Bugley, the Ugly Bog
PART I
Bugley the Bog was sound asleep in a tight little ball next to his mother's big, furry belly. Several of his relatives had come to check in on them, and to see the newest little member of the family. Bugley's mother, Tender, gently stroked the head of her first-born cub and thought how he would also be her last. Her mate, Rogglebog, had disappeared in a thunderstorm several months before Bugley was born. Tender was very proud of her only cub, and could see what a fine figure of a bog he would become someday. In fact, she was so proud of Bugley that she invited nearly everyone in the Land of the Whispering Wind to come and take a look at him.
Most of Tender's friends were careful to say something nice about Bugley. Tutui the Singerwing said, "He will be the bravest of bogs." Barudas the Snow Leaper said, "He has a fine, thick coat of fur." Bundlebur the Huglump said, "Those claws will have no trouble digging roots. He will surely grow big and fat."
For three days, animals of every kind came to give their blessings to their new little friend. On the fourth day, Toewart the Toad came to see Bugley. Now, Toewart was NOT careful to say something nice... "Let me see his face!" shouted Toewart in a loud voice. Tender picked Bugley up and held him for all to see. Everyone gasped when they saw his big nose, jagged, gnarled teeth and deep, dark eyes. "He has nice, strong features," exclaimed Biddle the Limb Nibbler. "Fiddlesticks! He's uglier than I am!" croaked Toewart. "In fact, he's just plain scary looking." Everyone was embarrassed to hear old Toewart say out loud what they were all thinking. Old Greystripe the Moncat said, "Don't listen to him, Tender, I'm sure Bugley will grow up to be a very important bog." "He's already the most important bog in Imaginaria to me... and the handsomest, too," chuckled Tender. Her love for Bugley made her blind to his flaws, so she was not at all worried about Toewart's outburst. "Besides," she thought, "if Toewart had a baby, I might think IT was very ugly."
As time passed, Bugley grew big and fat like all bogs. His claws were sharp for digging, and he was very brave... but he was not handsome AT ALL. As mean as it was to say, Bugley WAS ugly, and old Toewart had told the truth. Bugley had a heavy brow that shaded his piercing eyes, and his teeth grew in every direction. His ears were too short, and his nose was too big. Bugley, however, did not know he was ugly. His mother had always told him what a handsome bog he was. Besides, there were no mirrors in his cave in the Blue Bog Caverns... only beautiful, sparkling azurene blue stones.
Bugley soon was old enough to help take care of the baby bogs so the mamas and papas could go out and dig for food. All the bogs Bugley's age were expected to care for the babies. One day, Tender said, "Bugley, since you don't have any little brothers or sisters of your own to help with, don't you think it would be nice to see if Rotunda Bog needs help with her six little ones?" "Oh, Mama!" boomed Bugley in his big, deep voice. "That would be fun! May I go right now?" "I don't see why not," smiled Tender.
Bugley bounded across the floor of his cave and out onto the high trail of the great cavern—a path he had taken with his mother many times when she went to visit friends. Even though Bugley had not gone visiting all winter long because he'd been asleep, he still knew his way. Rotunda Bog, one of his mother's favorite friends, loved to eat—even more than most bogs—and Rotunda loved to feed Bugley. On his last visit, Rotunda had made rutabaga soup with little fernfoam-coloured onions, and some sweet 'tata pudding with honey on it.
It was a good hike up the trail to the top of the Blue Bog Caverns where Rotunda lived with her mate, Stoutly, and their six cubs. By the time Bugley reached the top, he was very hungry. As he reached the entrance to Rotunda's and Stoutly's cave, a HUGE bog came rumbling toward him, shouting, "Who goes there?!?" Bugley shrieked, "It's me—Bugley Bog." "Oh, Bugley, I didn't recognize you," laughed Stoutly. "You're all grown up—not a cub any more." "No, sir," answered Bugley. "I have come to offer myself as a helper for your babies while you are away gathering." "Oh, that would be splendid, Bugley. We don't get much help way up here. Come in, come in," invited Stoutly. "Look who's here!" he announced. "It's Bugley Bog, Tender's cub." "Come in here, Bugley, and help me put the honey on the sweet 'tatas," called Rotunda. "Yes ma'am," said Bugley, whose mouth instantly began to water.
