The next morning, the Great Hall was abuzz with activity. Whenever any Fraggle had a birthday, it was an excuse to party all day. Red was leading several Fraggles, running around the Great Hall, yelling, screaming, and throwing streamers and confetti. Others were blowing into noisemakers.
"Wheeee!" Red shouted. "I love birthday parties!"
"I hate birthday parties," Boober grumbled. "All the noise . . . . and they're such a pain to clean up after, too, what with all the confetti, and streamers . . . ."
Suddenly, Boober heard a loud pop. He screamed, and nearly hit the ceiling. Feenie had been blowing up balloons, and he accidentally blew too much into one of them.
"Not to mention exploding balloons," Boober said.
"Sorry, Boober," Feenie said.
"Come on, lighten up, Boober!" Gobo shouted, blowing into a noisemaker, which unrolled and tickled Boober's nose. "This is a party! You want Lou to have a nice birthday, dontcha?"
"Yeah, dontcha?" Wembley repeated.
"Yeah, well . . . ." Boober said. Then he sighed. "Guess I'd better go get started on the birthday cake, then."
With that, Boober trudged toward the kitchen. Gobo just shrugged, and continued blowing into his noisemaker.
"Hey, Wembley!" Red called out. "Here comes Lou! I can't wait to see the great present you're gonna give her!"
"Me neither," Mokey said. "The way you and Gobo talked about it, it must be something wonderful!"
"Well, I don't know about that," Wembley said. "But it's pretty neat."
"Come on, everybody," Gobo said. "Let's stop talking about it, and hide before she gets here!"
The other Fraggles nodded, and ducked behind a couple of rocks. Lou walked into the Great Hall, and found it empty, with the exception of party decorations all over the place.
"Hmmm," she said, looking around. "Looks like everybody's got the Great Hall decorated. Now the question is where's everyone hiding?"
"SURPRISE!" all the Fraggles yelled at once, jumping out of their hiding places.
"Happy birthday, Lou!" Red shouted, throwing handfuls of confetti out of her sweater pockets into the air. "Whoo hoooooo!"
Red then swung down on streamer, flipped into the air, landed in front of Lou, and began singing.
Oh, what a dream it is!
Oh, how supreme it is!
Oh...
Yelling and getting and party hats too.
Cake on your plate and a candy to chew.
Friends all around like a day at the zoo.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Some people say that a birthday's a bore.
But some people don't know what birthdays are for.
Birthdays are mirthdays and birthdays are more.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Oh, what a dream it is!
Oh, how supreme it is!
Oh, it's the keenest of all!
Laughing and singing and making a game,
Each time we do it, it's always the same,
Everyone's proud and they call you by name.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
"Okay, enough sentiment," Red said, once she finished singing. "LET'S PARTY! Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoooo!"
"Red sure loves to party, doesn't she?" Lou asked, as she watched Red run around the Great Hall, continuing to toss confetti.
"Yeah, even when it isn't her birthday!" Gobo shouted with a laugh. "She doesn't need an excuse, she just parties when she feels like it."
"I've noticed," Lou said. "But thanks for the surprise, everybody."
"Wembley has a present for you, Lou," Mokey said.
"Really?" Lou asked.
"Yeah," Wembley said, handing Lou a wrapped package. "Gobo and I found it yesterday when we were exploring the Rainbow Caverns."
Lou unwrapped the package, and held up the necklace. Several Fraggles began to "ooh" and "ahh" at it.
"Wow, Wembley!" Lou shouted. "It's so pretty!"
"Look what else it does!" Wembley shouted, taking the necklace back for a minute. "It plays music!"
"Music?" Red asked, then she laughed. "Get outta here, Wembley!"
"No, really, listen!" Wembley shouted. He began touching the colored stones on the necklace, and played the familiar "Happy Birthday" song. Everyone was impressed.
"Wow, that was incredible!" Red shouted.
"Thanks, Wembley," Lou said, taking the necklace back and putting it around her neck. "I love it! This is one of the neatest presents I've ever received!"
