The Adventures of Marvin Theodore Harvey:
Wow! It’s the Radleys
By Michael Biagiotti
SMASHWORDS EDITION
*********
PUBLISHED BY
Michael Biagiotti on SMASHWORDS
The Adventures of Marvin Theodore Harvey:
Wow! It’s the Radleys
copyright 2009
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The Adventures of Marvin Theodore Harvey:
Wow! It’s the Radleys
Like most boys, Marvin Theodore Harvey loves adventure. He loves being outside and he loves playing with his friends. But be clear, its adventure he loves, not trouble. And although he always tries to do the right thing, and possibly because he tries to do the right thing, trouble has a way of sometimes finding him…
It’s a sunny afternoon and Marvin is having a tea party with Daffodil, Larue and Marla. He usually tries to avoid tea parties, but earlier in the day, Daffodil promised him homemade cookies if he played along. Afterwards, she said they would make mud pies. He has played along the best he can, but by now the cookies have all been eaten and he is tired of pretending to drink tea.
Marla, who talks in meeps that only Marvin understands, says, “Meep meep meep meep.”
“I’m ready to make mud pies, too,” agrees Marvin.
“But first,” declares Daffodil, “We have one more song to sing. Ready Larue?”
Larue smiles and nods her head. She and Daffodil start singing and Marla meeps along. Marvin rolls his eyes, but joins in as well.
“Won’t you join us for a cup of tea?
Come on over and have a seat,
And won’t you pass the sugar please,
‘Cause I need my tea taste to taste extra sweet,
Extra sweet, extra sweet,
I need my tea to taste extra sweet,
Yeah, yeah,
I need my tea to taste EXTRA SWEET!”
When they finish the song, Marvin yells, “Let’s make mud pies!”
They get right down to business. Daffodil mixes all sorts of leaves, sticks and rocks into her mud pie. She says, “The secret of a good mud pie is the mix of ingredients. That’s what I learned from cooking shows on television.”
Larue says, “I’m making bean pies from my Mama Grazie’s secret recipe. She made the best bean pies ever. One day I’m gonna make them and sell them and everyone will love them.”
Marvin and Marla are just playing in the mud. They’re not making mud pies at all. They’re making a big mess and having a fun time doing it.
They start singing another song.
“Who put the beans in the bean pie?
Did you put the beans in the bean pie?
Who put the beans in the bean pie?
I bet you put the beans in the bean pie.”
And just as they are finishing their song, their friend Albert comes running up with a big grin on his face. He’s jumping up and down, holding a rolled up poster. He yells, “Hey guys! Hey guys!” But that’s all he gets out, because they start singing again.
“Who put the beans in the bean pie?
Albert put the beans in the bean pie,
He’s so excited that he’s jumping around,
I wonder what it is that Albert’s found.”
Albert tries to wait patiently as they finish the song and finally blurts out, “You’ll never guess what’s coming to town! It’s a stunt show! It’s the coolest thing ever!”
He rolls open the poster and shows it to them. The Radleys Stunt Show is in town and will be performing tomorrow. The show has motorcycles, hot rods, a human cannon ball and airplanes. Everyone says, “Wow!”
The only one not impressed is Daffodil. She says, “They look like a bunch of show offs to me.”
And just as Daffodil is about to explain exactly why they’re a bunch of show offs, she’s interrupted by the loud roar of an engine.
A motorcyclist rides up to them. It’s the guy from the poster. It’s Hutch. He’s the leader of The Radleys. Before they can say or do anything, Hutch grabs the poster from Albert and autographs it. They quietly stand there looking at him in amazement until Marvin finally says, “That’s the coolest motorcycle ever.”
After signing the poster, Hutch gives it back to Albert and says, “Make sure you kids come out to the stunt show tomorrow. We’re setting up just over the hill. It’s gonna be the most exciting thing you’ve ever seen!”
And with that, he takes off riding a wheelie. “Awesome!” yells Marvin, “Let’s play daredevil.”
Everyone, except Daffodil, pretends they’re riding motorcycles, driving hot rods and jumping out of airplanes. She warns, “If you’re not careful, someone’s going to get hurt.”
Marla decides she wants to be a real daredevil. She points to a flower growing way up in the top of a tall tree. It’s growing at the end of a skinny branch. She says, “Meep meep. Meep meep meep meep.”
Marvin says, “Marla, there’s no way you can climb all the way up there and get that little flower. No way!”
Marla responds, “Meep meep!”
Marvin says, “Okay Marla. Prove it. I dare you to climb way up in that tree and get that flower.”
Larue and Albert agree, “Yeah Marla. We dare you.”
Daffodil says, “Marla, you shouldn’t do it. That’s really high up there.”
Marla doesn’t listen to the warning. She heads for the tree and starts climbing. She climbs up and up. Everyone stands there watching as she climbs 50 feet high. Marla pauses for a minute before she slowly starts moving out on a skinny branch towards the flower. Daffodil yells, “Be careful Marla!”
