THE ZABERWOCKIE CONCLUSION

THE ZABERWOCKIE CONCLUSION
Sandhya Iyer
Published 2008; Young Author's Fair Winner 2008

 
This magical book is dedicated to authors Michael Buckley and Cornelia Funke for inspiring me and giving ideas for this story.
 

 
CHAPTER 1: SARA’S SHOCK

“Yes!” said Sara.
Her long blonde ponytail swung back and forth across her tanned face. The ball flew across the field towards her, and she aimed it at the goal.

“It is going in!” Sara thought.
All of a sudden, the ball shifted and it landed right next to the goalie. Sara sighed. She went onto the side lines scooped up her backpack and her pink striped earrings, and left.

Sara Wharton was an ordinary ten year old girl who did not believe in magic of any sort, until the day after her father passed away. Sara’s father, Edward, was a famous explorer who passed away when he met with an accident during one of his expeditions.

Sara was so distraught that she spent hours looking at all his collections. One rainy day, after school, a bored Sara, decided to explore the exquisitely carved antique mahogany trunk in her father’s room. In there, she found an old crinkled book that had a stamp resembling a brown dragon. Curious, she opened the leathery book.

Inside was a note that said,

Dearest Sara,
These pages in my diary have been collected for many years. It was not easy to gather these pages from the book ‘Zaberwockies’. I have not been successful in finding the last page of this book called ‘Zaberwockie Conclusion’ and I hope you will find it for me.

Your father,
Edward.

Sara thought for a moment, and then went up to her room puzzled. She eagerly started to read the journal out loud. “Once upon a time…. “

Suddenly the book started to stretch and colors whirled around Sara and when the dust had settled… Sara could make out two sooty figures standing before her.



CHAPTER 2: THE TWO THAT CHANGED HER LIFE

“Greetings” one of the creatures said. “I am Ahelambre and I am from the world of the Zaberwockies.”

“Are you from the book?” asked a stunned Sara.

“Yes we are,” another voice replied.
Sara whirled around. There was a boy about her age. “I am Alander, but please call me Zachary,” he said. Sara nodded. She was still too dazed to speak. Her mother often told her not to talk to strangers. Ahelambre had curly black hair that came down to her shoulders, green eyes, and pierced ears. She also wouldn’t go anywhere in public without applying makeup of some sort. Zachary, on the other hand was tall, simple, and very smart. He almost always wore jeans and a T-shirt, and would never wear a collared shirt unless someone forced him to. Zachary had dark blue eyes, and short black hair that partly fell over his eyebrows.

Sara consoled herself by telling herself that these people did not look like aliens, but she was still frightened. “You look like a fish that is about to die,” Ahelambre smirked.

Sara blushed furiously, gathered all her courage, and whispered,” How in the world did you come out of that book?

“Sara, as you can see, this is no ordinary book. It is a magical book for Pete’s sake. When someone reads this book out loud, creatures or other beings from Zaberwockie land will come out of the book into your world,” Ahelambre proclaimed proudly. Sara’s jaws dropped to the floor in astonishment.

“Do you know my father then? I mean you came out of his diary right?” Sara questioned.

“Well, Zachary began; your father is a very famous person in Zaberwockie land you know. But I’m afraid we don’t know him quite personally.”
Sara felt a fresh wave of disappointment wash over her. Suddenly the doorbell rang. Sara peeped through the window and saw her mom’s car. She told Zachary and Ahelambre to quickly hide behind the couch.
When Sara opened the door, she gave her mom a big hug, helped her unload the groceries and made her some tea. While she was doing this, Sara’s freckles became paler and paler. This usually happened when Sara was nervous or scared. Noticing this, her mother asked,

“Sara, are you trying to hide something from me? Because being Miss Goodie Gumdrops isn’t fooling me! You better tell me what is going on young lady.” Lying through her teeth, Sara replied,

“I ate all of the candy bars in the pantry.” Sure enough, when Sara’s mother peeked inside the pantry, there were no more candy bars left! [That was because Sara had hid all the candy bars in her room to eat anytime she wanted]. Sara’s mother sighed and said,

“Well, we are going to make many more trips to the dentist then. Since you told me the truth, you shall not be grounded.” Then she went upstairs to take a shower. Sara had a hollow pit in her stomach. She felt miserable about fibbing to her mother.

