Mr Gum and the Power Crystals (5 page)

‘So, you little meddler,' scowled Mr Gum eventually. ‘You found them strange stones what I been searchin' for in the windmill all this time.'

‘Then it
was
you I saw nosin' around here last night in my sort-of-dream-type-thing,' said Polly.

‘Yeah, probably,' agreed Mr Gum. ‘Cos I
know the power what lives inside them stones. An' I know you can feel it too, can't ya?' he continued slyly, inching towards Polly in his hobnail boots.

‘No,' said Polly, but she was shaking all over. Mr Gum was right – she could feel the power, growing stronger by the second.

‘Give in, little girl,' murmured Mr Gum, coming closer still. ‘Give in an' join forces with me!'

‘No way!' said Polly, but her voice was
unsteady. The stones felt very heavy and hot in her hand and it was hard to think straight . . .

‘Give in,' wheedled Mr Gum. ‘Together we'll take them stones up into the windmill, an' then jus' imagine how powerful we'll be!'

‘No, Mr Gum, I'm not like you,' gasped Polly weakly, but the stones were whispering, whispering worse than ever.

Give in to Mr Gum and you can have anything you want!
they whispered.
Anything at all!

And now the stones were showing Polly things, filling her head with visions of incredible power . . .

She saw herself as an Evil Queen, powerful and tall, with a robe and everything. The world was hers to command.

She had only to lift a hand and mountains would crumble into the sea . . . She had only to raise a finger and cities would crumble into the sea . . . She had only to say a word and forests would crumble into the sea . . .

Basically she could make things crumble into the sea if she fancied, that's how powerful she was.

‘Ha ha!' she laughed. ‘I am Evil Queen Polly an' I've a-given in to the Bad Side an' Mr Gum's my new best friend an' we spend all our time makin' things crumble into the sea an' watchin' “Bag of Sticks” on the world's biggest TV screen. Ha ha ha!'

‘BUT
NO,
YOU EVILLERS!'
roared Polly, shaking her head like crazy to clear these appalling thoughts from her mind. ‘I won't never go over to no Bad Side so get lost, plain an' simple!'

‘Shabba me whiskers!'
yelled Mr Gum furiously. ‘How can you resist me temptin' offer, little girl?'

‘It's called believin' in the Forces of Good!' cried Polly just as furiously as he. ‘An' it's somethin'
you wouldn't know nothin' about, you cucumber!'

‘Oh, BLEM!' shouted Mr Gum, losing the last of his patience and lunging for the stones. ‘Jus' gimme them things! I wants to take 'em to the windmill an' I wants to take 'em now! An' I'm not a cucumber –
you
are!'

And with that it was
CHASING TIME!

Y
es, it was
CHASING TIME!
and it had everything you need for a good chase, including:

A Person Running Away running away

A Chasing Guy chasing after them

A few trees

A river

A bit where the Person Running Away trips over and the Chasing Guy laughs but then he's so busy laughing he skids into the river and a newt swims up his nose

Some pebbles

Some more pebbles

A leaf