames stopped. Of course the pudding was burnt to a crisp and most of the Loopies had singed their eyebrows from the incredible heat, but they all agreed that sacrificing the pudding was a small price to pay for such an incredible fire show.

Later that evening once all the presents had been opened and all the ice-cream had been eaten, the Loopies sat back and thought about what Tubblie’s flaming pudding had taught them. They realized that Christmas was not about their traditions or about basking in the light of a flaming Christmas pudding on Christmas Eve, but about celebrating and remembering the light of a star that once shone on top of a stable one cold night in Bethlehem, marking the birth place of a Mighty King.

The Loopies then folded their Christmas paper, collected their presents and kissed Granny goodnight. As they left Granny’s house they starred up at the sky, determined to find the star that had lit the path to where Jesus lay so many years ago. Rumour has it that Mango was the first to spot it! But that’s another story. One we’ll have to save for next year!

Click here for Story 12 – Part 2 of a Loopie Christmas!

© 2007 Ingrid Holtshausen. All Rights Reserved.

The pages of Wusky’s book rustled as he scratched in it with his blunt pencil. “I’ve always wanted to be a swash buckler!” Wusky wrote. He was writing in his diary. Wusky had been the Beach Cabana Café owner since he was old enough to own it!

And everyday, he would look out over the ocean and imagine what it would be like to live on a ship.

“I don’t know what a swash buckler is,” he continued, “but I bet he could buckle his shoes faster than anyone I’ve ever met!” Wusky closed his diary and sighed. The sea looked so blue and inviting and it was the hottest it had ever been in Acersville. The kind of hot that makes your ice-cream melt before you even get your first lick! Wusky sighed again.

“That’s it!” he decided out loud, “ It’s way too hot to work today!” So he put a sign on the Beach Café door that read: GONE SWIMMING.

The sea was so cool and refreshing that Wusky swam deeper and deeper until he could hardly see the beach. With nowhere else to go but down, he decided to see if he could touch the bottom of the seabed.

“Mmmm, a seabed,” thought Wusky, “I wonder if it’s comfortable?” He chuckled to himself as he dived deeper. As he dived, he bumped into something.
“Hey! Watch where you’re going mister!” It was a yellow fish.
“I’m sorry about that. I was on my way down to the seabed and didn’t see you!”
“Don’t you mean the Sea Rogue?” asked the yellow fish.
“What’s a Sea Rogue?” asked Wusky excitedly, forgetting about the seabed.
“Come on, I’ll show you.”

The little yellow fish swam deeper, with Wusky following close behind. Eventually they reached a sunken ship. “There it is!” announced the fish proudly, “the Sea Rogue.”
Wusky tingled with excitement.
“Can we have a closer look?” Wusky asked.
“If you’re brave enough.” replied the fish, “The Sea Rogue is a pirate ship!”
“Oh wow! Today is my lucky day!” said Wusky, trying not to swallow too much water in all his excitement.

Wusky swam closer to get a better look.
”Arg, what have we here Matey’s?” came the gruff sound of a pirate’s voice. Wusky gulped. The pirate that had notice him looked very fierce and his eye patch made him look even more dangerous.
“Looks like a land lubber to me!” replied another pirate. This one had a wooden leg.
“Arg, what’s yur name lad?” asked the pirate with the patch.
“The name’s Wusky.” replied Wusky bravely. “You’ve got yourselves quite a home here!”
“A home! Not exactly laddie. A hideout’s more like it!” The other pirates chortled to themselves.
“A hideout?” asked Wusky curiously.
“A hideout from those scurvy critters we stole all this booty from.” said Patch, pointing to a pile of dog biscuits. Wusky’s mouth watered.
“Scurvy critters?” he asked, very interested to learn more about these ‘critters’.
“What mean ye, repeating everything I say? Get yur own lines ya beach barnacle!”
“Sorry,” replied Wusky, “It’s not everyday you find undersea pirates.”
“That’s cuz we weren’t meant to be found, ya pesky seagull! I oughta take yur belt buckle for what you’ve done!” said Patch, furiously.
“Excuse Patch,” said the third pirate Loopie, “He be angry because of his eye.”
“Quite a good eye too, might I add!” huffed Patch.

“The name’s Wallace” said the third pirate. “Don’t get too much land visitor’s down here.”
“Tell us now,” interrupted the pirate with the wooden leg, “What be ye looking for down here anyhow?” he had a mysterious gleam in his eye.
“Don’t worry Peggy, I’m sure he’s not after your treasure!” replied Wallace.
“Blast ye scurvy dog!” he shouted, “Call me by that name again and I’ll gut ya, with me boot buckle!” and he stormed off with Patch to the other side of the ship.

“Forgive Woody and Patch,” Wallace apologized, “Now tell me, what is it that brings you down here?”
Wusky explained how he had wanted to be a swashbuckler for as long as he could remember; and how he had always wanted to live on a ship.
“A swashbuckler you say?” grinned Wallace, “Why I’ve had my fair share of swashbuckling in my day! What do you say we have a go?” Wallace threw Wusky a sword.
“Come on old chap let’s see what you’ve got!”
The two of them began sword fighting and surprisingly Wusky was quite the professional with a sword in his hand. So much so that Woody and Patch forgot to be angry and began cheering them.
Wusky managed to get Wallace’s sword out of his hand with a mighty CLANG.
“Jolly good!” exclaimed Wallace panting, “A worthy opponent I must say!” The two friends shook hands.

“Aye laddie, yur pretty good with a sword in ya hand! What tis it ya do for a livin’?” asked Patch, cracking a smile. Wusky explained that he owned the Beach Cabana Café on Brenton Beach.
“Aye a barman, would ya believe it! Got any Rum?” asked Woody, his eyes widening.
“All the Rum you can drink and more!”
“All the Rum we can drink? What are we waitin’ for lads?” exclaimed Patch.
So the pirates decided to return to the surface of the sea with Wusky and live in Acersville. Wusky taught the pirates how to be good mannered waiters in his Beach Café and in return the pirates taught Wusky some pirate songs and how to swab the deck.

“Well diary…” wrote Wusky as he stared across the ocean at the setting sun. “Today I found out what a swashbuckler does. But I found something else too, three new friends!” Wusky closed his diary and smiled. A mighty fine day it had been and a mighty fine discovery it had been too!

© 2006 Ingrid Holtshausen. All Rights Reserved.