Rainbow Brite Twink's
Magic Carpet Ride
by Jean Lewis
"Here she comes!" squealed Twink, bouncing up and down in
excitement. Twink and the Color Kids were welcoming Rainbow Brite
home from an emergency trip to Bluegrass Country. A heat wave had
scorched all the grass. But a shower of Star Sprinkles from
Rainbow's pouch had soon brought the color back
"Look at that!" exclaimed Red Butler as Rainbow's horse, Starlite,
made a perfect landing on the grass from the arc of the rainbow.
"Isn't he graceful," said LaLa Orange as Rainbow jumped from
Starlite's back.
Everybody crowded around to greet Rainbow. Everybody but Twink. He
had bounced so high he got caught in a vine growing over the door to
the Color Castle.
"Help!" he cried. "Please get me down!"
Buddy
Blue plucked Twink off the vine and the grateful little sprite
rushed over to welcome Rainbow Brite.
Twink heard Rainbow say, "Thank you for another smooth, safe flight,
Starlite." She patted his neck.
"You're very welcome," answered Starlite. Then he began nibbling
his favorite treat, the honey-sweet clover growing around the Color
Castle.
Rainbow gave Twink a big hug. "I missed you," she said, handing him
her pouch of Star Sprinkles to carry. Twink beamed proudly, bouncing
along besides her. Then he remembered the white daisies he had
planted for Rainbow. "Come out to the garden, Rainbow. I have a
surprise for you," he said.
Meanwhile, down in The Pits, Murky Dismal and his sidekick, Lurky,
sat hunched over a box bristling with wires. "Static!" snorted
Murky. "Can't you get anything but static?" As he hit the homemade
TV, Lurky jumped up.
"Wait, boss, something's coming in on the Color Castle wavelength
through our 'bug' in the garden."
"Sound like a horse chewing," growled Murky as Starlite flickered
onto the small screen.
"It
is a horse chewing!" said Lurky. "Isn't that...."
"Shut up!" hissed Murky. "I want to hear what that brat's horse
says."
"He's
near our 'bug,' isn't he, boss?" snickered Lurky, pointing to a
small microphone painted to look like a bee.
The
two villains listened eagerly. Just then, they saw Rainbow Brite
and Twink appear on the screen.
Rainbow and Twink came into the garden just in time to see the last
fluffy white flower disappear into Starlite's mouth.
"Umm,
de-licious!" said Starlite. "This clover has a special zip to it
today!" And he tossed his rainbow mane.
"That
zip is my daisies!" wailed Twink.
"Oh,
dear, I'm sorry, Twink," said Starlite. Then he flew off to Prism
Pond. He needed a cool drink to wash down the clover--and the
daisies.
Rainbow tried to comfort Twink. "Starlite didn't know he was eating
your daisies," she said.
But
Twink could not be comforted. He remembered how hard he had worked
to grow the daisies especially for Rainbow. He was angry with
Starlite.
"Try
not to think about it, Twink," said Rainbow as she went inside the
Color Castle.
Twink
began to water his flowerless daisy plants. "Everybody thinks
Starlite's so graceful. I'd be graceful, too, if I could fly across
a rainbow," he said to himself.
"So he wants to fly, does he?" said Murky. "We'll help him fly and
the 'Rainbow Brat,' too--right into the cages we've got waiting for
them down in the dungeon!"
Then
Murky sent Lurky to the basement for four big metal clothespins, a
small rug, and a giant magnet. While Lurky rounded up the things,
Murky opened his disguise trunk. He put on a flowering robe, a
turban, and a long, white cotton beard. He looked like a magician.
"Behold!" he cackled. "Murko the Magnificent!"
"I'd never know it was you, boss," said Lurky, back from the
basement.
"And
now," said Murky, "I'll pack my bag of magic tricks!" He clipped
the clothespins to one end of the rug and stuffed it in the bag,
along with a cracked crystal ball. "Bring the magnet and our
walkie-talkies," he ordered, heading outside.
