Song: Eating the Peach

From: James and the Giant Peach

"Nicely done!" One voice complemented. It was clear but seemed to have clicks and chirps mixed in. The guardians couldn't see who had spoken but they could tell where it was coming from. In the back of the crowd spirits were parting and murmuring: "it's the Commodore."

Before long the owner of the voice came on to the dance floor. It was a huge beetle and he wasn't alone but had a whole swarm with him. The one in front straitened so he stood on his two lowest hind legs, the other four acting as arms. He had a sailor's hat on his head and, standing like he was, reached up to Bunny's chest when you included his antennae. His top left arm grabbed his hat and the beetle gave the Big Four a deep bow.

"Guardians of childhood it is an absolute pleasure to meet you!" His accent was hard to place, besides the clicks and the chirps that mixed with his words, it sounded like a mix between British and French. "I am Commodore B. Bed Bug!" After introducing himself the Commodore returned his position to vertical and replaced his hat.

Sandy looked shocked and puzzled. He showed a kid in bed, a beetle, and a pair of mandibles snapping closed, his signature question mark and an exclamation point finished the statement.

The Commodore bowed his head and took his hat into his four hands, fidgeting with it; if it were possible he looks bluer than his shell. "Yes! I am sorry to say that I am the one who started the phrase: "sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite." When I was young I developed a taste for people. I never took more than a few nibbles, but that is no excuse."

The other bugs looked subdued; ones spoke up after the Commodore stopped talking. "You weren't the only one father."

"Yes, but I was the first and taught the rest of you." His head remained bowed but then looked back at the guardians, though his hat remained in his hands. "There is no excuse or way to truly express how sorry I and my family/crew are for our past sins. But I can, in all honesty, tell you that we've (as the saying goes) turned over a new leaf."

"Ha! You changed our ways by yourself?!" An older bed bug in the back of the group now stood on her hind legs with her other four arms crossed, and was giving B. Bed Bug a look that could melt ice.

The Commodore returned her look with one that was almost unreadable. "I have changed! … Though not on my own." He added as the older bedbug's stair intensified. "I met a kind and crafty spirit that showed me a new way of life. Now we," he gestured to the other bedbugs. "Travel the seven seas tasting and collecting delicacies." The hat was replaced on B. Bed Bug's head. And his boisterous personality returned. "In fact we've brought several with us!"

At this a good dozen or so bedbugs raised onto their hind legs revealing platters held in their front most hands. There was kind applause and even some compliments and whistles. But there were also quite a few grimaces at the delicacies the platters held.

As the platter barriers took their samples to the food stalls the Commodore continued speaking. "However the food that still holds the largest place in my heart is the one that the spirit who helped change my ways first introduced me to. Dear musicians, if you would be so kind as to play my song."

"Of course Commodore." A few instruments were switched out and the dance floor quickly cleared.

The Big Four followed suit but kept as close as they could. All the remaining bedbugs gathered in the middle of the dance floor and became completely still. When the music started it resembled some kind of ballroom music. The Commodore stood in the absolute center of the bugs and started to sing.

(Start song here)

The music then picked up and became lively, at the same time the bedbugs started moving in an intricate dance.

The music slowed, next, mostly consisting of violins and the dancing continued. The bedbug that had tried to comfort his father before now stood in the cluster and took up the song.

Suddenly each bedbug held four peaches, one in each hand, and a complicated juggling act started up. Peaches flying in dizzying displays between the jugglers.

B. Bed Bug's son was replaced by a lady bedbug, the Commodore's wife. She quietly caught the peaches flying through the air and squeezed them into a picture at her feet, creating juice. She poured that juice into cups that she held out to the others.

The cups were drained and more peaches appeared in the hands of the jugglers. Once again the juggling commenced and Mrs. Bed Bug did the can, can.

High in air B. Bed Bug flew above the dance floor. Held above his head by his four hands was one huge peach. "Now comes my fellow travelers the burden of my speech"

The older bedbug gave the Commodore her ice melting glared, looking up she growled at him: "You sure?!"

High up the commodore swung back and forth under the weight of the peach. "These foods are rare beyond compare and some right out of reach." No long able to hold the fruit he dropped it right on top of the other bedbugs. The older got away but the others were buried in peach pulp.

"Nice aim Commodore." The older complemented sarcastically.

"But there's no doubt I'd go without a million plates of each." The Commodore landed in front of her and she swatted him away.

"Out of my face!"

"For one small might."

Half the bedbugs rose from the peach pulp. "One small might." They echoed.

"One tiny bite." The Commodore continued.

The other half of bedbugs rose as well. "Tiny bite." They echoed.

Then every one of them sang: "of this fantastic peach!"

"The commodore grabbed the older bedbug and dragged her into the messy peach pulp. As soon as they hit it, with a huge SPLAT, a food fight broke out. It reminded the guardians of Jack's snowball fights so much that they didn't have any chance, in their focused state, to Dodge and were soon covered in sticky peach.

As one the bedbugs leapt into the air and came down performing perfect cannonballs into the pulp at the same time. Creating a wave that covered the front row of their audience. Those sticky everyone applauded.

"Thank you, one and all!" The commodore called as he emerged covered in peach to take a bow. The others soon followed him. "And now… LET US FEAST!" The bedbugs fell upon the peach pulp like vultures; none of themh took notice or seem to mind that they weren't joined by the other spirits.