After they finished a wonderful meal Bugley asked, "Where are the cubs?" "They're asleep on the moss patch in the cavelet over there," said Stoutly "May I see them?" begged Bugley. "Not right now," whispered Rotunda. "I want them to sleep until we return from gathering lollyberries. Will you stay here while we go?" "Yes, ma'am, that's what big bogs like me are supposed to do," said Bugley.
Soon after Rotunda and Stoutly had walked down the trail, Bugley decided it was time to take a nap. He curled up on the big moss patch in the corner of the main cave. That way, no one could come in or out without him knowing. Bugley fell into a deep, deep sleep, and began to snore very loudly. His snoring was so loud that the six little bog cubs all woke up. "Papa?" stuttered one sleepy-eyed cub, who waddled over to the big snoring ball of fur. "Papa?" said another cub, and then another, until all six sleepy-eyed cubs were standing around Bugley. One cub started calling excitedly, "Papa, Papa!" but when Bugley did not wake up, the cubs all hopped up and down on him, tugging on his fur. "Papa, Papa! Wake up!" they shouted. Bugley began to dream that trolls were whacking him with their clubs. He leaped straight up in the air, flinging the startled little bogs in every direction. When he landed, he snarled and growled at what he thought were trolls. The frightened cries of the cubs, who ran out of the cave (scattering like tweezles in a thunderstorm) startled Bugley, who was now fully awake.
"Monster, monster!" screamed the smallest cub, as he tumbled down the steep trail. "Come back!" shouted Bugley. "I won't hurt you! I'm Bugley Bog. Don't run away!" But it was too late. The little cubs were so terrified by Bugley's scary face and growls that they had run too far to hear his explanation. What was he going to tell Rotunda and Stoutly? What if one of the cubs got hurt rolling down the steep trails? Or what if they got lost, never to be found? It would be his fault. Bugley called and called, and searched and searched, but couldn't find even one cub. He sat on a rock and began to weep. Bugley was rubbing his teary eyes with one of his big paws when he saw Rotunda and Stoutly laboring up the steep trail with their heavy packs filled with lollyberries and many other delicious roots and fruits. They looked so happy, it made Bugley cry even more to think of telling them he had frightened away all their babies, when he was supposed to have been watching them. All of a sudden, he heard a small voice cry, "Papa! Papa! That's the monster! See how scary it is?" "Hush, now," said Stoutly. "That is our good friend, Bugley." But no matter how Stoutly scolded, all the cubs kept crying and hiding behind Rotunda's legs. "I'm sorry, Bugley," apologized Rotunda, "but perhaps you should just go home now." Bugley hung his head in shame. Being a cub-watcher was a very important step in a bog's life, and Bugley had failed.
Bugley returned to the comfort of his mother's cave and told Tender what had happened. He said he didn't think it was fair that he should be so ugly. "How can I be such an unlucky bog, when I am a GOOD bog?" he cried. "Well," said Tender, "long ago, when I was just a little cub, I knew a bog named Dapper. Do you remember?" Bugley shook his head, and Tender continued, "Dapper was very handsome, and VERY vain. He wouldn't dig because he was afraid it would dirty his paws. He let everyone else do all his chores because he didn't want to ruffle his fur. When he was old, he was very unhappy because he wasn't young and handsome any more. Before he left that old body he said, 'If I had never been handsome, maybe I would be happy now.' So you see... You must learn how it feels NOT to be handsome. There's always a reason for the things that happen to us, and we are almost always the cause. Bugley, you're not unlucky, you're just learning a new lesson."
