Henry and Maria were sleeping. They were having amazing dreams.
Henry was dreaming he was on a spaceship on Mars, eating a double-cheese pizza.
Maria was dreaming she was on the merry-go-round at a fair.
Somebody rattled them around. “Get up!”
“Where’s my pizza gone?” shouted Henry.
“Why has the merry-go-round stopped?” shouted Maria.
It was Grandma Finny.
Grandma Finny woke up people very early (even guests). This time it was 4:30 a.m.
“We have to go to the market!’’ shouted Grandma.
“Oh no,” Henry and Maria said.
“I’ll get you some toys!’’
“Yay!”
“The drive will take seven hours!”
“That’s a lot.”
Left with no choice, Henry and Maria had to come with Grandma Finny in the car. They were still in their pyjamas, and their eyes were drooping.
After an hour of experiencing boredom, Henry noticed something in the corner of the car. Something shaped like a ball was moving around slowly and silently. It looked like there was a hat on top of it.
“Look!” Henry said to Maria.
The object was coming closer. It looked like a small creature.
“I’m going to catch it!” said Henry excitedly.
“Don’t!” said Maria.
But it was too late.
Henry caught the creature. Maria tried to snatch it and throw it away.
Suddenly, both of them became dizzy. Then everything went black.
When they opened their eyes, they saw they were in a different place. All around there were small plump gnomes standing still. Henry and Maria were standing on a velvet carpet. At the end of the hall, there was a man with a crown. He looked like a king.
“Hullo,” he said. “What are your names?”
“Henry,” said Henry.
“Maria,” said Maria.
“Well… Very good, Watzin,” the king said, speaking to an extremely fat gnome. “Now, these two shall work for me!”
“No way!” said Henry.
“We’re not going to work for you!” said Maria.
The king didn’t look very happy.
“Fine. I’ll give you a choice, then. Would you want somebody to accompany you, or would you want a house for yourself in my land?”
“A house,” said Henry and Maria.
“Excellent! A splendid choice! Tomorrow, I shall work out my plan and conquer the world!”
“Conquer the world?” said Maria.
“Of course!” said the king.
That was it.
The next morning when Henry and Maria woke up in their bedroom (in their new house in the king’s land), they went to see the hall.
It was empty.
There was only one gnome standing in the middle. Henry and Maria went to speak to it.
“What happened?” they said.
“I’m here to help you,” said the gnome. “The king has now taken over the world. He wants you to help him, but it is better to stop him.’’
He turned to Henry.
“Go out of the hall and then turn to the right. Run. After sometime, you’ll see a ray gun in your hands. Press the red button on it. Your Freezing Power will activate. Everyone will get frozen.”
He then turned to Maria.
“When everyone will get frozen, you have to first use your Power of Judgement. It decides who is good and who is bad. It will work automatically. Then use your Melting Power. The ice which is covering the good people will melt. The bad people will remain frozen forever. Go out of the hall, turn left, run, you’ll find a ray gun in your hands, and press the green button on it. Done.”
“Now, remember to be very careful, you two. You are the only ones bearing these powers, and you can use them only once. Good luck!”
That is how it is. One moment you are in your grandmother’s car, and then, you’re on a mission to save the world from some evil gnomes and a king.
When Henry and Maria went outside, there was chaos everywhere. All they could see were gnomes, people shouting, people running.
Henry used his Freezing Power. Maria used her Power of Judgement and Melting Power. But there was still a problem. Weren’t the gnomes and the king still there, frozen?
And suddenly the gnomes (and the king) vanished.
It was done. All the bad people were gone. The world would be a better place.
The gnome who had helped them came running towards them.
“Before anyone sees you, you have to get back to that car!”
He pulled them into a hall and pushed them into a small machine.
“What-?” said Maria.
“Now, three-two-one, GO!” shouted the gnome.
Henry and Maria became dizzy again and….
PLOP.
They landed back in Grandma Finny’s car.
“Should we tell her?” whispered Maria excitedly.
“Of course!’’ said Henry.
“Grandma Finny….?” they said.
And they told her their whole adventure.
