Ottery St Sherlock and the Game of Great Gain

by superwholockian96

In my English class we had to write children's stories. I was so proud of my idea that I decided to upload it here. For children, if the Sherlock characters were animals. Characters include Ottery St. Sherlock, Hedgehog Jawn, Mycroft Otter, Greg LeDog, Mrs. Pupson, Molly Mouse, Jim Gecko, and Anderson and Donnovan Dung-Beetle. WARNING: CONTAINS ABSURD AMOUNTS OF CUTENESS.

Cara Brokes

English III

Mrs. Byers

3/8/12

OTTERY ST. SHERLOCK AND THE GAME OF GREAT GAIN

In a little zoo in London, England, lived a group of peculiar animals. More specifically, in the 'B' cage section of the 221st building in Baker Zoo lived an otter. However, this otter was no ordinary otter. This otter was none other than the legendary Ottery St. Sherlock, sleuth and genius. Ottery St. Sherlock lived in cage 221B with his best friend, Hedgehog Jawn, and his annoying older brother, Mycroft Otter, who was the head of the zoo. The humans thought they were in charge, but it was really Mycroft running the show.

Then there were the animals who lived in the commons, a big, green, airy space for the bigger and more common animal. In the commons lived Greg Ledog, Molly Mouse, and Mrs. Pupson, who was Sherlock and Jawn's sweet and absent-minded housekeeper.

There was also an insect and reptile exhibit in the commons. In the insect exhibit lived two dung beetles, named Anderson Dung-Beetle and Donnovan Dung-Beetle. They weren't very smart dung beetles, but they thought themselves rather clever. In the reptile house lived the most fearsome member of the group. He was cruel, clever, and frightening. His name was Jim Gecko, and he was Ottery St. Sherlock's arch enemy. Jim lived to ruin Sherlock and his reputation, and he was always spreading lies about Sherlock that no one believed.

Jim was jealous of Sherlock's talent and he had had enough. Ottery St. Sherlock was a bit of a show off and no one except Jawn, Greg Ledog, Molly, and Mrs. Pupson liked him much. Jim Gecko needed to come up with a lie that everyone would believe about him, something that would destroy his reputation. Suddenly, it came to him. If you gave Sherlock a problem that was impossible to solve, he wouldn't focus on anything else but that problem until it was solved. Ottery St. Sherlock lived for cases and was utterly bored until he had a problem or experiment to solve.

The gecko's plan was simple; give Ottery St. Sherlock an impossible puzzle.

"Anderson, Donnovan, come to me!" The high, cold voice rang out with a slight Irish accent and bounced off the walls of the reptile house.

Suddenly, the two dung beetles appeared in front of Jim. "You called boss?" Donnovan spoke for the two of them. Her raspy, screechy voice echoed throughout the room and Jim winced.

Jim strolled around his cage, which he could escape at any time, but he preferred to remain isolated from the other animals. He had his tiny paws hidden behind his back and he smiled a cruel smile. There was a manic look in his eyes, and honestly it was scaring Anderson.

"My friends, you know the plan. Give Ottery St. Sherlock an impossible puzzle. Keep him distracted until I give the word. If you fail me, you know what will happen." Jim grinned evilly and drew a tiny finger across his throat. Anderson and Donnovan gulped. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get to work!" the gecko screamed.

Anderson and Donnovan scuttled away, and Gecko smiled.

"Jawn, where is my scarf? Jawn, are you even listening to me?" Ottery St. Sherlock was scurrying around the cozy, messy cage, looking for his blue scarf. The otter threw everything in sight, creating a bigger mess looking for his scarf.

"Sherlock, the last time I saw your scarf, you were wearing it. I honestly don't know what's happened to it." Jawn sighed. "Maybe you could ask Mycroft if he has seen it."

"No, I don't have time for that Jawn. Ledog has called, and the Dung-Beetles have found something that they need my help with. I need my scarf now." Ottery St. Sherlock looked up at the top of the cage and boomed in a deep, baritone voice, "Eureka! There it is Jawn! Quick, give me a boost!" Sherlock climbed onto Hedgehog Jawn's shoulders despite Jawn's protests and grabbed the raggedy, old scarf from the top of the cage.

"Goodness gracious Sherlock! One of these days you will be the death of me," Jawn whined.

"Sorry, Jawn, but this is important. I think Ledog called the puzzle a 'Rubik's Cube'. It is supposed to be impossible for anyone to solve. Well, anyone except me. Will you come with me?"