"Why don't you go and sit still and listen to the whispering wind?" said Tender. "Then you'll feel better." Bugley obeyed his mother and sat very still until he heard the whispering wind sing to him. This is what the wind sang:
Bugley felt much better, just as his mother said he would. And even though he didn't understand what the song meant, he thought, "Some day I'll understand, but for now, I'll try to find SOMETHING I can do. Maybe I'll even learn a new lesson."
One morning, when the smell of spring came floating all the way into the caverns, Bugley was filled with hope and desire for adventure. It was time for Bugley to go forth into Imaginaria to find his place and his purpose. Tender was sad to say 'good-bye' but didn't try to stop him. "You are fully grown in body," she said with tears in her eyes, "now you must grow INSIDE, and only experience can help you do that."
Bugley wound his way in and out of the twisting cavern trails, down to the Lake of Rainbows, and had a nice morning swim in the colourful waters. After his swim, Bugley jumped in a great big hollow log and floated down Rainbow River, all the way to the edge of the Land of the Whispering Wind. This was a very long ride for a bog who had never been further from home than Moncat Grove. Bugley was excited to see the changing scenery as he floated along. For days he gazed at the great purolet crystal towers of Buburubia, then for weeks he saw the lush, fernfoam meadows that bordered the Elven Woods, where he filled his log with some delicious Lemon Flutes and Tandel Nuts. By summertime, Bugley had floated as far as the Fire Forest, and there he stopped to camp.
The bright tangora, rubytea and amberlight blossoms of the Fire Trees shot upward from the tips of the branches like flickering candle flames. In all of his travels, Bugley would see many strange and wonderful things like the beautiful Fire Trees, and meet a lot of different creatures, but none were quite so interesting to him as the Dragons, and he was about to meet his first ones...
Bugley first saw Edwing and Ferdinand when the two Dwarf Dragons whizzed by Bugley in a blur and stopped mid-air, right in front of his face. Edwing was fair tangora with pale purolet freckles on his nose and shoulders, and Ferdinand was light azurene with half-rubytea freckles and wings. "Are you a dragon?" asked Edwing, the younger of the two brothers. "Where are your wings? Don't you have wings? I have wings... see?" Still in the air, Edwing turned himself upside-down to show Bugley his wings. Ferdinand interrupted, saying, "You're a very scary looking dragon, if that's what you are. But you don't have wings, so you must not BE one. What sort of fellow are you?" Finally able to get a word in, Bugley replied, "I'm Bugley the Bog." "Bog???" said Ferdinand. "I've never heard of a BOG." Ferdinand cocked his head for a moment and then said, "You're not a BOG, you're a GATHERER. Father told me about your kind once. So what are you gathering?" Bugley thought for a moment. "I'm gathering information." "What is gathering information?" asked Edwing. Bugley patiently explained, "It's learning new lessons and then trying to remember them. One lesson I must learn is how to be happy even though I'm not handsome." "Is that anything like learning to eat brocclesprouts even though they taste bad?" asked Ferdinand. "I suppose so," laughed Bugley. "The other thing I need to learn," he continued, "is something called a SPECIAL PURPOSE. Do you know anyone who could help me find it?" The two Dwarf Dragons thought very hard for almost ten seconds, then Ferdinand said, "Nope. I don't know anyone who knows what a speckled porpoise is, but I know of a Dark Dragon named Lady Crystal Eyes. She might speak to you if she likes you." "How will she know if she likes me or not? She doesn't even know me," said Bugley. "Lady Crystal Eyes is good and wise, and can tell just by looking," assured Ferdinand. Bugley looked disappointed. "She won't like me then, 'cause I'm too ugly." "Yes, you are ugly," agreed Ferdinand, "but still I think Lady Crystal Eyes will like you. Come, let's go to her and see."
With the Dwarf Dragons flying above him to lead the way, Bugley made the long, hard walk up the steep trails until they reached the entrance to Lady Crystal Eyes' cave. It was ENORMOUS and had huge, spike-like rocks that jutted out from the ceiling and floor, which made the cave look like a big, open mouth with sharp teeth. It made Bugley think of Blue Bog Caverns, so he felt quite at home. The long hike past the dragon colonies had given Bugley quite an appetite. He was glad he had thought to bring along some of the fruits he had gathered from the trees along Rainbow River.
