About a week later, the voyage was ready to start

A few days later, Jim and Long John were fooling around. Jim had his crutch, and Long John was trying to catch him.

They passed Calvin and Hobbes, where sitting near a window peeling apples.

"Hey, Jim!" said Calvin.

"Hey, Long John!" said Hobbes.

But neither one of them were noticed.

They sighed.

"At least one of us is having a good time," Hobbes grumbled.

"Eh, it's not so bad," said Calvin. "The guys said they'd tie me to the ship's mast and let me swing from it! That should be good!"

"I'll be sure to watch it," said Hobbes, shaking his head. "I dunno about this crew. I feel like they're always watching us."

"Ah, I'm sure that's just a figment of your imagination."

Suddenly, Bucky, Zero and Hagar snuck up behind them and dragged them below decks.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!!" they screamed.

"This is the first figment of my imagination to tie me to a support beam," Hobbes commented angrily.

Calvin simply shrugged from his stretching rack. "You're really missing out, imagination-wise," he replied.

Bucky walked around them.

"Now then," he said. "Tell us where the map is, OR WE'LL TEAR YA LIMB FROM LIMB!!"

Hobbes whimpered, but Calvin remained brave.

"Never!" he said. "My friend and I will never tell! You'll have to drag the information out of me like rotten tooth in a dead horse's mouth!"

"Ooh, that's a good idea," Bucky grinned, pulling out a pair of pliers.

Hobbes' eyes bugged out.

"WAIT!" he shrieked. "There could other ways to get us to talk! You know, maybe under the correct circumstances, maybe we'll sing like a canary!"

They all looked at him expectantly.

Hobbes fumbled through his brain. "Er… I… Well… Ah… Uh… Erm… Uh… M-Maybe they'll give us stuff, like comics and tuna! Lot's of tuna!"

"Never, you stripy fool!" Hagar retorted.

Hobbes scowled.

"Oh, just because you're not stylish…," he snorted.

"Hey, this is what all the Vikings are wearing this season! Just look at this genuine Viking helmet!"

"Oh, is that what it is? I thought it was a bike helmet for a cow!"

"Why you…!"

"Enough of this stupid banter! Stretch the kid, Hagar!" Bucky ordered.

"Yeah!" Calvin cheered. "Do it to me!"

Laughing evilly, Hagar began cranking the ropes and stretching Calvin out.

"YES!" Calvin crowed. "Oh! Yes! Ah, that feels good! Oh! That disk popped right back in! Yes!"

Hobbes shut his eyes tight as he listened to Calvin.

"Yes!" Calvin cheered. "Look out, Michael Jordon! I can wear shorts now!"

Bucky scowled.

"He's too optimistic!" he grumbled. "Let's torture the tiger!"

They all crowded around Hobbes.

"HELP!" Hobbes screeched. "MOMMY! DON'T DO IT! I CAN'T STAND BASKETBALL! SHORTS AREN'T FLATTERING ON ME! DANGER!!"

Zero pulled a hot metal pole out from the fireplace. It was red hot at the tip.

"Yes!" he said, walking over to him. "Nice and hot."

"NO! Don't do it! My fur will catch fire! HELP!"

"I've got a great recipe for blackened cat," he said, holding the pole out.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!" Hobbes screeched, bracing himself.

Just then, Sarge came in. He saw them all and gasped.

Everyone froze.

"What on Earth…?" he asked. "What are you idiots doing?!" he demanded.

Zero attempted to hide the pole by hiding the top part in his hand, but he burned himself.

"Ouch!" he cried, promptly licking his palm.

"What now, you wuss?!" Bucky shouted.

"MY HAND IS BURNED! KISS IT AND MAKE FEEL BETTER!"

"Get away from me!"

Zero began chasing Bucky around the room, pleading for someone to fix his burnt hand.

Calvin and Hobbes watched with interest.

"The latest form of torture: idiots," Calvin commented.

Sarge rolled his eyes.

Calvin was now enjoying his tallness from the stretcher, and Hobbes, Dr Garfield and Odie were trying to help him get back to normal.

"Get back! Stay away!" Calvin shouted. "I like being tall!"

"Calvin, it's not natural!" Hobbes replied. "Let us shrink you back!"

"Never!"

"Grab him!"

Hobbes and Odie grabbed at Calvin's legs. Dr Garfield began looping lots of ropes around his legs.

Meanwhile, Captain Snoopy had Bucky, Hagar and Zero brought before him.

"Sergeant Arrow, lock these men off for the remainder of the voyage!" he ordered.

"Yes, sir," said Sarge, pushing the three pirates to the brig.

"You can't hold us!" Bucky screeched. "Attica! Attica!"

Zero simply started crying.

"Oh, stop it!"

"My hand still hurts," he wailed.

"Stay away from me!"

"I need a band-aid!"

As they disappeared below the ship, Snoopy turned to Jim, who was nearby.

"Master Hawkins, may I see you in my cabin please?" he asked sternly.

Jim nodded and followed him.

By now, Dr Garfield and Odie had attached Calvin to the top of the mast and to the ship's deck. He had been stretched that far.

"Okay, Odie, tie off the rope!" Dr Garfield ordered.

"Arf!" said Odie, who tied off the rope that held Calvin in place.

"You're sure you can do this?" Hobbes asked.

"Nope," said Dr Garfield. "But then again, what is science but a big truckload of luck and coincidence?"

"Really stupid?"

"Bingo!"

Dr Garfield cut the ropes with a pair of scissors.

TWANG!

Calvin sailed into the air, and somehow, it managed to shorten back to his normal height. He seemed to roll up into himself like a window shade. He dangled from the mast.

"Whoo!" he cheered.

Then he let go, and he crash-landed on Odie.

WHUMP!

Dr Garfield stared at them.

"Job well done, boy," he said at last, smiling in satisfactory.

"That was great!" Calvin whooped.

Odie managed to get his head out of his shirt and shook himself off, resuming his dopey look and slurping Calvin.

"Ack!" Calvin cried. "Stop it."

Odie just grinned dopily and drooled on his own foot.

"He is truly a man of science," Dr Garfield said, grinning wryly.

Jim sat in Captain Snoopy's office.

"Jim, listen," Snoopy said sternly. "I really hope you're willing to give me the map now, considering what's just happened."

Jim remained stubborn.

"I'd rather not, sir," he said.

Snoopy sighed and shook his head.

"I hoped it wouldn't come to this, Jim, but…as captain, I order you to give me the map," he said, holding out a paw.

Jim hesitated, but he finally handed over the map.

Sarge entered at that time.

"Sergeant Arrow, lock up this treasure map," Captain Snoopy ordered.

Sarge nodded and took the map. He locked it up in the cabinet.

"It shall be safe in here, sir," he said, tucking the keys away in his pocket.

And the ship sailed onwards.