Jawn nodded, and Ottery St. Sherlock tied his scarf. He opened the door to their cage and grabbed Mycroft's umbrella. "Jawn, you know the drill."

Jawn sighed and grabbed Sherlock's hand. Ottery St. Sherlock opened Mycroft's umbrella and together they jumped out of the cage. They landed gracefully a few seconds later, unharmed and in one piece.

"Sherlock, you do know that our cage has stairs right? We don't have to jump out of our cage every time we leave."

"But Jawn, stairs are so boring!" Sherlock cried.

They walked to the commons to meet Greg Ledog and Molly Mouse examining a large, multicolored block of some sort. Jawn gave an appreciative whistle and the pair turned around.

"Sherlock, so glad you could come. What do you make of this 'Rubik's Cube'? Molly has no idea what it is, and I don't either. The Dung-Beetles say they know what it is." Greg was utterly bamboozled. He was thankful Ottery St. Sherlock could come at such short notice.

Ottery St. Sherlock bent down to examine the Rubik's Cube and was surprised to find that the block was made up of smaller blocks, each one a different color. The blocks were either blue, red, orange, green, white or yellow. He had heard of this cube before. The object of it was to mix up the blocks and then try and make it so blocks of the same color each made up one side of the cube. It was close to impossible for normal people and animals, but Ottery St. Sherlock was no normal otter. He stood and brushed dust off of his exquisite chocolate brown fur.

"Did you get anything?" Molly squeaked. She rushed over to the Rubik's Cube.

Ottery St. Sherlock grinned. "Nothing much."

At that moment Anderson and Donnovan Dung-Beetle scuttled onto the scene. "What is he doing here?" snarled Anderson.

"Ledog summoned me. He needed my help with this Rubik's Cube." Ottery St. Sherlock looked at the cube and put his velvety ears to it, to see if it was hollow and if it contained anything. He didn't hear anything. He sighed and stood. "I don't know why this is here. This is probably part of some prank Greg. All I can tell you is that this is a perfectly normal Rubik's Cube and there is nothing inside it."

Anderson snickered. "I bet that you can't solve it."

"He can too! Ottery St. Sherlock could solve that Rubik's Cube if he wanted to. I'd bet anything in the world that he could!" Hedgehog Jawn exclaimed. Ottery St. Sherlock had almost forgotten that his dear friend had come with him.

"Jawn, that is really not necessary. Of course I can solve it."

"Of course you can solve it on your own, Sherlock. But could you solve it with the advice of others? Could you take other people's help? Or are you too good for everyone?" A high cruel voice spoke in the commons, and everyone turned toward it. Out of the shadows stepped out Jim Gecko. "I don't think you could. I really don't"

"You! What are you doing here?" Ledog snapped. He had been trying to keep Jim in his cage for quite a while and hated it whenever he escaped and visited the commons.

"Oh, calm down Greggy. I just want to play a game with Ottery is all. It's a very simple game. He just has to help Hedgehog Jawn solve the Rubik's Cube – without getting snippy – and then I'll leave you all alone. I may even leave the zoo if he wants me to. But if he doesn't do it within, let's say, an hour, Ottery St. Sherlock has to leave Baker Zoo. Simple enough, am I right?"

"I'll play this little game of yours, Gecko. However, you better start packing your bags, because you'll be leaving the zoo in an hour's time."

The gecko smiled. "That is so smug of you. Better start solving, because your time starts now." The gecko dashed away with the Dung-Beetles scurrying in hot pursuit.

Hedgehog Jawn straightened his creamy hand-knit sweater and cleared his throat. "Um, Sherlock, do you realize what you have done? If I can't solve this Rubik's Cube, you have to leave Baker Zoo for forever. I don't want to be the reason you leave."

"Jawn, I have complete faith in you. Besides, I'm helping you. And I have never left a puzzle unsolved. You know that." Ottery St. Sherlock stood on his hind legs and stepped back to get a better look at it. "All right Jawn. Let's get to work.

Jim Gecko watched in the distance as Hedgehog Jawn and Ottery St. Sherlock worked on the Rubik's Cube. The Rubik's Cube had never been solved by any animal in the history of Baker Zoo, and he wasn't looking for anyone to solve it today. Jim giggled a high-pitched, shrill giggle, which caused the Dung-Beetles to wince.

"Boss, what happens if Ottery St. Sherlock solves the Rubik's Cube? Will we have to leave to?" Donnovan had grown quite accustomed to life at Baker Zoo and she certainly did not want to leave.

