Courage left the attic and went downstairs just as Muriel was getting ready
call him for supper. At first, Courage didn't think he would be able to
eat a single bite but the stew that Muriel had made quickly changed his
mind. He had only eaten very little of his breakfast and a bite or two of
his lunch so by now he was very hungry. Muriel watched happily as Courage
cleaned his plate and begged eagerly for a bowl of the Happy Plums she had
made for dessert.
Muriel's Happy Plums were a secret recipe handed down through her family for generations. It was well known that Happy Plums could make even the most depressed person happy. After eating his bowl of Happy Plums, Courage began to feel much better. For the time being all of his worries about the pendant, the ghostly child's laughter, and the strange stories Muriel had heard in town were completely forgotten.
After dinner he joined Muriel and Eustace in the living room. Courage was resting contentedly on Muriel's lap while she was watching a show on TV and Eustace was sitting in his favorite chair reading his paper. Courage yawned and slowly fell asleep. He was awakened by Muriel's voice. "Eustace, did you hear that?!"
Eustace's quickly awoke from his nap and was so startled by Muriel's voice that his newspaper fell from where it had been resting covering his face. "What are you talking about woman?!", he snapped as he reached down to pick up the newspaper.
"The man on the news! He just said that the police had been called out to investigate several reports of children running around the cemetary. But when the police got there, they couldn't find anything!" Eustace glanced up at Muriel with an impatient look on his face, "So, the children left before the police got there."
"That's not the half of it!", Muriel continued in an excited voice. "They couldn't find footprints or anything even though several people said they saw the children. But that's not the strangest part of the story. When the police were getting ready to leave, they heard the sound of a child laughing from somewhere inside the cemetary."
Eustace scowled. "Then there were children playing there and one of them was still hiding in the cemetary. What's so strange about that?"
"But, Eustace, they checked everywhere in that cemetary. There was nobody in the cemetary. They would have seen anybody leaving because the two gates are the only ways to get in or out of the cemetary and there were police at both of the gates!"
Courage looked up at Muriel. Suddenly all the worries came flooding back to him and he felt himself shivering.
Muriel put her arms around Courage to comfort him. "Don't worry Courage, those children won't come all the way out here to bother us."
Eustace shook his head as he folded up his newspaper. Even though he had seen some strange things out here, he still had a difficult time believing that there was anything unusual about children playing around and hiding from police.
"Muriel, are there any of those Happy Plums left?"
Muriel gently pushed Courage off of her lap and stood up to go into the kitchen. "I made enough so we could all have two bowls if we wanted."
Courage followed Muriel into the kitchen. Somehow a bowl of Happy Plums seemed like just what he needed right now.
Courage licked his bowl clean and took it over to Muriel who was standing at the sink finishing the dishes. "Thankyou Courage." She reached down and patted Courage on the head before taking the bowl to wash it. Courage smiled up at her then wandered over to the window. It was another beautiful night but the was something different in the air. Last night had felt so peaceful but tonight Courage doubted that anything could feel peaceful to him right now. Not even after a bowl of Happy Plums.
Muriel finished the dishes and put the dishtowel away. As she was leaving the kitchen she looked back at Courage. "Are ye comming to bed Courage? It's getting late."
Courage turned away from the window and followed Muriel upstairs. He didn't really feel much like sleep but he didn't want to be alone either.
He settled on his spot by Muriel and Eustace's feet and somehow managed to drift off into a light sleep. It was about two hours later he was awakened by the now all to familiar sound of a child laughing. It was coming from outside. The laughter was joined by more laughter and voices. Courage gulped. All his fur was standing on end but he knew he had to go look out the window.
He decided the attic might somehow be safer so he climbed the stairs and went to the window leaving the light off so he couldn't be seen as he stared out the window. What he saw literally made him fall to pieces! He pulled himself back together again and looked once more. Yes, they were still there ... several children holding hands forming a circle around something that Courage couldn't quite make out. The circle of children moved in a kind of dance as they chanted something in a strange language that sounded like some sort of nursery rhyme. Courage was frozen in place for a few seconds before he was finally released from the grip of fear. He charged down the attic stairs to the bedroom where Muriel and Eustac had been sleeping only to find that Eustace and Muriel were both wide awake. Eustace was getting ready to go outside. But Muriel was protesting.
"I'm gonna put a stop to all that noise!" Eustace growled. "Who would let their kids run around at this hour to wake people up anyway??!!!!"
Muriel tried to reason with him. "Eustace, remember what I heard at the grocery store? What about that report on the news?! Ye can't go out there! Somethings not right!"
But Eustace wouldn't listen. "It's just a bunch of kids causing trouble Muriel! There ain't nothin' strange about that. They're keeping me from my sleep and I'm gonna put a stop to it!"
