Dink And Donk Short Story & Audiobook Series: Episode 8 - We’re Off to See the Goat

We’re Off To See The Goat

*Budda-BUMP Budda-BUMP Budda-BUMP*

Donk’s hooves slapped the ground loudly as he galloped. This was one of Dink’s favourite sounds. She rode on Donk’s back as he galloped towards her BubbleBus, the large floating bubble that takes her to and from Earth. The friends had just had a lovely day of yodelling and exploring.

“Are you sure you have to go back to Husharoon already?” asked Donk as he trotted across a stream.

“Yes, I do,” said Dink. “I want to get home before my five parents return from work. I need to do some tidying.”

Dink explained that tidying is very important on Husharoon.

It’s a tiny planet, so anything out of place becomes a problem.

“And I accidentally knocked one of my parents’ inventions onto the floor as I was getting into the BubbleBus to come here,” said Dink..

“What’s the invention?” asked Donk.

“Well, my parents don’t really know if it does anything yet,” she said. “It’s a little square of green fuzz.”

“Go on,” said Donk.

“If you drizzle some water on it, the square becomes a slightly larger square.”

Donk thought for a moment before saying, “Yup, that sounds pretty useless.”

“Well,” said Dink, “I still have to pick it up from the floor.”

Donk stopped galloping.

“Uh, Dink?”

“Yes, Donk?”

“Isn’t this where your BubbleBus should be?”

Donk was right. The BubbleBus was nowhere to be seen.

“Donk! Where could it be?”

Donk and Dink looked all over. They saw mountains, streams and a herd of musk oxen in the distance. But no BubbleBus.

“Donk! I love Earth. But being stuck here would be bad!”

“Don’t worry, Dink! We’ll figure something out!”

But Donk and Dink spent the next five minutes not figuring something out. They didn’t have a clue what to do. Dink was really beginning to worry when Donk suddenly gasped.

*GASP!*

“What is it, Donk?”

“I have an idea! A very wise, very old mountain goat lives on top of that tall mountain over there.” Donk pointed with his hoof. “Maybe he can help us. I’ve never spoken to him myself because I don’t speak ‘goat’.”

Now it was Dink’s turn to gasp.

*GASP!*

“I always keep an extra Hearring in my pocket! We could give it to him!”

Hearrings were invented by Dink’s parents. Anyone who wears one can understand any language.

“What are we waiting for?” said Donk. “Let’s go up a mountain to ask a goat how to find a BubbleBus. It’s a foolproof plan!”

Dink wasn’t so sure about it being foolproof. But they didn’t have much choice. So they headed towards the mountain.

By the time they reached the bottom of the mountain, they were tired. By the time they got halfway up the mountain, they were really tired.

“Moose aren’t so good at climbing,” said Donk, out of breath.

“Husharoonians aren’t either,” said Dink, panting. “Husharoon is flat.”

But the moose and the alien girl kept climbing, because finding the BubbleBus was very important.

“Just remember,” said Donk, “the goat’s wiser than us. So we’ll probably have to think long and hard about what he says before it’ll make sense.”

“Okay,” said Dink.

Up and up they climbed. Finally, they reached the tippy-top of the mountain. There, seated comfortably, was a mountain goat. He had a long, white beard under his chin. Dink held out a Hearring.

“Please, sir, can I put this in your ear?” she asked.

After the Hearring was in place, Donk said, “We’ve come a long way. My friend’s BubbleBus is missing and we’re hoping you can help us find it.”

The goat nodded slowly and closed his eyes. Then he opened them and said, “The BubbleBus isn’t missing. You don’t need to look for it.” 

Donk and Dink looked at each other. They weren’t expecting such an answer. What could it mean? They sat on a couple of rocks and repeated the words to themselves.

“The BubbleBus isn’t missing.”

“You don’t need to look for it.”

Finally, Donk said to the goat, “I’m sorry, sir. But could you be a little bit clearer?”

The goat threw up his hooves. “How much clearer can a goat get? You don’t need to look for the BubbleBus. See? It’s right there.”

The goat pointed towards the valley where Donk and Dink had come from. The two of them saw the BubbleBus floating right where it should be.

“Oh!” said Donk.

“I guess it came back on its own!” said Dink.

Then they saw a musk ox trotting out of the BubbleBus.

“TOM!” Donk growled. “He must have used the BubbleBus. I should have known he had something to do with it being missing!”

Donk and Dink began hurrying down the mountain.

“Thank you, sir!” Dink called out to the goat as she left.

Going down the mountain was easier than going up the mountain. Soon enough, Donk and Dink were back at the BubbleBus and confronting Tom.

“What are you up to, Tom!?” Donk demanded.

“I didn’t mean to take the bubble,” said Tom. “It was an accident! I had my head down grazing on moss. I like to eat moss.”

“We know,” said Donk.

“So, I didn’t notice the bubble until I was in it,” said Tom. “Then, WHOOSH! Before I knew it, I was in a very, very, very, very different place.”

“You were in my home in Husharoon!” exclaimed Dink. “Did anyone see you? Did you make any loud noises? They don’t like loud noises on Husharoon.”

“That’s true,” said Tom. “Everyone there was whispering.”

“Did you touch anything while you were there?” asked Dink.

“Of course not!” said Tom, before adding, “Oh wait. I did touch one thing.”

Tom explained that he saw some moss on the floor.

“Moss?” asked Dink.

“Well, I thought it was moss.”

Donk gasped.

“Dink! It was probably your parents’ invention! The green fuzz!”

“Oh, Tom,” moaned Dink. “Don’t tell me you ate it!”

“Of course I didn’t eat it,” said Tom. Dink sighed in relief. 

Then Tom added, “I don’t eat new things without licking them first. And after licking it, I decided I didn’t like it. Then I got back in the bubble and it brought me back here.” 

Dink wanted to get home right away to tidy up the green fuzz. Donk insisted on going with her to help. He said there was no telling what musk ox spit would do to the fuzz. Dink was fairly sure that the spit would do exactly what water does to it. 

But after Donk and Dink crowded into the BubbleBus and arrived back at Dink’s home with a *POP!*, the friends discovered the little square of fuzz wasn’t slightly larger. Instead, like a long fuzzy carpet, it stretched across the room, out the window and down the street as far as they could see!

“Just how long is the fuzz now?!” Dink wondered in a panic.

They dashed outside. Dink climbed on Donk’s back and Donk galloped at top speed to try to find the end of the green fuzz. Husharoonians lined the kerbs, scratching their heads at the sight of this long, fuzzy carpet and a young girl and a moose galloping noiselessly on top of it. 

Before long, Dink and Donk had reached the edge of the fuzz. The end of it was only a few metres away from the start of it. Husharoon is a tiny planet and the fuzz had wrapped all the way around it!

“A useless invention has turned into a huge useless invention,” said Donk.

But Dink’s face brightened. She shook her head.

“It’s not useless at all! When you were galloping just now, I didn’t hear any budda-BUMP, budda-BUMP, budda-BUMP.”

“You’re right!” said Donk. “It was completely quiet!”

“This fuzz can be used on floors, walls, and streets to make things quieter!” said Dink.

“Husharoonians will love that!” said Donk.

Back on Earth, Dink told Tom how happy her parents were to find a use for their invention. 

“But to make enough for all Husharoonians,” she told him, “we’re going to need more of your spit. It’s apparently very special.” 

Tom was not surprised to hear this. He always thought highly of his spit. “I’ll start filling up a bucket right away!” Tom promised.

Dink climbed into her BubbleBus, waved goodbye to her two friends and...*POP!* She was gone.

The End