"My dear beetle, you will leave only when you want to. But if you don't leave with me, you will never be considered a comrade of mine ever again. In fact, I'll look at you as a traitor. But it's your choice."

Donnovan shivered. One side of the Rubik's Cube had been completed in fifteen minutes. She didn't like the look of this.

"Come on Jawn, only a few more sides and we're done!" Ottery St. Sherlock shouted.

"Sherlock, I'm trying! Tell me what to do," Jawn wailed.

"Jawn, I trust you, you know what to do." Sherlock waved at his direction and showed him the next blocks to be moved. Ledog watched in suspense. He certainly didn't want the otter gone. Ledog had grown quite fond of Ottery St. Sherlock over the years, and besides, his brother, Mycroft would not be pleased if Ottery St. Sherlock was banished.

At that moment Mycroft Otter came into the commons. "Ottery St. Sherlock, what have you done with my umbrella? You know it is my best one," he whined in a nasally voice.

"Sorry Mycroft, I'm too busy to fetch it for you at the moment. It's on the other side of this Rubik's Cube. That's it Jawn, four sides solved now!" Ottery gave a cheer and jumped, clapping his hands.

Mycroft sighed and walked to the other side of the cube. "Greg, what exactly is my dear brother doing?"

Ledog groaned and said, "Well, Jim Gecko challenged him to help Jawn solve the Rubik's Cube, and if they don't finish solving it in the next half-hour, Sherlock has to leave Baker Zoo for forever."

Mycroft sighed again and put his paws in his hands. "He always was so very dramatic. This will surely upset Mummy."

"Mycroft, I am aware that you can talk, but I would appreciate if you wouldn't. Jawn and I need everyone to be quiet while we concentrate. So will you please refrain from conversation? Thank you." Sherlock smiled as Jawn solved the fifth side. "That's right Jawn, only one more side!"

Mycroft was astonished. Ottery St. Sherlock was being polite? What had gotten into his brother? "Sherlock, are you sure Jim didn't hit you upside the head? What on earth has gotten into you?"

"That was another part of the challenge. Ottery St. Sherlock has to be nice to everyone or else he automatically has to leave the zoo." Ledog sighed. "He's been doing well so far. I'm surprised he's lasted this long."

Mycroft smiled. "He should do this more often."

Jim Gecko frowned. Ottery St. Sherlock had five minutes left to solve the cube and he had only one side left.

"Uh boss, this isn't looking so good." Donnovan and Anderson gulped. "He's gonna solve it boss! What do we do?"

The gecko smiled. "Why, what else can we do Donnovan? We blow them up!" The gecko laughed an evil, insane laugh. "Do you have the explosives?"

Anderson laughed a nervous, scared laugh. "It's a really funny story boss. The explosives aren't going to come in until tomorrow." Anderson gulped.

"What? They won't be here until tomorrow?" Jim's smile slid right off as he growled and lunged at Anderson. Anderson squealed and scuttled out of the way. At that moment, they heard a victorious cry.

"Yes Jawn, you did it!" Ottery St. Sherlock lifted up his hedgehog friend and squeezed him in a teddy bear hug.
"Yes Sherlock, I did it, now if you could please put me down," Jawn wheezed.

Sherlock looked around and saw Jim Gecko dragging a suitcase sadly along. "Well, a deal's a deal, Sherlock. I said I'd leave, and well here I go. I only wish I had friends like yours." The gecko sighed a sad sigh and wiped a tear away from his eye. "I guess this is goodbye." He drooped his head and walked toward the front gates.

"Jim, wait! It's a lot of fun having you here. Without you giving me puzzles to solve, my brain would rot. Please, stay in the zoo Jim!" Ottery St. Sherlock ran to him and took his paw. "It's more fun that way."

A happy glint came to Jim's eye. "You really mean it?"

Ottery St. Sherlock nodded. "With every fiber of my soul."

"Yippee! But this doesn't change anything Sherlock. We're still arch enemies."

"Of course." Ottery St. Sherlock shook Jim's hand. "Jawn, let's go home."

The best friends walked back to their comfortable cage and Mycroft dashed after them.

"Wait guys, wait for me!"

Ledog sighed. "Well this day has been quite interesting. I'd say it's time for bed. What do you say?"

Molly squeaked, "I'd say it's time for bed too."

And so, the friends departed and each went to their separate sleeping cages, knowing fully well that tomorrow another puzzle would be solved by the great Ottery St. Sherlock.