Marla inches her way out on the branch. The flower is right in front of her. She smiles as she reaches out and grabs it. She holds it up for a second as everyone on the ground starts to cheer. But there’s a loud SNAP as the branch breaks. Marla starts to fall, and everyone gasps. Luck is on her side and another branch catches her by the collar of her shirt. She still has the flower, but now she’s stuck hanging at the end of a branch. When everyone realizes she’s not falling anymore, they breathe a sigh of relief.
Marla starts meeping for help. No one is sure what to do, so Daffodil takes charge. She yells, “Don’t worry Marla. You’ll be okay. We’ll go get help!”
She tells Marvin and Albert, “Go get help. And make it quick. Larue and I will stay here to make sure Marla’s okay.”
Marvin and Albert quickly run off. They’re moving as fast as they can, because they don’t want Marla to get hurt.
Daffodil and Larue try to calm her down. They tell her again, “Marla. You’re gonna be okay. Just try to stay calm. We’re your best friends and we’re gonna take care of you.”
Marla takes a deep breath and calmly says, “Meep meep meep.”
Since Marvin’s the only person that really understands her, Daffodil and Larue aren’t quite sure what she’s saying, but they can tell that she feels better. After ten minutes, Marvin and Albert are still not back. Daffodil and Larue start to get a bit nervous. Larue says to Daffodil, “We should make a giant mud pie right under Marla. That way if she falls, she’ll land right in it and it will cushion her fall so she doesn’t get hurt.”
Daffodil says, “Larue, that’s a great idea. I love making mud pies and this will be the biggest mud pie ever.”
They get right to work. As they’re making the giant mud pie, they sing a song.
“There goes Marla Meeps,
Meep, meep, meep,
The sweetest meep,
That you’ll ever meet.”
“Silly Marla Meeps,
Meep, meep, meep,
She got stuck,
Way up in the tree.”
“Such a little meep,
Meep, meep, meep,
We’re making the biggest mud pie,
That you’ll ever see.”
Making the mud pie and singing the song makes Marla feel a little better. She likes when her friends sing to her.
The rumble of a motorcycle sounds in the distance. It turns out to be two motorcycles. Hutch and Marvin are on one bike and Sabie and Albert are on the other. Sabie’s another member of the Radleys stunt squad. They jump off their motorcycles and Marvin shows Hutch and Sabie where Marla’s stuck. Hutch tells Sabie, “I think this could help us promote the stunt show.”
Marvin isn’t sure what he means by that, and before he can ask any questions, Sabie yells, “Marla you are quite the daredevil!”
Hutch adds, “But it’s a good thing the Radleys are here to come to your rescue. So you sit tight and we’ll get you down from there in no time!”
Then he turns to Sabie and says, “You go back to base camp and get the rescue team. I’ll take care of everything else.”
Hutch gets out his cell phone and calls his friend on the local television news team. He says, “Get over here right away. There’s a local youngster stuck up in a really tall tree and the Radleys are going to rescue her. It’ll be high octane excitement.”
He hangs up the phone and yells up to Marla, “Don’t you worry little Marla, you’re about to be rescued … Radley’s style!” Then he flashes a big smile.
Not five minutes later, they hear the roar of engines coming their way. Before Marvin, Daffodil, Marla, Albert and Larue know what’s happening, the whole Radleys crew has arrived. Immediately they get to work. They build a small stage right under the tree. They also set up ramps and other types of strange equipment. For a few minutes they forget that Marla is stuck. It’s quite a sight to see the Radleys go to work. They work hard and get things done quickly.
As this is going on, a television news van pulls up. As soon as the van stops, a reporter and cameraman get out. They head right over to Hutch and start interviewing him. Hutch reports, “There’s a poor little youngster stuck in that tree right there. She’s scared and needs help. The Radleys are here to give her that help. Everyone in T.V. land should just sit tight and get ready for the most amazing rescue ever. And if you like what you see here, make sure you come out tomorrow to see The Radleys Stunt Show. You’ll see even more exciting, daring stunts!”
By this time a small crowd has started to gather. The Radleys have finished setting up and like the leader of a circus, Hutch jumps on stage. He announces to the crowd, “You’re about to see one of the most thrilling rescues ever! And please remember that the Radleys are trained professionals, so don’t try any of this at home. I’d like to direct your attention stage right out yonder to Zudza… The human cannonball!!!”
As the crowd looks over, Zudza is launched from a giant cannon and fireworks shoot from the stage. Zudza flies over the crowd like a superhero with arms outstretched towards Marla. She’s shaking with fear and not sure what to do. She tries to remain still, wishing she was down on the ground and none of this was going on. Zudza flies by about two feet away and lands in a safety net on the other side of the stage. The crowd lets out a big, “Aaaahhhh!!!” and starts applauding.