Lou leaned over and gave Wembley a huge kiss. Wembley became rigid, steam whistled out of his ears, and began to see sky rockets going off. When Lou let go, he heaved a gigantic sigh, and fell over backwards. Gobo caught him before he could hit the ground. He also noticed Wembley's pupils became red and heart-shaped, and they were pulsating. He also had a big, dopey, love-sick grin on his face.
"You okay, Wembley?" Gobo asked.
Wembley's answer was just a string of incoherent babbling. The other Fraggles began laughing.
"Yeah, he's okay, all right!" Gobo shouted, laughing himself.
"At least he didn't go floating to the ceiling like he did last year!" Red shouted.
Wembley came out of his catatonic state after a few minutes, and joined the other Fraggles in partying. Lou was providing the music with her new necklace. While everyone was partying, Boober came out of the kitchen, and tapped Mokey on the shoulder.
"Oh, hi, Boober," Mokey said.
"Mokey, I need another radish," Boober said. "I can't finish Lou's birthday cake without one."
"Oh, sure," Mokey said. "I'll get an extra one, too. Come on, Wembley. I might need some help with this."
"Sure, Mokey," Wembley, ever the agreeable Fraggle, said.
The two Fraggles went to the Gorgs' garden to get the radishes. The Gorgs didn't seem to be around the garden, but that didn't mean they weren't around, period. But they had bigger things to worry about than the Gorgs. At that moment, Narcissa's goblin army had reached the Gorgs' garden, after traveling all night.
"Are you sure we're at the right spot?" one of them asked.
"There's a big rock over there," the leader said, pointing to the entrance to Fraggle Rock.
"You sure it's Fraggle Rock, boss?" another asked.
"Of course I'm sure!" the leader shouted. "Look, there are a couple of Fraggles now! And we're in luck! The one the mistress wants is one of them!"
The goblins ducked out of sight. They didn't want to be seen.
"We'd better make this quick, Wembley," Mokey said, as she began to pull a radish out of the ground. "The Gorgs may not be around now, but that doesn't mean they won't show up."
"Right, Mokey," Wembley said. "And we can get back to the party faster."
Mokey nodded, and yanked the radish out as hard as she could. Unfortunately, she yanked a little too hard, and stumbled backward, letting go of the radish. It bounced out of the garden, and started to roll away from the Gorgs' castle.
"Don't worry, Mokey!" Wembley shouted, as he started to chase after the radish. "I'll go get it!"
"Okay," Mokey said. "I'll go get another one."
Wembley managed to catch up with the radish just outside the garden. He picked it up, and was about to head back to Mokey, when he was suddenly grabbed from behind, a hand clamped over his mouth, and he was pulled backwards into the bushes.
"Excellent work!" the leader of the goblins shouted. "Now let's take him back to the castle!"
The goblins began to march off. Wembley struggled, but the goblin had a strong grip. He at least managed to pull the goblin's hand away from his mouth.
"MOKEY!" he screamed at the top of his voice. "MOKEY, HELP!"
"Quiet, you little runt!" the goblin shouted, covering Wembley's mouth with his hand once more. Thankfully, Mokey had heard Wembley yell.
"What is it, Wembley?" she asked, coming to the edge of the garden. "What's the matter?"
When Mokey saw the army of goblins, she gasped. Then she started running after them.
"Hey, you . . . . you . . . . whatever you are!" she shouted. "Stop right there!"
"Uh oh," one of the goblins said. "We've got company."
"Let's get outta here!" the leader shouted, and he and the other goblins began running as fast as they could, but Mokey was hot on their heels.
"Stop, you beasts!" she shouted. "Stop! Come back here! You let Wembley go, you monsters!"
"She's right behind us, boss!" one of the goblins shouted.
"Don't worry," the leader said. "This is a Gorgs' garden. And if I know Gorgs, there should be a Fraggle trap around here somewhere."
The leader looked around, and saw that there definitely was a Fraggle trap that Junior Gorg had set up nearby. He smiled sneakily, and turned to his comrade.
