CHAPTER FOUR

Dennis and Ivy caught the bus to Beanotown and it drove back to their own town.

With their disguises, Dennis and Ivy were able to walk past the police cars driving by looking for them.

Dennis and Ivy arrived at Ivy's house. Dennis knocked on the front door. It opened to reveal Ivy's parents.

"Yes?" asked Ivy's mum.

Dennis and Ivy entered the house and closed the door. Then they took off their disguises to reveal themselves to Ivy's parents. They couldn't believe it.

"IVY!" they cried with joy.

"MUMMY! DADDY!" cried Ivy.

They all hugged each other, happy to be reunited again. They were in tears of joy. Dennis couldn't help but feel teary too.

"Thank you, Dennis," said Ivy's dad, who still couldn't get over the fact that Dennis of all people would save his daughter.

"You're welcome," said Dennis who began to put his disguise back on.

"What are you doing?" asked Ivy.

"I have an idea of how to save the others," said Dennis. "I have to ask for someone's help and it is not going to be easy."

"Good luck," said Ivy and her parents.

"Thanks," said Dennis as he opened the door and left the house in disguise.

Dennis knew the one person who could help him in his most desperate hour.

He found the house that he was looking for. He went up to the front door and knocked on it.

The door opened and it was…

"Yes, could I help you," asked Walter The Softy not recognizing Dennis under his disguise.

"Walter, I need your help," said Dennis.

Walter recognized his voice and panicked.

"Argh! Get away you horrible menace!" he cried as he tried to close the door, but Dennis held it open.

"Look Walter, I'm serious. I need your help," begged Dennis.

"You!" cried Walter. "What makes you think I would help a rotten old menace like you! I will never forget all the times that you have made my life a misery!"

"I got a deal with you," said Dennis. "If you help me, I will never Menace you again."

Walter looked at him.

"No!" he shouted. "I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER forgive you for what you did to me!"

Dennis looked at him, hopelessly.

"But Walter, I really need…"

"NO!" cried Walter as he stared angrily at Dennis.

"Walter, please listen…"

"Go away," threatened Walter as he slammed the door.

"Walter, my friends are in trouble and have no-one to turn to!" begged Dennis. "You're the only person I trust. You may be a softy, but you're kind and honest. Who wouldn't want to trust you?"

Dennis stood there and waited for an answer.

There wasn't any.

Nothing.

Nada.

Dennis just stood there.

No hope.

Nothing.

He had no choice, but to walk away.

It was hopeless. His friends were all done for. And no-one could help him.

No-one.

At all.

Dennis stood on the pavement.

This was it.

He couldn't save his friends and couldn't stop the Cactus Man.

He was heartbroken.

He sighed with woe.

His bottom lip began to quiver.

He looked down at the pavement.

Drops of tears hit the ground.

Tears ran out of Dennis' eyes like a waterfall.

He began to cry.

"Dennis?"

He turned around and saw Walter standing there by the door.

"Just this once."

Dennis smiled and wiped the tears away from his eyes. He then walked inside the house and

Walter closed the door.

Dennis told Walter the whole story. Then he told Walter the idea.

"Your friends work at Beanotown FM, right?"

"Yes," answered Walter.

"I have to make a broadcast to every person in Beanotown and Dandytown," said Dennis.

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Dennis donned his disguise again and he and Walter left the house to go to Beanotown FM.

It was 5pm and in the recording booth it was The Softy Hour with Bertie Blinkensoft and Spotty Perkins. The Softy Hour consisted of them talking about knitting, decorating and all things yucky and girly.

Walter and Dennis (still in disguise) entered the booth.

"And we are glad to be joined by our dear chum, Walter," said Bertie.

"And who is your special guest, Walter?" asked Spotty.

Dennis took off his disguise and Bertie and Spotty panicked.

"Argh! The Menace! Go away! Go away!" they yelped.

"Look, I'm not here to menace you," said Dennis. "I'm here to give an important broadcast."

"Alright," said Bertie. "But make your broadcast and after that, just go away!"

"I will," said Dennis as walked over to the microphone.

"People of Beanotown and Dandytown, this is Dennis The Menace speaking."

Every house from all over Beanotown and Dandytown was listening to that radio. That even included all the prisoners' families.

Everyone else listening included Korky the Cat and his Kits, Winker Watson and his school, the Teacher and the Head from Bash Street School, Desperate Dan's aunt and uncle, Sneaker and his family, Cuddles and Dimples and their parents, Beryl The Peril and her parents, Brain Duane and his family, Dianah Mo and her parents, and Eric (Bananaman's alter ego) and his mum.

"My friends and I have been wrongfully accused," continued Dennis. "We were all set up by a man known as the Cactus Man. Tonight he's going to bring my friends all back to the Beanotown Home. If we don't stop him, think of all the other people he'll set up."

As Dennis made his broadcast, his eyes began to fill up with emotion. His voice became shaky and tears ran out of his eyes.

"I know that most of you don't like me or any of the other kids because of our reputation, but if you were to help us…. we would appreciate that. Just this once… Dandytown, please help us. If you do, we will never play another prank on you for as long as we shall live."

Every listener felt emotional listening to Dennis' speech.

Dennis finished his speech with:

"I'm asking you, both Beanotown and Dandytown…. will you help me?"