“Ahelambre, Zachary, quick, let’s hide in my room,” Sara whispered. The trio then quickly mounted the stairs, and went to her room.

“You should never leave this room” Sara warned. “Otherwise you will end up in a zoo.” After she shut the door, she breathed a sigh of relief and dashed back to the kitchen.

 
CHAPTER 3: THE LAND OF THE ZABERWOCKIES

After dinner, Sara sneaked some cookies and juice and went up to her room. “What is it?” she snapped.

“Look”, said Ahelambre. Right before her very eyes, was a trapdoor! When she tried to open it, it did not budge. Grabbing her pocketknife, Sara popped open the latch and the trapdoor swung open.

“Sara, you will have to go down there,” whispered Zachary. The page lies somewhere in our world, and the only way to get there is through the trapdoor.”
Sara swallowed, feeling a lump in her throat. “But I can’t leave my mom alone like this,” she protested.

“You’ll have to, and we will join you,” they said.

Sara packed up her backpack with some clothes, food and set off on her biggest adventure yet. As she crawled through the tunnel, Sara felt as if she would pass out soon enough because the tunnel was tremendously hot. Zachary and Ahelambre seemed to be completely at ease. She sighed and continued through the twisting and turning tunnels.

After a few hours and a snack break, the three reached the edge of a steep cliff and gazed down at the huge pit below. A ladder was precariously dangling a few feet away, and Zachary decided that that was their best bet. As soon as Sara placed her foot on the first rung, the ladder toppled over and she fell onto a soft bed of moss. Her buddies threw themselves down and also landed next to her. Grinning from ear to ear, they helped Sara up and then led her to another tunnel that led to a gorgeous garden.

“Welcome to Zaberwockie Land. This is our home,” said Zachary. Sara nodded too tired to reply.

The next morning, the three friends walked toward Ahelambre’s house, so they could take a shower and change out of their smelly clothes. The house was short, stout, and was surrounded by sweet-smelling flowers. Then, Ahelambre opened the door to reveal a tidy kitchen and a few tiny rooms. Near the stove was a plump lady with curly hair, dark skin, and hazel eyes.

“Mama!” cried Ahelambre.

“Oh my!” said Ahelambre’s mom as Ahelambre threw herself into her mother’s arms. Zachary also gave the lady a hug and a tiny kiss. After a few hours, Ahelambre and Zachary decided that they wanted to show Sara their country.

The city of Ansaria was absolutely gorgeous. The tall skyscrapers, unique gardens, and various types of entertainment made this city an urban paradise. The next stop was Mreggot. This city was built on the remains of a dried up lake and was extremely hot, but the people of Zaberwockie Land loved heat, so Mreggot was a popular tourist spot. Sara loved Mreggot because of the friendly people and also because of the many attractive stalls on either side of the pathways.
They also visited the town of Burbrook, where the king and queen lived in their royal castle. Burbrook wasn’t a huge city, and it was filled with basically only gardens and tiny homes. It was still a very popular place because of the royal castle. Their last stop was Atlas. Atlas was a big city and it looked almost exactly like New York, except for the fact that all its buildings were spiral shaped!
 
CHAPTER 4: MALCOLM

Meanwhile, in the jungles of Abulia, Malcolm was in a rage.

“Sara, that stupid girl should have never listened to Ahelambre”. He kept pacing the floor, until his wife, the beautiful Minueta, called him for dinner.
Malcolm was a tiny, witty mouse and wanted the Zaberwockie Conclusion too. When Sara entered Zaberwockie Land, he had a new competitor for the Zaberwockie Conclusion. He wished that Ahelambre and Zachary had not invited her to come into Zaberwockie Land. However, the little animal didn’t know that his feelings toward Sara would soon change.

As he went to sleep, he decided that the next morning, he would go and talk to Darion, the king of the jungle. The huge grizzly always gave him good advice. A cool breeze lifted the delicate leaves on the treetops and continued down the dense countryside waking Malcolm from his deep sleep. He put on a tiny striped woolen hat, a silk robe and set out on a journey of a lifetime.

A few miles away, Sara had just finished a superb dinner of spicy shish kabobs with creamy, tangy olive sauce. She snuggled into a blue silk robe with little yellow flowers adorned with dainty lace ruffles. Smiling to herself, she plopped onto the bed and soon drifted off to sleep.
 