"You and the men keep going with the runt," he said. "I'll take care of the other one."
"Yes, sir!" the goblin shouted, saluting. Of course, when he saluted, he took his hand away from Wembley's mouth.
"Mokey!" he yelled. "Mokey, be careful! They're gonna set off one of . . . ."
"I told you to shut up, you little twerp!" the goblin shouted, immediately clamping his hand over Wembley's mouth once more.
Mokey was closing in fast, however she was unaware that the leader of the goblins was waiting for her. As soon as she got to a certain spot, he pulled a string, which sent a cage falling right on top of her.
"What in the Rock?" she asked. Then she gasped when she realized what happened. "Oh, no! A Fraggle trap!"
"You're so right," the goblin leader said, laughing. "Gotta love those Gorgs!"
Several of the goblins laughed, and began taunting Mokey. Wembley had to help her out of that cage, but he wasn't in a position to do so right at the moment. Then he got an idea. He bit the goblin in the hand as hard as he could.
"Yeouch!" the goblin shouted, ultimately, letting go of the green Fraggle.
"Hang on, Mokey!" Wembley called, running toward the cage. "I'll help you out of there!"
"Oh no you don't!" another goblin shouted. He grabbed Wembley by the arms, and lifted him off the ground. Wembley squirmed, and began kicking his legs, trying to get away. He wound up giving the goblin a good kick in the face.
"Ouch!" the goblin shouted, dropping Wembley. The green Fraggle ran off immediately.
"Get him!" another goblin yelled.
"Run, Wembley, run!" Mokey shouted.
"Right, Mokey!" Wembley shouted.
Wembley ran as fast as he could toward Fraggle Rock, but his path was blocked by one of the goblins, and another goblin was right behind him. He managed to side step, and the two goblins collided head on with each other.
WHAM!
"You incompetent fools!" the leader yelled. "Can't you even catch one little Fraggle?!"
"You leave Wembley alone!" Mokey shouted, shaking the bars of the cage, trying to get out.
The goblin ignored her, and took a piece of rope off his belt, tied a loop in it, and ran after Wembley. The leader twirled the rope over his head, and threw it. Wembley saw it coming, and ducked, managing to avoid it.
"You missed me, you missed me!" he sang.
Suddenly, Wembley found himself ensnared by another lasso, coming from the opposite direction, followed by a second, and a third. He hadn't been aware of it, but several of the goblins had followed their leader's lead.
"Gotcha now," the leader said, with a laugh. "Tie him up, boys!"
The goblins saluted, and tied Wembley up so tight, he was unable to get loose, no matter how hard he struggled. One of the goblins even took a piece of rope and tied it around Wembley's muzzle so he couldn't call for help. The leader then grabbed Wembley by the shirt collar and lifted him off the ground.
"You've got a lot of spirit, squirt," he said. "Maybe this'll teach you to behave yourself!"
The leader smacked Wembley across the face as hard as he could, dazing him. Mokey didn't like that one bit.
"Ooooohhh!" she growled, and she began shaking the bars of the cage harder. "I don't know who you are, or what you're up to, but you'll never get away with it!"
"I'm afraid we already have, Pinky," the goblin leader said, slinging Wembley over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "See you around, sister!"
"You monsters!" Mokey yelled, as the goblins disappeared from view. "You horrible monsters! You still won't get away with what you're up to! Whatever it is! And furthermore, I'm not even pink!"
Mokey shook the bars of the cage as hard as she could, but she knew it was no use. She'd never be able to get out of that cage by herself. And she knew if she started calling for help, it would attract Junior Gorg's attention before her cries could be heard by Gobo and the others. She wouldn't be able to help Wembley if she were thumped.
"I've got to find a way out of here somehow," she said. "Poor little Wembley! I hope those horrible monsters don't hurt him! What could they want with him, anyway?"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: the song in this chapter is from the "Fraggle Rock" episode, "Mirror, Mirror," with a slight lyrical change.