Everyone who has listened to the broadcast all set there and thought about what he said.

The 3 Bears all sat there in their cave.

"Well, his Grandma did us a favour," said Ma.

"Just meet me at The Beanotown Home tonight at 8 O'Clock," sniffed Dennis. "This is Dennis The Menace, signing off…. and now, back to The Softy Hour."

Dennis could hear the sound of someone crying. He turned around and it was the Softies all crying. They were moved by Dennis' speech.

"That was so beautiful Dennis," sobbed Spotty.

"Thanks," said Dennis. "And now, I've got to go home and get ready for tonight."

"Good luck, Dennis," said The Softies.

"Thanks," said Dennis as he left the booth and ran out of the station.

Then he made his way straight home.

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And now we have a parody of the tooling up sequence from Hot Fuzz:

When Dennis got to his house, he ran upstairs to his bedroom. He took off his disguise and changed back into his normal jumper and shorts. In his room, he had a huge wardrobe of menacing tools. He opened up the wardrobe and began to tool up. He put on a belt with gun holsters, he filled up his water pistols and super soakers with custard that had gone off. As they were filled up, he twirled the pistols and put them into the holsters of the belt. Then he put the super soakers into the holsters on his back. After that, he put pea shooters into a gunbelt. Imagine instead of shotgun shells, pea shooters. Then he attached his utility belt with bags of frozen peas and finally put on a pair of fake sunglasses, complete with a pea shooter in his mouth.

Dennis looked like an action hero.

He walked down the stairs and was about to head out of the door.

"Dennis," said his dad.

But Dennis had just left.

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But what about Calamity James? Well, he was locked in a cell in Beanotown Police Station. The cops all heard Dennis' broadcast and decided to make their way out of the station and down to the Home.

James was in the cell, alone. Until…

"Hello, James," said a familiar voice.

It was none other than Alexander Lemming. He outside the window of the cell.

"Hello, Alex," said James. "Aren't you joining the rebellion?"

"Well, I was, but I needed to do something first," said Alexander.

"What?" asked James.

"Breaking you out of course," said the Lemming as he pulled up a buzzsaw and turned it on.

He sawed off the bars and they fell off the window.

He then reached his paw inside the cell to grab James' hand. But James just looked at him.

"C'mon, James. What are you waiting for?" asked Alexander.

James sighed.

"You go on, I'll only mess the rebellion up," he said. "I can't do anything right. I'm just… just….. just plain bad luck."

James walked away from the window and sat at the the bench at the other wall. He sat there staring at his feet and sighed.

"James, everyone messes up," said Alexander. "We all do things right and we all do things wrong. All the bad luck you've been suffering from, it's up here."

The Lemming pointed at his head.

"If you keep saying to yourself 'I'm useless, I can't do anything right' all the time, you will mess up. But if you're confident, you'll be amazed of what you can do."

James looked him.

"Besides, I've been bored. Really bored. It's no fun without you, Jim," said Alexander. "I could go save the kids on my own, but that's no fun. I'd rather do it with a mate."

James smiled.

Then he stood up and walked over to the window. He then climbed out and landed onto the grass. From nearby, he saw a hot air balloon.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

"James, what you don't know can't hurt you," said Alexander as he and James walked over to the hot air balloon, climbed into the basket, turned the gas on and lifted up and away.

"Alright, it's actually your birthday present," said Alexander.

"Oh, cheers," said James.

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Dennis arrived at the bus stop. Waiting for him were a few of the Beanotown citizens; Walter and the Softies and Ball Boy and his team.

"That's it?" asked Dennis. "I thought there was going to be more people."

But then they all saw an unusual sight. It was Dennis' parents plus Bea, Minnie's parents, all of the Bash Street Kids' parents, Roger's parents, Ivy and her parents and Billy Whizz's family.

"Mum? Dad?" asked Dennis.

They headed towards the rebels.

"We all came to help save the kids and Granny, Gnasher, Gnipper and Rasher too," said Dennis' dad.

"Do you still believe that those kids and I caused that crime?" asked Dennis.

"Where were you really, Dennis?" asked his mum.

Dennis told them about the prank they played at Beanotown Stadium and all of the parents all stared at him.

"We may be menaces, minxes and dodgers, but we would never commit a crime like that," said Dennis.

His dad looked at him.

"I got to be honest, dad," said Dennis. "That really hurt when you said those things."

"Well, for being accused of doing something you didn't do… I forgive you," said his dad.

Dennis looked at his dad with joy. There appeared to be a tear in his eye and his bottom lip started to quiver.

"Is that a tear?" asked Dad.

"No," said Dennis very badly trying to hide the fact that he was emotional.

"Here, take my hanky," said Walter as he gave it to him.

"Thank you very much," said Dennis sarcastically.

Just then 6 police cars appeared up the road. They all drove up in front of the bus stop and parked in front of the rebels.

"Dennis, you are under arrest," said one of the policemen on a speaker phone. "Come with us now and we will take you back to the Home. We will not hurt you."

But from the other side of the road, a huge school bus arrived and at the wheel was Olive. She had the window down and stuck her hand out. She ordered the others to get into the bus. So that's what they did. They all ran inside and filled up the bus. Also inside where the Head and Teacher of Bash Street School. Plus Winston the School Cat. Olive put the pedal to the metal and drove like heck down the road to the Home.