"Let's have a picnic here by the front of the cave, shall we?" asked Bugley. "Oh, yes!" cried Edwing, who was always hungry. The three sat and had a lovely picnic and watched the waves of the Forever Waters crash against the beach far, far below. After they had eaten their fill, it was, of course, time for a little nap.
Ferdinand was the first to wake up and look out across the Forever Waters to see that one of Imaginaria's two suns had already sunk into the water, and the other was barely floating on top. "Wake up, Edwing! Wake up, Bugley! We must find Lady Crystal Eyes before the seventh moon rises. She will have to leave to feed on the Sea Roses before the tide goes out again." Edwing woke up right away, but Bugley had to be shaken out of his sound, snoring sleep by both of the little dragons.
Though the cave was quite large, it did not go back into the earth for miles like Blue Bog Caverns, so it was no time at all until the three reached the Dark Dragon's lair. A soft light seemed to fill the cave so that one could always see. When Bugley asked where the light was coming from, Ferdinand whispered, "Dark Dragons are powerful. They can catch moonbeams and tell them to stay put anywhere... and they STAY put."
All of a sudden, the walls of the cave began to move. "What's happening?" cried Bugley, whose cavern walls had NEVER moved. "She's waking up," announced Ferdinand. Bugley could now clearly see the magnificent and beautiful dragon, Lady Crystal Eyes. Her scales of deep turquolene and fernfoam shimmered. As she stretched out, she became as big as twenty Limb Nibblers put together. When she opened her eyes they sparkled like jewels, and when Bugley looked deep into them, he felt like he could see into the heavens.
"I have visitors," Lady Crystal Eyes said in a soothing, melodious voice that fell upon the three like a waterfall of music. "Yes, m'lady. I have brought a Gatherer to meet you, if it pleases you," said Ferdinand. "I am quite pleased," she purred. "He is very beautiful." Bugley thought that she must be looking at Edwing. "I am not looking at Edwing," she hummed, "I am looking at YOU, Bugley, and you ARE beautiful." Bugley wondered if he had spoken out loud instead of just thinking. "I can hear your thoughts, lovely creature," said Lady Crystal Eyes. Bugley wondered, "Why would she call ME lovely?" "Because I see your rainbow body of beautiful, colourful light," she said. "The body you see is nothing but a shell... a false cover that hides your TRUE self."
"Why did the Imaginarian give us covers?" asked Edwing. "The Imaginarian had to hide all the rainbow light to make Imaginaria seem more real to us," explained Lady Crystal Eyes. "He did it very well! "I have never seen the rainbow light, and Imaginaria certainly seems real to me!" exclaimed Bugley. "How do you see the rainbow light, Lady Crystal Eyes?" he asked. "You are not ready to know that just yet, my child, but I CAN tell you about your special purpose. It is the ONE thing you can do to serve others in a way that no one else can." "Can you tell me what my SPECIAL PURPOSE is?" cried Bugley excitedly. "No," said Lady Crystal Eyes in a serious voice, "but I will tell you this... You must be VERY brave, or you would not have been chosen to serve in this special way. You must travel through the Fire Forest and beyond the Great Mystic Mountains until you reach Gargantua." Ferdinand asked, "How long will such a journey take, m'lady?" "Oh... let me think... I should say about as long as it takes a Demi-Dragon to hatch an egg," replied Lady Crystal Eyes. "Oh..." said Bugley, scratching his head, "How long is THAT?" The beautiful dragon twinkled, saying, "As long as it takes the seven moons of Imaginaria to all become full at the same time." Now THAT Bugley could understand, for he had gazed at the sky many evenings at the edge of Blue Bog Caverns. He knew he had grown at least three inches in that time, and figured he'd be a fully grown bog by the time he reached Gargantua. It was just as well that he should have more time to work at being brave, for at this moment, Bugley wasn't at all sure he still wanted to find his SPECIAL PURPOSE after all.