Lurky couldn't understand how Murky was going to make Twink fly, but
he knew better than to ask questions. Murky drove off in the Grunge
Buggy, leaving behind a cloud of dust. Lurky peered through a
powerful telescope aimed at the castle gardens and Twink. He
repeated Murky's instructions. "Keep your eye on the sprite, keep
your ear to the walkie-talkie, and when I tell you, point the big
magnet at the rug."
After hiding the Grunge Buggy in the bushes, Murky walked up to
Twink. In a high, quavery voice he said, "Murko the Magnificent can
see your future in this crystal ball." He pulled it out of his bag
with a flourish, keeping the crack hidden. Twink put down his
watering can. "What do you see?"
Murky peered into the crystal ball. "I see you flying," he said.
"Ah, how graceful you are."
"Are
you sure it's me?" asked Twink, trying to see.
"It's
you, all right--flying on a magic carpet. One just like this!" and
the wily magician unzipped his bag and whipped out the small rug.
Murky and Twink both sneezed as dust flew from it.
Before he knew what was happening, Twink found himself seated on the
carpet, waiting for lift-off.
Murky waved frantically at Lurky. "Murko to Lurky," he hissed into
his walkie-talkie. Through the telescope, Lurky watched Murky's
amazing antics. Then he remembered to switch on his walkie-talkie.
"Magnet, dummy! Magnet!" crackled Murky's angry voice.
As soon as Lurky pointed the magnet at the metal clothespins, the
rug lifted off the grass.
Twink
let out a squeal of delight. "I'm flying! I'm flying!" he cried.
And so he was, six feet above the petunias! When Twink called out
that he wanted to land, Murky ducked behind a tree to signal Lurky
to lower the magnet. Twink made a bumpy landing on some rocks.
"Will the magic carpet hold two?" Twink asked.
"Of
course," purred Murky. Twink ran into the Color Castle to get
Rainbow, and Murky hurried back to his Grunge Buggy.
"Fly
right into my cages, 'Rainbow Brat' and Twink! I'll be waiting for
you!" he cackled gleefully. And he drove off to The Pits, still
cackling.
"Twink, why do you want me to sit on this old rug with you?" asked
Rainbow Brite.
"You'll see in a minute," answered Twink.
Suddenly, they were airborne. "Twink!" Rainbow gasped. "When did
you learn to fly?" Twink beamed as they soared over Rainbow Land.
He started to tell her about Murko when she grabbed his arm.
"Look, we're headed for The Pits," she screamed. "Turn around,
quick!"
"I
can't!" gasped Twink, struggling with the rug.
Straight ahead stood Lurky, pulling them to him with the magnet.
Beside him, still in his magician's robes, Murky danced a jig. "It's
these metal clothespins," said Rainbow. "They're being pulled by
Lurky's magnet." She unclipped one, and the rug dipped
dangerously. Rainbow and Twink almost fell off. Then Rainbow
remembered one of the things Twink did best.
"Twink," she said, "we can make a safe landing if you bounce. Each
time I pull off a clothespin, bounce. That will steady the rug as
we come down. Ready?"
Twink
took a deep breath. "Ready," he said.
Twink
bounced each time Rainbow unclipped a clothespin. They landed
safely in a haystack.
"I'm so proud of you!" said Rainbow, hugging Twink. "You're my
hero!"
At
The Pits, Murky yelled at Lurky, "It's all your fault!" Lurky got so
flustered that he dropped the magnet on Murky's toe. "Ouch!" howled
Murky. He howled so loud that Starlite heard him and came to see
what had happened.
Rainbow told Starlite what Twink had done.
"Oh,
my goodness," said Starlite. "How brave you were, Twink." Then
Starlite opened his saddlebag. It was filled with daisy plants in
bloom. "I felt so bad about eating your daisies that I went out and
found you some new ones."
"Why
thank you, Starlite!" said Twink, bouncing up and down. Then Rainbow
Brite and Twink climbed on Starlite's back for the flight along the
rainbow, back to the Color Castle. How nice, thought Twink, to leave
the flying to Starlite! |
