The Ogglebogs Short Story & Audiobook Series: Episode 25 - Riplats!

Riplats!

Guess what you’ll find far, far away, in deepest, darkest outer space? Planet Ogg of course! And that’s where you will find our alien friends, the Ogglebogs.

One sunny morning at the Oggle Café, Rocco, Blobbo, Coco, Oddo, Beepo and Twinko had just finished their favourite breakfast of Ogglecakes.

Blobbo looked a bit sad.

“What’s wrong, Blobbo?” asked Twinko.

“I did it again,” said Blobbo.

“What did you do?” asked Coco.

“Yes, what was it?” asked Oddo.

“I yawned up all my bath custard!” said Blobbo.

“Not again, Blobbo?” asked Rocco.

“Oh no,” said Coco.

“Oh yes,” said Blobbo.

“Oh dear,” said Oddo, “What happened?”

Blobbo went on, “I was sitting in my bath, thinking about Ogglecakes. Then a great big yawn came. Next thing I knew, I’d yawned up all my purple bath custard. And now there’s none left for tomorrow. Silly me.

“Silly Blobbo.” said Coco.

“Silly Blobbo.” said Oddo.

“Yes, silly me.” said Blobbo with a big sigh, “And that’s why I’m a bit sad.”

“Blazing bananas, is that all? Well, we’ll just have to go to the Custard Lake to get some more, won’t we, Ogglebogs!” said Rocco with a big smile on his face.

“Yes, we will,” said the Ogglebog friends.

“Oh, thanks everyone,” said Blobbo.

“Bzzz, bzzzz, bzz,” said Beepo.

“That’s right, Beepo, Bucket Cave first. Or we won’t have anything to carry the custard in!” laughed Rocco.

So, off they all went down Bubble Mountain. Soon they got to the Mushmallow Forest. Yes, I did say mushmallow. Do you remember, they’re a sort of cross between a giant mushroom and a marshmallow? Some days when you eat them, they make you whistle. On other days your tongue goes bright yellow and your teeth go orange.

Beepo went flying ahead. You see, Beepo could always spot the stinky smelly places. Then the Ogglebogs wouldn’t accidentally  tread in some Blobweed. And Blobweed is the stinkiest smelliest thing on Planet Ogg.

“Some silly Ogglebogs end up treading in the stinky smelly stuff,” said Rocco, “But I’m always extra, extra careful.”

“I hope there aren’t any Riplats today,” said Twinko.

“I don’t like them,” said Coco.

“Riplats frighten me a bit,” said Oddo.

“Me too,” agreed Coco.

You see, the Mushmallow forest is where Ogglebogs say that Riplats live. Have you ever been in a forest or even a park or a garden? Maybe you might have seen a quick shadow or a funny-looking tuft of grass? That could be a Riplat. Or maybe something moving inside a bush? That could be a Riplat, too. You see, Riplats look like, erm, let me see. They’ve got…. they have…well, put it this way, you’ll know a Riplat when you see one. Ogglebogs think they are the naughtiest little things on the whole of Planet Ogg.

On the way they didn’t see a single Riplat. Not one.

Soon they were at the Bucket Cave. The buckets made rattley, clattery sounds as they hung down from the cave roof.

Rocco grabbed the biggest bucket.

“That should do nicely,” said Blobbo, “You’ll get plenty of custard in there!”

“I’ve got a bucket,” said Twinko.

“I’ll take this bucket,” said Blobbo.

“I can smell custard,” said Coco.

“Me too,” said Oddo.

Through a gap in the cave, they could see the Custard Lake.

“Yippee, its purple,” said Blobbo.

You have to be quick because the Custard Lake is sometimes green and sometimes purple.   

“Let’s fill our buckets before it changes colour again!” said Twinko.

They filled up their buckets and came out of the Bucket Cave.

Soon they were back at the Mushmallow Forest.

“Careful where you tread,” said Rocco, and immediately trod in some Blobweed.

“Oh, no, that’s stinky,” wailed Rocco.

“You weren’t very careful,” giggled Twinko.

“Bzzz, bzzzz, bzz,” said Beepo.

Rocco wiped the stinky Blobweed off on the side of a Mushmallow.

“I was thinking about something important,” said Rocco.

“Never mind. Anyway, I’m looking forward to eating something soon!” said Blobbo, “No Riplats so far,”

“Thank goodness,” said Twinko.

“Yes, quite right,” said Oddo.

Just at that moment Twinko saw a Riplat.

Then Coco saw one and so did Oddo.

“Look over there,” said Twinko, “Definitely a Riplat!”

“Next to that red tree,” said Coco.

“Looks like tall grass waving in the wind,” said Rocco.

“I know it’s a Riplat and I’m scared,” said Twinko.

Blobbo went over and gave a massive yawn. And yawned up everything that was near the red tree.

“Clever Blobbo, you’ve yawned up all the naughty Riplats,” yelled Twinko.

But Blobbo didn’t look very happy and made a face.

Suddenly Blobbo did a massive unyawn and out came lots of bits of grass and weeds.

“They taste yucky!” said Blobbo, “No Riplats there, just stalks and bits of twigs.”

“I can see a Riplat,” cried Twinko.

“Me too!” said Coco.

“And me!” said Oddo

“Bzzz, bzzzz, bzz,” said Beepo.

“That’s right, Beepo, it’s not a Riplat, it’s just Twinko’s shadow!” said Rocco, laughing.

“Don’t you worry about Riplats, everyone. If we ever do see one, I can just yawn it up! I knew my yawns would come in handy one day,” smiled Blobbo.

Rocco laughed and said, “Let’s take this bath custard to Blobbo’s house. Then we will all go up to the Oggle Café for Ogglecakes.”

The End