Peg, the Whimpapoodamus (a story in need of an illustrator)

Illustration: [A town scene of Whimpapoodamus town]

This is a story about a Whimpapoodamus. All of the Whimpapoodami on the whole planet lived on the small island of Whimpapooda in the Paclantic Ocean, where all the water was red instead of blue.

Illustration: [Picture of Whimpapooda island]

All of the Whimpapoodami were afraid of heights and cold bed sheets. Except for Peg-in-the-hole who liked to climb up high.

Illustration: [Peg climbing a jungle jim. Other Whimpapoodamii looking nervously on.]

All the other Whimpapoodami would tell her not to do it; it made them nervous.

Each Whimpapoodamus had only a first name. No two names on the island could be the same as decreed by The Official Department of Names. However, even though there were only a few hundred Whimpapoodami on the island, The Official Whimpapooda Department of Names was running out of names.

Illustration: [The official name department seal.]

But the Whimpapoodami, because they were generally afraid of most things, were afraid to call anyone else in the world for help to get more names.

Illustration: [A nervous Whimpapoodamus looking at the phone.]

Names like John and Mary had been used up long ago. So had Pete and Re-pete, and every name of nature, like Stone and Tree, had also be used up. So the last few baby Whimpapoos either had numbers or funny first names like Xxxuk or Zzzubble.

Illustration: [“Oh, what a cute little girl you have. What is her name?”

“Thirteen.”

“Oh, what a nice name. My son’s name is Minus Three. His sister’s name is Uuupha.”]

Peg-in-the-hole hated her name and made everyone call her Peg, like a pirate’s leg, even if…EVEN IF… there might be someone else on the island named Peg.

Illustration: [Mother saying to Peg, “Peg-in-the-hole is a beautiful name. You should not complain; you could have been called Hole-in-the-head.”]

Peg was considered a troublemaker in school because she wouldn’t answer to her name Peg-in-the-hole. And she kept climbing up on things, scaring all the other Whimpapoodami.

Illustration: [Mother admonishing. “You must stop climbing high. You are making everyone else sick.”]

As the years went by, she never gave up on being called Peg. (And no one she knew ever found the other Whimpapoodamus named Peg, even though The Official Whimpapooda Department of Names said there was one). But she did play like she had given up climbing up to high places, because if she didn’t, no one would play with her.

Illustration: [Peg sadly looking up, alone.]

BUT…what she really did was row out in the moonlight to a tall sailboat when all the other Whimpapoodami were trying to warm up their bed sheets. Then when she was sure nobody was looking, she climbed the mast. Way up to the top. And smiled. She felt so close to the moon.

Illustrations: [1) Peg rowing out and 2) Peg at the top of the mast, smiling.]

Another place she just dreamed of going was Whimpapoodamus Leap. It was a very high cliff on the corner of the island. She would loved to have climbed out on the edge to look down.

Illustration: [Peg in a dream looking over the high cliff.]

But there were two reasons she couldn’t do that. First, it was very far off on the corner. The island was like a big half ring making the leap look close from the boat in the harbor. But she thought it would take a long time to walk there.

Illustration: [Map of the crescent island.]

And second, boy and girl Whimpapoodami parked there at night and looked out at the sea and up at the moon.

Illustration: [Parked Whimpapoodami]

One night with the brightest moon ever, she rowed out to the tall sailboat that was always in the harbor and climbed up to the top of the mast to watch the man-in-the-moon. As she looked toward Whimpapoodamus Leap, she saw somebody jump off the cliff into the sea.

Illustration: [A leaper leaping.]

She quickly climbed down the mast. She rowed and rowed as fast as she could over to the Whimpapoodamus in the water. The Whimpapoodamus who dared to jump from way up high. Peg could hardly wait.

Illustration: [“Hello. My name is Peg. What is yours?”

The one in the water says, “My name is Peg, too.”]

Illustration: [“Why did you jump in the water?” asks Peg.

“Because I always wanted to,” answers Peg.]

Peg rowed Peg back to shore in her boat. They became the best of friends because they wanted to climb up on high things together. Peg-in-the-water showed Peg-from-the-boat how to get to the cliff by taking a shortcut through the strawberry patch.

Illustration: [Sign that points and says, “Strawberry Shortcut.”]

And they both jumped off the cliff together.

Illustration: [The two jumping off together.]

The rumor of the leaping Pegs spread all through the island, horrifying every single Whimpapoodamus who heard about it. But, they still came to watch the two crazy ones jump. After a while, the Whimpapoodami got used to it. So some more Whimpapoodami tried it.

Illustration: [More jumping off the cliff.]

Soon everyone tried it and no one was scared of high places any more.

Illustration: [One or more Whimpapoodami looking up, smiling, and waving.]

Suddenly…beeboo, beeboo, beeboo…the sirens sounded and the Official Name-Police screeched to a halt right in front of Peg-in-the-hole and put handcuffs on her. They put her in the Official Name-Police Wagon and drove her to jail, which was right next to The Official Whimpapooda Department of Names.

Illustration: [Peg looking out the back of the paddy wagon as it drives away. Peg (from the water) says to a policeman, “Why did they take my friend away?” The policeman answers, “Because she tried to steal your name.”]

Both Pegs protested. And, because they were both heroes for teaching everyone to leap off the cliff, everybody listened to their complaints.

Illustration: [Peg through cell window talking to small group and other Peg talking to small group]

They didn’t cry or yell or scream. They just told everyone what the Official Name-Police had done and why. All the Whimpapoodami on the island gathered together to decide what to do.

Illustration: [Gathered Whimpapoodami]

They decided that they would all go down to The Official Whimpapooda Department of Names at once and tell them to change the rules.

Illustration: [Masses of Whimpapoodami around a grey building yelling, “We need more names!”]

Soon it was decreed that names could be used more than once. At the same time, the Official Name Police let Peg-in-the-hole out of jail. Then it was decreed that there would be no more Official Name-Police and NO MORE Official Whimpapooda Department of Names!!!!

Illustration: [Whimpapoodami throwing hats in the air as celebration and yelling “Hurrah!”]

Because Peg and Peg had changed everything for the better, they were super heroes. For many years after, all of the new-born Whimpapoodami were named Peg by their parents.

Illustration: [One Whimpapoodamus greeting another says, “Hi, Peg.” The other says, “Hi, Peg” back.]

And today not one Whimpapoodamus has a problem with that. But they still don’t like cold bed sheets.

Illustration: [Whimpapoodami shivering in bed.]

The End