Chapter Twenty

They were arriving back at the fair at this point. Gordon asked several people if they knew where his parents and guests were before they found them at the puppet show that was being performed near the peanut vendor's tent. Mike was next to Cam, Jess was seated to his right and the other three adults were to Cam's left. The puppet show was acting out The Three Billy Goats Gruff. The children, and the over sized child by the name of Jess Harper, were laughing as the goats tried to cross the bridge over the brook where the mean troll lived.

Mike was wide eyed with wonder as the story unfolded. As for Jess, well he was enjoying it every bit as much as the children. He'd never seen a puppet show before.

A hearty found of applause, as well as a lot of jeers and cheers, arose when the mean troll got knocked off the bridge by the biggest of the billy goats.

"Cam, tell me the story of the goats again so I'll know it when we see the puppet show again tomorrow."

"Mike! Cam might not want to see it again," Daisy was not happy with her youngest.

"Oh, that's okay, Mrs. Cooper," the girl said. "We did get here a little late and it was hard for him to see and hear. We're going to get here early for tomorrow's show." Cam gave the youngster a hug. She was really very fond of him and liked doing things with him and for him. Beside she really enjoyed these puppet shows they had at special events like this fair.

"Once upon a time there were three billy goats. They lived in a field that didn't have much grass but across the stream there was a really nice field with lots of grass and flowers."

The group ambled along as Cam retold the story her way. Little did three young men know what she had in mind as she told it.

"A mean, old, horrible, ugly troll lived under that bridge. He was so mean and horrible that most people and animals stayed away from his bridge and found another way to cross over."

The group passed by the stand where lemonade was being sold. David McAllister bought glasses of the drink for each one of them.

Cam continued her version of the story while Mike hung on every word. "So the littlest billy goat goes trip, trip, trip across the bridge."

"Trip, trip, trip?" Slim asked.

"Who's telling this story - you or me," Cam retorted.

"You are," Mike said. "Tell me more."

"Well now that horrible, ugly, mean, old troll said to the little billy goat that he'd eat him up if he didn't pay him to cross his bridge."

Mike's eyes got big. "Did that mean old troll really mean that Cam? Would he really eat that poor little billy goat?"

"He sure would have Mike, but you know what?"

"What?"

"That little billy goat was smart. He told the troll that he, the littlest billy goat, was too small to make much of a meal for a troll. His brother would be along soon and he was bigger. He'd make a better meal."

"Smart goat," Jess commented.

"Yes, he was,"Smarter than a certain scrawny ex-gunfighter I know who'd rather fight," she grinned as Jess scowled at her.

"That's the truth," Slim agreed earning a sour look from his partner.

"Boys," Daisy said. "Stop interrupting!" She frowned at her two oldest. "Go on, Cam, they won't interrupt you again."

"Yes, they will," the teen said, "but that doesn't bother me." She smiled at Mike and continued. "A little while later the middle sized goat came along. Soon the troll heard the clop, clop, as the goat started to cross the bridge."

"What did the troll do?" Mike asked.

"Well, that mean, old, horrible, ugly troll came out of his house yelling and telling the medium sized goat that he would have to pay to cross the bridge or he'd eat him."

"What did the middle goat say?" asked the little boy.

"Well he told that really ugly, mean, nasty, horrible, old troll that he, like his little brother, was too small to make much of a meal. He should wait for his older brother. The biggest billy goat would make a splendid meal for a troll such as he.

"Don't you think you're overdoing it a little?" Slim asked. "I don't remember the troll being described the way you're doing it and I read that story to Andy many times when he was growing up."

"You tell if your way and I''ll tell it mine," Cam retorted and then continued, "So the mean old horrible, ugly nasty..."

"You're overdoing it," Slim repeated.

"...troll," Cam continued, "let the second billy goat go and you could hear him clop, clop, clopping over the bridge, just like a certain person whose size doesn't match his nickname." She wasn't going to let that certain person keep interrupting her without retaliating in some manner.

Mike giggled. He was smart enough to figure out who she was referring to.

"Now the first two billy goats crossed over and they were having a high old time eating grass and flowers and dancing around because they had escaped that horrible, mean, nasty, greedy, ugly troll."

"Clomp, clomp. The biggest billy goat stepped up onto the bridge. He hadn't taken more than two steps before the mean, old, ugly, terrible, nasty, greedy troll challenged him."

Cam stopped for a minute so she could see the look of anticipation on Mike's face. She glared at the three young men who were laughing at her and making fun of her story telling.

"Clomp, clomp?" Gordon said questioningly. "I wonder who she thinks clomps when he walks?"

"I'm sure you can figure that out without any help from me," his cousin responded.

"Mr. Gordy I want to hear the rest of the story. Stop teasing Cam or she'll never finish." Mike was frustrated.

"Just ignore him, Mike," Hannah said while glaring at her son. "Go on Cam."

"Clomp! Clomp! Clomp! The biggest, and heaviest, of the three goats climbed up on the bridge." Cam was warming up for the big finale. "Before he took two steps toward the other side of the stream that mean, old, ugly, horrible, rotten, greedy troll popped up and demanded his money.

"I have no money to give you," said the goat. Get out of my way!"

Mike shivered in anticipation, eyes wide with wonder, hanging on every word she said.

"I let two others cross before you. You shall not get away. The troll lunged at the biggest goat but the goat was faster and butted that mean, old, ugly, nasty, horrible, greedy troll into the stream and it was washed away by the current never to be seen or heard from again. Clomp, clomp, clomp. The biggest billy goat gruff crossed the bridge and joined his brothers in the meadow. When the two small goats heard what had happened to the troll they started singing and dancing. Then they all lived happily ever after with the other goats and the cows and sheep and people who lived on both sides of the stream. Word got around about what had happened to the mean, old, ugly, horrible, nasty, greedy troll and not another troll ever went to live under that bridge again," Cam finished.

"You sure tell a good story, Cam," Mike told his friend.

"She loves it because she gets to exaggerate about the troll," Gordon said on the sly to Slim and Jess.

"How else would you tell someone about how horrible it was?" Jess asked, causing the other two to roll their eyes. Jess was always quick to defend his friends and Cam was not only his friend but much younger and a girl besides.

"They don't bother me, Jess," Cam told him. "I've been dealing with their so-called sense of humor - and complaints since I was a little girl."