CHAPTER 5: THE JOURNEY BEGINS

The Zab pub near the royal castle has always been bustling with unfriendly men.
“Hey, what is that I see?” a gruff voice asked.

“It is a mouse!” said another. They cackled with glee, and Malcolm shuddered as he trudged past.

Meanwhile in Ahelambre’s house, awakened by a nightmare, Sara decided to have a bath in a marble tub that grew striped mushrooms on the edges! She then changed into a pink shirt and a denim skirt and dashed down the stairs. Ahelambre and Zachary were already ready at the breakfast table. After finishing a yummy breakfast of coconut and strawberry waffles, the trio set out to spend the day looking for the conclusion all over town.

Their first stop was the royal gardens. The royal gardens were owned by a wizard named Saraso. Saraso was a cunning fellow and knew lots of secrets and spells. The three thought that there might be a chance that the page might be hidden in the gardens. They looked everywhere especially inside all of the hollow plants including the onion bulbs, tulip bulbs, and Venus flytraps. However, there was no Zaberwockie conclusion in the gardens. Disappointed, they ventured through the town’s streets until they got to Gema’s Fortune Shop.

 
CHAPTER 6: THE BEAST AND THE MASTER

Gema was the most famous fortune teller in the land. She had gray hair, silver teeth, warts, and a very grumpy temper.

“Gema?” Ahelambre asked timidly.

“What?” The fortune teller snapped.

“Sara here wants to know if she can find the Zaberwockie conclusion. She is the daughter of the famous explorer Edward. We hoped you know the answer,” said Ahelambre.

The old lady pushed some papers off her desk and told the children to sit down. Just as she was about to tell them, a dark figure entered the shop. The looming creature beckoned Gema and asked

“Do you think I may be able to find the Zaberwockie Conclusion?”

As the man spoke, Ahelambre’s head turned and her ears pricked up. Yes, she knew that voice. That voice was her beloved master’s. He had come for her again. Ahelambre felt whooping with joy, but she pressed her lips shut and hurried into the shadows. There she began to transform into her gruesome beast form. Now she was ready for any of her master’s commands.

Meanwhile, Malcolm was close to reaching his destination. The forests of Magra were not far ahead. He could already see the looming trees in the distance. Weaving his way through the crowded streets, Malcolm thought about what he was going to say to Darion. Upon reaching the forest, Malcolm decided that he would tell the king of the forest the whole story from beginning to end. Malcolm reached a clearing, and when he heard Darion’s voice echoing through the forest, he knew he had reached the right place.

Sara held her breath as the man asked the poor woman his question. For once, the old lady was speechless. There in the same room were two people that wanted the Zaberwockie Conclusion. Now what was she going to say? Finally she stammered

“You will go on a journey to find what you want, but you will meet someone who wants the same thing as you. So Beware.”

The man roared and shrieked in dismay. Then as he left, he called

“Come my child,” and a being so ugly you couldn’t imagine it, stepped out from the shadows. It had curly black hair, purplish [which was Ahelambre’s favorite color] gray skin, bulging red eyes, rotting yellow teeth, and the worst of all was that you could see its bones with little pieces of muscle hanging from the end of the creature’s joints.

After the pair left from the stop, Sara stood up and ran out of the shop closely followed by a stunned and shocked Zachary. When Sara and her friend reached the heart of town, they realized that Ahelambre wasn’t behind or with them.

“If Ahelambre isn’t at the shop, then I have only one suspicion left,” retorted Sara.

“I know what you are thinking, but that thought is pretty gruesome. I don’t think Ahelambre is a shape shifter,” said Zachary.

The two then strolled down the countryside keeping an eye out for Ahelambre. When they reached Ahelambre’s house, they were surprised to find Ahelambre sitting at the kitchen table with her mother.
 
CHAPTER 7: JOURNEY TO REALIZATION

Zachary told Sara that they should probably go to the jungles of Magra and take the advice of the wise king Darion. Sara walked through the jungle until she met a tiny mouse. By now, Sara knew that anything was possible in Zaberwockie Land. She crouched next to the tiny creature and asked,

“What is your name?”

The little being stammered “Maa-ma-Malcolm”.

Sara whispered, “Do you think that I can find the Zaberwockie Conclusion?”
The tiny figure swayed and for the first time in his life…fainted. A sudden splash woke Malcolm from his sleep. He found himself being bathed by a cheerful looking giant.