Eustace stormed out the bedroom door as the chanting got louder and louder. Courage shivered as he heard the front door open and then slam shut again. Eustace's voice could be heard yelling at the children but Courage couldn't make out what he was saying. Then the chanting stopped. Courage and Muriel anxiously waited to hear Eustace come back into the house but there was only a long silence then the chanting started again.
Muriel's Happy Plums were a secret recipe handed down through her family for generations. It was well known that Happy Plums could make even the most depressed person happy. After eating his bowl of Happy Plums, Courage began to feel much better. For the time being all of his worries about the pendant, the ghostly child's laughter, and the strange stories Muriel had heard in town were completely forgotten.
After dinner he joined Muriel and Eustace in the living room. Courage was resting contentedly on Muriel's lap while she was watching a show on TV and Eustace was sitting in his favorite chair reading his paper. Courage yawned and slowly fell asleep. He was awakened by Muriel's voice. "Eustace, did you hear that?!"
Eustace's quickly awoke from his nap and was so startled by Muriel's voice that his newspaper fell from where it had been resting covering his face. "What are you talking about woman?!", he snapped as he reached down to pick up the newspaper.
"The man on the news! He just said that the police had been called out to investigate several reports of children running around the cemetary. But when the police got there, they couldn't find anything!" Eustace glanced up at Muriel with an impatient look on his face, "So, the children left before the police got there."
"That's not the half of it!", Muriel continued in an excited voice. "They couldn't find footprints or anything even though several people said they saw the children. But that's not the strangest part of the story. When the police were getting ready to leave, they heard the sound of a child laughing from somewhere inside the cemetary."
Eustace scowled. "Then there were children playing there and one of them was still hiding in the cemetary. What's so strange about that?"
"But, Eustace, they checked everywhere in that cemetary. There was nobody in the cemetary. They would have seen anybody leaving because the two gates are the only ways to get in or out of the cemetary and there were police at both of the gates!"
Courage looked up at Muriel. Suddenly all the worries came flooding back to him and he felt himself shivering.
Muriel put her arms around Courage to comfort him. "Don't worry Courage, those children won't come all the way out here to bother us."
Eustace shook his head as he folded up his newspaper. Even though he had seen some strange things out here, he still had a difficult time believing that there was anything unusual about children playing around and hiding from police.
"Muriel, are there any of those Happy Plums left?"
Muriel gently pushed Courage off of her lap and stood up to go into the kitchen. "I made enough so we could all have two bowls if we wanted."
Courage followed Muriel into the kitchen. Somehow a bowl of Happy Plums seemed like just what he needed right now.
Courage licked his bowl clean and took it over to Muriel who was standing at the sink finishing the dishes. "Thankyou Courage." She reached down and patted Courage on the head before taking the bowl to wash it. Courage smiled up at her then wandered over to the window. It was another beautiful night but the was something different in the air. Last night had felt so peaceful but tonight Courage doubted that anything could feel peaceful to him right now. Not even after a bowl of Happy Plums.
Muriel finished the dishes and put the dishtowel away. As she was leaving the kitchen she looked back at Courage. "Are ye comming to bed Courage? It's getting late."
Courage turned away from the window and followed Muriel upstairs. He didn't really feel much like sleep but he didn't want to be alone either.
He settled on his spot by Muriel and Eustace's feet and somehow managed to drift off into a light sleep. It was about two hours later he was awakened by the now all to familiar sound of a child laughing. It was coming from outside. The laughter was joined by more laughter and voices. Courage gulped. All his fur was standing on end but he knew he had to go look out the window.
He decided the attic might somehow be safer so he climbed the stairs and went to the window leaving the light off so he couldn't be seen as he stared out the window. What he saw literally made him fall to pieces! He pulled himself back together again and looked once more. Yes, they were still there ... several children holding hands forming a circle around something that Courage couldn't quite make out. The circle of children moved in a kind of dance as they chanted something in a strange language that sounded like some sort of nursery rhyme. Courage was frozen in place for a few seconds before he was finally released from the grip of fear. He charged down the attic stairs to the bedroom where Muriel and Eustac had been sleeping only to find that Eustace and Muriel were both wide awake. Eustace was getting ready to go outside. But Muriel was protesting.
"I'm gonna put a stop to all that noise!" Eustace growled. "Who would let their kids run around at this hour to wake people up anyway??!!!!"
Muriel tried to reason with him. "Eustace, remember what I heard at the grocery store? What about that report on the news?! Ye can't go out there! Somethings not right!"
But Eustace wouldn't listen. "It's just a bunch of kids causing trouble Muriel! There ain't nothin' strange about that. They're keeping me from my sleep and I'm gonna put a stop to it!"
Eustace stormed out the bedroom door as the chanting got louder and louder. Courage shivered as he heard the front door open and then slam shut again. Eustace's voice could be heard yelling at the children but Courage couldn't make out what he was saying. Then the chanting stopped. Courage and Muriel anxiously waited to hear Eustace come back into the house but there was only a long silence then the chanting started again.