Well, what have we here?   The face upon the tree said.   A skunk, a
dog, a buzzard, and some ground hogs.  What a strange bunch.
     We re ferrets,  Sammi declared.
     Yeah,  Rosie added.   And you better be nice to us, or we ll sick our
friend Beaver on you!
     Yeah!   Maxie stated.
     Nice try,   The tree said.   Do you fools know where you are?
     The Evil Swamplands?   Wiggles offered.
     Nice observation, rodent!   The tree boomed.
     We are not rodents,  Wiggles replied.   We happen to be ferrets; and
what exactly are you supposed to be?
     I am a tree,  The tree answered.   Are you blind?
     Never saw a tree that had a face and talked,  Foxie stated.
     It s cursed,  Pierre answered.   The whole swamp is dying.
     Well,   The tree declared.   You will pay for crossing the boundary to
the dark side.   Abruptly, the ground began to shake beneath all of them, as
the face of the tree turned very sour and mean.  Long, gnarled, thick roots
from the tree began to unleash from the soil and swiftly wrapped themselves
around the gang.
     What the heck?!   Rosie gasped, struggling to break the tight grasp of
the roots.
     Ha, ha, ha,   The tree laughed.   No one leaves this place alive!
     What do we do now?   Maxie asked.
     The crinkle sack,  Sammi stated.
     Yes,  Wiggles yelled.   Crinkle sack, help us!!!
     What in the world?   The tree exclaimed, as thousands of tiny bugs
streamed out of the bag that was now lying on the ground.  The insects
swarmed the tree until it was completely covered, writhing with life.
     AHHHH!!!   The tree screamed.   Termites!!!  Get them off of me!!!
     Not until you let us go!   Rosie replied.
     Yeah,  Maxie added.   And tell us how to get to Fang s lair!
     Allright!!   The tree yelled.   Just get these carnivores off of me!!!
     Crinkle sack...   Wiggles said.   You know what to do...   Suddenly, a
multitude of hundreds of sparrows burst like fireworks from the bag, and
rapidly plucked all of the insects from the tree with their beaks, and then
flew back into the sack.  This occurred in a matter of a minute s time.  The
roots of the tree released their grip on everyone.
     Now tell us where Fang lives,   Maxie commanded.
     He lives across the bog, on the volcanic island,   The tree offered.
     Which way?   Pierre asked.
     Southeast,   The tree stated.
     Take it easy,  Rosie said, as the group departed from his presence.
 They traveled southeast like the tree had instructed, and a few hours later
they were standing at the edge of a stinky, smelly, bubbling, vaporous swamp.
 A strange shiver of fright ran through each and every one of their bones as
they stood transfixed at this awful place.
     This must be it,  Buzz declared.   Now what do we do?
 
    (to be continued...)
[Posted in FML issue 1668]