Edwing and Ferdinand took Bugley home to their cave to meet their mother and father, Visila and Jardus, and to have a good night's sleep before his long journey. Visila made a cozy bed of purolet fungus pods for Bugley to sleep on. They were velvety soft and Bugley soon fell fast asleep.
The next morning, Jardus made Bugley a knapsack of dried, woven seaweed. It was quite lovely, and surprisingly sturdy, too. It was a good thing it was strong, for Visila packed an enormous amount of food into it. Bugley figured it would last him several days, though Visila only intended it to be his lunch. Dwarf Dragons eat far more than one would think for their tiny size. Bugley felt a little sad waving good-bye to his new friends, though he felt sure he would see them again one day. Ferdinand had disappeared early in the morning, and no one could find him when it came time for Bugley to go. Bugley was ever so sorry to have missed saying goodbye to Ferdinand, but he needed to get an early start.
Bugley huffed and puffed his way back up the steep cliff path to the entrance of Lady Crystal Eyes' cave to say goodbye, but her cave was dark and empty. "Oh, what a shame," thought Bugley. "I didn't get to say goodbye to Ferdinand, and now Lady Crystal Eyes has disappeared as well. Not to worry, though, for surely we will meet again."
Bugley struggled to the top of the dragon cliffs. Finally, the trail went back down into the foothills leading to the valley of the Fire Forest. Jardus had made an excellent map showing the way to Gargantua, and there seemed to be a lovely path leading straight to the middle of the Fire Forest.
Deeper into the forest the trees grew closer together. There were dark feddleferns and deep azurene snapperdragons with bright amberlight spots for eyes. They made Bugley think of Lady Crystal Eyes. He looked up at the beautiful fire blossoms, breathed in all the sweet smells, and noticed that the trees were vibrating and changing colour. Suddenly, thousands of deep rubytea and amberlight flutterbyes flittered all around Bugley. They landed gently on the deep fernfoam-cloured feddlferns, looking like bright rubytealet flowers. Bugley said, "I must be the luckiest bog in the world." "Maybe so," said a small voice, "but I'm hungry! May we PLEASE stop for lunch?" "Ferdinand!" cried Bugley. "Where are you?" "Up here in the tree. Don't you Gatherers ever look up?" Bugley laughed, "I suppose I AM in the habit of looking down, since my food is usually in or on the ground." "Well," scolded Ferdinand, "I thought I was going to have to swoop down and land on your head to get your attention," at which point, Ferdinand did just that, and both travelers were soon laughing and rolling on the ground.
Bugley pulled off his seaweed backpack and started to investigate its contents. He first pulled out some ripe pear-berry tarts. Those would be for dessert, of course. A dragonskin jug of mox cream appeared next. Bugley was surprised to see dragon skin, and wondered just whose skin it was. "Oh, dear," he said. Ferdinand could see Bugley was puzzled and said, "Don't worry. Dragons shed their skins every so often. It's quite handy for storing things in, especially when you line the inside with fire blossom sap. When it dries, it seals so well that nothing can leak out." "How clever to put your old skin to such good use!" said Bugley, who was just as happy to keep the soft skin he had. Underneath the jug of mox cream Bugley found some dillwillow cheese and pickled water bobbers—round things that grew up from the sea floor and bobbed in the waves. Lastly, there were strips of smoked tiddletoddle curd and dried tangora oat. Bugley found these to be quite chewy, and very tasty. To his surprise, he and Ferdinand ate every bite of the food Visila had packed. Their tummies couldn't hold another bite, and Bugley thought, "No wonder dragons eat so much. The food is so good!"
Bugley and Ferdinand lay on their backs, looking up at the treetops amid the lush fernfoam fiddleferns of the forest floor. Bugley thought of the adventure that lay ahead of them and tried to imagine what wondrous things they might see. Then he thought of his mother, all alone in her cave, and prayed that the other bogs would look out for her and visit her often.
The Whispering Wind
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