Hutch says, “Marla was nearly rescued, but it looks like we’ll have to try again. Who wants to see another rescue attempt?” The crowd responds by applauding. Hutch responds to this by saying, “You got more than that. I said who wants to see another rescue attempt?”
At this point the crowd applauds even louder. To which, Hutch says, “Now that’s what I thought. Please look to either side of the stage where you will see the Chooch Brothers on their motorcycles. Let’s hear it for them!” Again the crowd applauds. With that as their cue, the Chooch Brothers rev their motorcycles and each head towards a ramp.
They’re moving fast and Hutch yells, “Surely the Chooch Brothers will rescue little Marla!”
Each brother launches off a ramp as fireworks go off and colored smoke comes from the stage. The Chooch Brothers fly through the air and barely miss each other as they pass in front of Marla. They give each other a thumbs up mid jump. They each land on opposite ramps. The crowd goes crazy with applause. They like the fast motorcycles, fireworks and smoke. They seem to forget that Marla has not yet been rescued. And if they do remember, they cheer anyway.
By now Marvin is worried about Marla. He turns to Daffodil and says, “It doesn’t seem like they’re really trying to rescue her.”
“Yeah,” says Daffodil, “It’s like they just want to show off.”
Marvin declares, “We need to do something about this.”
“Like what?” asks Daffodil.
“Like climb up that tree and rescue her myself!” says Marvin.
“I think that’s a good idea,” agrees Daffodil, “Just please be careful.”
Marvin starts to climb the tree as Hutch announces the next stunt. He says, “Please look up in the sky. There you’ll see Sabie as he parachutes down to rescue poor little Marla!”
Sabie is parachuting with colorful smoke billowing off him. Fireworks and even more smoke are coming off the stage. This must be the big finale!
By this time, Marvin has made his way up the tree and is on a branch slowly moving towards Marla. Her face lights up when she sees him.
Marvin says, “Don’t worry Marla. I’ll have you down in no time.”
There’s so much smoke it’s hard to see anything, but Marvin is close enough to help Marla. He grabs her with one hand and loosens her from the branch with the other. Just as Sabie floats by in his parachute, Marla climbs on Marvin’s back for the climb down. Marvin, with Marla riding piggy-back style, quickly descends through the thick smoke.
When he gets to the bottom of the tree and is standing firmly on the ground, he asks, “Are you okay, Marla?”
Marla smiles and nods her head yes.
Hand in hand, they walk across the stage until they are standing near the edge, right in front of Hutch. Marvin holds Marla up with two hands and says, “Look Hutch. I rescued Marla and she’s okay now.”
Hutch is surprised to see them. By this time, Sabie is up on the stage next to him. Before the smoke has time to clear, Hutch quickly snatches Marla from Marvin’s hands. This startles him and he’s knocked off balance. He teeters on the edge of the stage. But instead of lending him a hand, Hutch gives him a little push. This little push is just enough to send Marvin tumbling off the stage. He lands right in the middle of the giant mud pie that Daffodil and Larue made.
When the smoke clears, Hutch is holding Marla, and Marvin is sitting in the mud pie. Hutch announces to the crowd, “Marvin Theodore Harvey may have taken a tumble into the mud…” at which point the crowd laughs at Marvin, “But, the Radleys came here to rescue Marla. And that’s what we did! Here she is! Mission accomplished!”
Hutch raises Marla above his head and the crowds start cheering. The crowd thinks it was the Radleys who rescued Marla. Through all the smoke, they couldn’t see that it was actually Marvin. When the applause dies down, Hutch adds, “If you guys like what you saw here today, make sure to come out to the Radleys Stunt Show tomorrow. It will blow your minds!” The crowd cheers again and Hutch finishes with, “I’ll see you there!”
And with that, the crowd quickly leaves. The television news team wraps it up, gets in their van and drives away. The Radleys break down all their equipment even faster then they set it up. Before he takes off on his motorcycle, Hutch rides over to Marvin. He leans in and whispers, “Sorry kid, but I can’t have you making The Radleys look bad.”
Hutch smiles and rides off. Within 15 minutes, everyone and everything is gone. Marvin, Daffodil, Marla, Larue and Albert are by themselves. They are all in a bit of shock over everything that just happened.
Marvin is covered in mud and looking a bit sad. He says, “I can’t believe the Radleys took credit for rescuing Marla.”
All his friends sit there for a minute and think about it. Then Marla walks up to Marvin. In her hand she has the flower she picked from way up in the tree. In all the excitement she never let it go. She walks up to Marvin, hands him the flower and gives him a big hug.
Daffodil, Larue and Albert start to clap. Daffodil says, “That’s okay Marvin Theodore Harvey. Let’s just be happy Marla is okay. All of your friends know what really happened. And friendship is the most important thing.”
Marvin says, “Thanks Daffodil.”
Then he smiles because he knows she’s right.
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