As always, Conker woke up bright and early and hopped over to the lake to have a dip in the cool blue water before breakfast.  He spotted TipTup sitting despondently on the shore.  "What's the problem, TipTup?" he asked.  TipTup turned and smiled at Conker.
            "Oh, nothing," he said.  "I was just thinking about yesterday."
            "Yeah, you did a really great job on that race," Conker chattered.  "I didn't think you were going to make it for a while, but then you just zipped ahead like it was nothing out of the ordinary."
            "Well," TipTup blushed.  "I'm sure someone could have won the race.  It really wasn't anything special.  How about a swim before breakfast?"
            "TupTup, you sure know how to brighten a squirrel's day!"

            Pipsy awoke to the smell of frying bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast with jelly.  "Who's up?" she squeaked.  There was no answer.  "I said," she shrilled in her loudest voice possible, "Who is cooking food?"  She sat up and looked over to the firepit.  Krunch was sitting with his back to Pipsy, holding a frying pan in one hand and a spatula in the other.  He turned around, probably wondering what the squeaking he heard was.
            "Oh, sorry Pipsy mouse," he stammered.  "Krunch go now.  Mouse not like Krunch so Krunch leave."  Before Pipsy could say anything else, the kremling got up and walked over to the edge of the lake.
            "That was the strangest thing…" she thought.  Banjo, Timber, and Bumper got out of their sleeping bags and went over to the fire.  Seven plates of steaming food were laid out around the pit, and, not thinking of who prepared it, dug in and enjoyed one of the best breakfasts they had had in a long time.  TipTup and Conker woke Diddy and they all joined the group and soon ate their fill.
            "Boy," Bumper said, "that sure was a good meal.  Who did this?"  Pipsy looked around, realized she was the only one who knew and spoke up.
            "It was Krunch," she squeaked.  "I woke up and when he saw me, he left."  Everyone looked towards the lake and stared in wonderment at the kremling.  What a shock they must have got!  A kremling, cooking?  And good food at that!
            "Looks like we've got a mystery on our hands," Diddy said, referring to Krunch.  "It almost seems like he wants to be good."  He looked at everyone, then at Krunch, then shook his head.  "Nah.  I've never seen a good kremling, and Krunch is no exception.  We're lucky we didn't die of food poisoning!  He's luring us into his web, and then he's going to do something really dastardly.  Believe me, I know kremlings."  The only one of the bunch who didn't really believe Diddy was TipTup.  After speaking with Krunch the night before and then seeing, no, eating, the food this morning, TipTup felt pity for the ex-kremling.
            "So, guys," TipTup said, trying to avoid a conversation about Krunch.  "What courses are planned for today?"  Everyone looked at him.  TipTup?  Eager for a race?  Nah…
            Banjo spoke.  "I think we should continue in Dragon Forest.  Someone should beat Smokey."  The vote was unanimous and the company walked over to collect Krunch then made their way toward Dragon Forest.

            When they arrived at the door to the course, Smokey the dragon stepped out and sort of sniffed at the rabble of sorry racers he saw before him.  "All right," he shouted.  (He wasn't really shouting, but he's a dragon, and dragons have naturally loud voices).  "Who wants to race me?  Step forward."  The company as a whole stepped back, not realizing how big or mean Smokey was.  The one who didn't was Bumper, who stood looking down at his arm, trying to pick a piece of jelly out of his fur from breakfast.
            "Huh, wha?" he stammered.
            "All right, badger," Smokey growled.  "You're gonna learn not to mess with dragons after this race!"
            "But, But I…"  The group cheered as Bumper reluctantly climbed into his airplane.  "OK, but you guys better be cheerin' me the whole way."

            A voice in the air boomed, "Get Ready… Go!!!"  Bumper took off but Smokey flew ahead.  "Blast," he said to himself.  "If I don't get ahead soon, I never will!"  Bumper picked up a missile balloon.  "Now I need another for a homer."  With Smokey gaining more distance as they crossed the line for the second lap, he heard Krunch shouting above the rest.
            "Come on, badger!  Show smelly dragon how to fly!"  With renewed hope, Bumper maneuvered around a rock pillar to pick up another missile balloon.  Sighting Smokey just up ahead, Bumper fired the homing missile.  He felt disappointment welling up until he heard a loud groan in front of him.  Bumper blasted ahead of the dragon.  Finally gaining the lead, Bumper eased through the rest of the laps to come in first place.
            "So, you beat me," Smokey growled, with an evil gleam in his eye.  "Now you have to go through all the tracks again, but this time ya gotta collect all the silver coins in each one!  Come back when you finish… If you ever do!!"  He flew into the forest, laughing hideously.

            "That was the greatest victory since Pipsy beat Tricky Triceratops in Dino Domain," Timber cried.  "I think we ought to spend the rest of the day at the beach.  We've had too much racing these past three days, and we're all worn out.  It's time we took a day off!"  Everyone agreed and they ran off to Sherbet Island.