Badger the Mystical Mutt and the Barking Boogie (5 page)

“Woweeee!” shouted Cheryl, as she opened her eyes and looked around her.

“If I practised my high kick dance moves up here, they'd be the highest high kicks ever,” she giggled.

She peered over the edge of the Wim-Wim and squealed in delight. “Everything looks so tiny. This is the biggest I've ever been!”

Badger smiled and told her to sit down.

“Now,” he said, “I'm looking for a very particular cloud. He's called Nippy Nimbus and you will recognise him from his frown.”

Just then, the Wim-Wim hurtled off to one side, as a blast of wind blew them off course.

“Where did that come from?” asked Badger, a bit baffled. “It wasn't at all windy when we took off.”

Then the Wim-Wim plunged rapidly downwards.

They both gripped the sides in panic, as Cheryl's bottom parachuted above her. Badger looked up to catch Cheryl's legs and spotted Nippy Nimbus blowing hard, his big white cheeks all puffed out.

“Oi!” shouted Badger. “What are you doing? We're coming to see you.”

“You're not coming anywhere near me with that smell. Goodbye!” Nippy Nimbus drew in another deep breath, ready to blow them out of the sky.”

“Quick, Cheryl. Pull that lever next to you.” Badger pointed to the middle handle.

As she did, a massive see-through circular wind deflector emerged from the rim of the Wim-Wim. shielding them from Nippy Nimbus and his bluster.

“And now for some of this,” said Badger, stamping hard onto a pedal on the floor.

Vrooooooooooooom!
The Wim-Wim soared suddenly towards the grumpy cloud at turbo-charged speed.

They landed with a bump on the brow of Nippy Nimbus whose eyes started to water with the smell.

“Now look what you've made me do. You've made me rain. I'll get a row from the Drizzle Doctors because I was supposed be dry today,” he complained. “Right, let's get this over with as quickly as possible. Usual place then is it, Badger? I need the password.”

“Cloud number nine,” yelled Badger confidently.

“Nope! You should know by now that the password changes with the weather,” said Nippy smugly.

“Hmmph!” Badger sighed and scratched his head. He looked down hopefully at his neckerchief for inspiration. The Wim-Wim spluttered and the sun symbol hanging from its canopy began to glow brightly. Badger smiled and said:

“What about ‘
sunshine on a rainy day
', Nippy?”

Nippy groaned and said: “I don't know how you do it, Badger, but I'll catch you out one day. Okay, be on your way. At least it means the smell goes with you.”

The important key on the side of the Wim-Wim started to vibrate and shine.

“Okay, Cheryl, here we go. Hold on tight,” said Badger.

The Wim-Wim creaked and clattered, and panted and puttered, and in the cotton-wool fuzziness, an opening appeared. The Wim-Wim sped through it and, in the blink of a blink, they landed in a place unlike anywhere Cheryl had seen before.

“Well, this certainly isn't the lane!” she exclaimed, jumping down the ladder.

“Hang on!” said Badger. “Wait for me!” He rushed after her.

The trees overhead showered sparkles of raindrops on Cheryl's upturned face. She splashed gaily through the puddles. As she twirled her way through the flower stems, their petals sheltered her like a tent of umbrellas. The bees buzzed and the crickets whirred.

Cheryl tap-danced through the fallen leaves and squealed, “Badger, look at all the gorgeous colours. This place is amazing!”

Badger smiled at Cheryl's zest for beauty. “Come on. There's someone I want you to meet.” She took his outstretched paw in hers and skipped along beside him.

They set off down the golden-leaved path. Soon, they saw a white wooden sign ahead.

“Ooooh, Badger, what's that?” asked Cheryl, dragging him towards it.

The sign had an arrow on it with the words: “
Boat Trips allowed. Fishing for Wishes permitted
.”

Cheryl did several star jumps, spun around and looked beseechingly at Badger.

“Please, can we go? Do we have time?” she begged, her eyes wide with hope.

“Okay, wee one. Remember, time stands still here, so we're in no rush. Let's go.”

As they walked off the path, they saw another sign, which read:

“
WARNING! Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it.
”

“I know exactly what I'm wishing for, Badger. I want to dance with Dodgy Dave.”

They carried on through the forest and soon heard the soothing sound of water lapping. Another sign, stuck into the mud at a jaunty angle, read:

“
Welcome to the Wishing Lake in the Sky. Please take a paper boat from the paper boat dispenser below and follow the instructions inside.
”

Cheryl looked up at Badger and asked, “May I?”

Badger nodded and let go of her paw. She skipped excitedly over to the dispenser, and took a paper boat. Inside, there was a folded up piece of paper which Cheryl unfolded quickly, reading its instructions aloud:

“Now you have your paper boat, make your wish and make it float. Think about your heart's desire, the thing that sets your soul on fire, your deepest and most cherished wish. then set it sail with a precious kiss. The Wishing Lake can make it true, so trust in it, and it will you.”

She looked round at Badger with longing in her big blue eyes. Badger smiled and said: “On you go, Cheryl. I'll wait over here.” He rested his bottom on the trunk of a big old tree and watched her fondly. She took her paper boat to the side of the lake, stood for a moment, and thought very hard. Then she whispered into the paper boat cupped in her paws, and set it softly onto the water with a kiss. Curtsying after it, she watched it sail across the lake, then climbed back up the bank towards Badger.

“All done. Ready to go now,” she smiled.

She took Badger's paw in hers and they continued along the golden-leaved path.

Soon, they heard a rustle in the leaves ahead.

“Ssssh!” said Badger nodding to Cheryl, though she hadn't made a sound. “I think Baby Unicorn has come to greet us.”

“Oh, can unicorns dance?” whispered Cheryl.

“Unicorns can do everything,” said Badger with a wink.

Out of the trees, a beautiful white unicorn appeared.

“A unicorn!” shrieked Cheryl “At last, I'm finally meeting one.” She curtsied and clicked her heels, then said proudly: “I'm Cheryl with a C, that's me! Not Sheryl with an S, because Sheryl with an S goes ‘Ssssshhhh', and Cheryl with a C goes ‘Ch', as in cha-cha-cha.”

Cheryl sashayed her hips and asked, “Can you dance, your royal unicorniness?”

Badger formally introduced Baby Unicorn to Cheryl, and he bowed to them both.

As Baby Unicorn got closer to Cheryl, his soft white nose shrivelled in horror at the stench. He looked at Badger curiously.

“I don't want to be rude, Badger, but that smell is unbearable.”

“Ah!” said Badger. “That's why we're here. We need to make Cheryl fragrant so she can dance with Dodgy Dave in the
Hotpaws Barking Boogie
.”

“Okay. But I warn you … this could be the biggest assignment you've given me yet, Badger. Follow me.”

Baby Unicorn turned and headed off in the direction of a brilliant white light glistening in the distance.

Cheryl took Badger's paw in hers again, and they followed.

Along the way, they passed another signpost saying, “
Nearly There
”, and another saying “
There
”.

“Ooooh, Badger, we must be getting closer to wherever
There
is. I've always heard my Big Folk say they're ‘getting there', and now, here I finally am! If only they could see me now!”

“It's all about the journey, Cheryl. Sometimes, when we get to where we're going, we forget the fun we had travelling.”

Cheryl looked puzzled.

Up ahead, Baby Unicorn stopped at the mouth of a cave set in clear quartz crystal. There was yet another sign outside saying:

“
Thank you for coming Here to There, which is now, of course, ‘Here'. We hope you enjoy your visit. Come back soon, and don't forget to tell all of your friends ‘Here, There and Everywhere'.
”