“I am Sara,” the giant said.

All of a sudden, Malcolm was wide awake. Sara? Was that really her? She seemed so nice and cheerful. Malcolm steadied himself and looked into Sara’s face.

He lay down in a bowl of bubbles, and then said, “Since you have been kind to me by taking care of me after I fainted and not let me get crushed in the cruel streets, I shall help you find the conclusion. In one condition, however, you must reward me with something at the end of this mission.”

The next day, Sara and Zachary followed Malcolm through the cities of Ansaria and Mreggot where they again saw the man and his terrifying beast.

Suddenly, Sara felt something in her mind click. “If Ahelambre is the beast, then the conclusion should be somewhere in her house because we have looked everywhere else in the past few days,” panted Sara.

“That’s right,” replied Zachary. They dashed to Ahelambre’s house with Malcolm safely tucked into Sara’s jacket. As soon as they stepped into Ahelambre’s house, Malcolm hopped up the stairs and began sniffing all of Ahelambre’s things. Oddly, he could smell no paper and no ink.



CHAPTER 8: VICTORY!

“If Ahelambre had wanted the conclusion wouldn’t she keep it with her all the time?” questioned Zachary.

So that very night as Ahelambre went to sleep, Sara crept into Ahelambre’s room and was stunned to find that Ahelambre hadn’t turned into her human self again and was still in her beast form. Silently, Sara tiptoed towards the beast and prayed that the beast wouldn’t be disturbed.

As she came close to the bed, Sara noticed that Ahelambre was still wearing her diamond necklace. It struck her that Ahelambre never took it off.

“I’m so dumb for never realizing it before,” Sara thought grinning to herself. Breathing rapidly, Sara gingerly fingered the diamonds and found a tiny clasp in the back of the biggest diamond. She tried to open it but failed.

Peering around the room, Sara‘s eyes rested on the dresser where she saw a thin hairclip. Sara hunched over the necklace and used the hairclip to widen the crack. Crossing her fingers, Sara peered inside and gasped! Inside was a very crumpled piece of paper. She used the very tips of her fingernails to pull the paper out. This could be the Zaberwockie Conclusion.

The Zaberwockie Conclusion is only useful to the person that has the rest of the book with them. Sara was now the only one with the entire book. She had no clue to how much power this last page had brought her.

Ahelambre was now waking up. She sensed that something was gone. Her eyes fluttered open to see Sara next to her. Much to Sara’s astonishment, Ahelambre turned back to her normal self. Ahelambre thanked Sara for freeing her from the terrible curse of her master. She quickly explained to Sara, that her master wanted the book, but when she refused to help him, he turned her into a beast that had to obey all his commands. Sara breathed a sigh of relief.

Sara and Ahelambre joyfully ran to tell Zachary and Malcolm the whole story. She thanked all of them for their help and kindness and promised to give each person two wishes. With her heart full of joy and relief, Sara asked Malcolm to help her find her way back home. A few days later, after Sara had reached her own house she began to read the conclusion.

CHAPTER 9: READING IT

Dear Reader,
This is the Zaberwockie Conclusion. If you now have the whole book, you can now have 100 wishes! When you are wishing for something, you must look at this very page and say it loud. Your wish will then be granted.

However, you must share over half of these wishes with other kind and generous people. If the wishes are misused, bad luck will befall you forever.

Your friends,
The Zaberwockies

Now, Sara realized why so many people wanted the Zaberwockie Conclusion for themselves.

As she gazed at the London streets from her apartment, Sara knew that the next year, 2979, would bring a lot more adventures and fun for her.

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Sandhya Iyer is in the 4th grade at J.F.S. school, San Jose, California. She lives with one mischievous brother and two modest and kind parents. Her hobbies include art, music, reading, cooking, and journeying to faraway lands. The Zaberwockie conclusion won her the Young Author's Fair in 2007.

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Two people. One page. The search.
Ten year -old Sara Wharton journeys to the ancient Zaberwockie Land to find the last page of the most powerful book in the world. Sara meets many interesting people including a talking mouse! Join Sara on her journey in this highly entertaining story.

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Reviews

“A very interesting story, spell binding to the end”
- Sundar Vanchinathan

“A thorough entertainment, a fairy tale must for kids”
- J.K. Rowling