The Choral Symphony. Chapter 16

Sir Edward Eel Gar was tired. He had been working for months on his choral symphony for the choir, and though it was almost finished, he could not get the end bit right. He decided to go and visit Hide Away Island for a restful holiday. He could relax there in Crocobilly and Crocadilly's hotel. Perhaps a little exercise with them, and Crocadilly's famous cooking would bring things right. He packed a duffel bag, and set off. Crocobilly and Crocadilly gave him a quiet bungalow in a peaceful cove, and asked their other guests not to disturb him. After a week, Sir Edward was feeling much better, he relaxed, and came out and chatted with the other guests, he felt that he was on the verge of getting the end bit right.

Bad Jason had heard about Crocobilly and Crocadilly's famous guest and how he had almost finished his great composition. He thought of a plan to kidnap Sir Edward, and make him give the choral symphony to him. Then he would take it to Uncle Bron and say that he had written it himself. He would stand in front of the choir at the Hurly Burly and conduct “Bad Jason's Choral Symphony.” The more he thought of it, the better he liked his plan. One afternoon, as Sir Edward was taking his afternoon nap, outside his bungalow, Bad Jason grabbed him and dragged him off across the sands. Sir Edward was hardly awake but he just managed, as he was dragged along, to scrawl in the sand “Bad Jason has got me.” 

In Hide away Hotel, Crocadilly was arranging a pretty tray, and putting on it a cup of Earl Grey tea, and some crunchy beetle and banana balls sprinkled with pistachio nuts, which were Sir Edward's favorites. Sophie passed the window. 

“Sophie!” called Crocadilly, “would you like to take this tray down to Sir Edward at his bungalow?” 

“Yes please,” said Sophie. Every body wanted a chance to speak to Sir Edward, not only was he famous, he was kind, amusing and loved children. Sophie carried the tray carefully through the woods to the bungalow. Sir Edward's chair was empty, and deep drag marks led to the waters edge. Sophie put down the tray and inspected the marks carefully. She could just make out Sir Edward's frantic scrawl for help. She looked in the direction that the marks led. On the horizon was a tiny island. Sophie decided to take a closer look at it. She flew across, and there, on the beach were the tell tale marks of something heavy that had been dragged along. She circled the island, it appeared to be deserted, she landed where the marks disappeared into a valley of palm trees. Following the marks, she heard a faint moan, and there lying with his head propped against a rock was Sir Edward Eel Gar. He looked pale and ill. Sophie thought he might be going to die. She collected some soft leaves and tucked them under his head to make a pillow.

“Got you!” shouted Bad Jason. He had crept up behind Sophie and snapped a chain on her ankle. He snapped the other end of the chain onto Sir Edward and with an evil chuckle scuttled away. Sir Edward uttered a deep groan and closed his eyes. Sophie thought,” There is only one thing I can do,” and lifting her head sang out the Pteranadon's alarm call. Sir Edward opened his eyes and sat up.

“That's it!” he said, “Sing it again please, Sophie.”

“I was just going to,” she replied, and sang it loud and clear. Sir Edward closed his eyes again, this time in sheer delight. 

“It is the perfect end to my choral symphony,” he said, “and no one but you can sing it, Sophie.” 

Far away, on the cliffs, hundreds of Pteranadons stopped what they were doing and took off immediately. Their great wings cast a shadow across the swamp, where Uncle Bron and Clara had heard the call. 

“It's Sophie,” they said “there isn't another voice like it in the whole of the swamp.” And calling the brigade together as they went they hurried towards the sound. When they arrived at the island it did not take them long to set Sophie and Sir Edward free, then they searched for Bad Jason, but he was nowhere to be found. They had a conference, and made a plan which they hoped would teach that wicked crocodile a lesson. Before they left the island, Sir Edward tucked the score of his Choral Symphony under the stone where he had lain, so that Bad Jason would find it easily when he returned, then they all went home. Sophie and Sir Edward stayed quietly out of sight, and soon rumors spread through the swamp that they had both been drowned trying to escape from Bad Jason. The rumors soon reached the ears of Bad Jason. He was very pleased and thought,

“Serve them right,” (That bad crocodile never had a kind thought for anyone.) He took the score of the Choral Symphony, which he had found, straight to Uncle Bron, and told him that it was his own work. Uncle Bron told him that it was a wonderful composition and invited Bad Jason to conduct it himself at the next Hurly Burly. 

The choir practiced hard until they had learnt it all, and the great day of the performance came at last. Bad Jason strutted up to the conductor's rostrum. He wore a red velvet jacket with the initials B.J. embroided in gold on the front and the back, and round his neck hung a huge medallion with “Maestro Bad Jason” engraved on it. There was an expectant hush as he lifted his baton. Then the clanking of heavy chains was heard. The ghostly figures of Sophie and Sir Edward Eel Gar appeared from behind the choir, they were draped with sea weed and chained together and glowed with an eerie light. Slowly they came towards Bad Jason. He dropped his baton, and his teeth began to chatter with fear. The ghostly figures uttered horrible wails and reached out towards him. Turning, he rushed head long into the swamp, and swam home to his Mum. He did not take his head from under the bed clothes all night, and it was months before he dared go near the swamp again.

At the Hurly Burly, Sophie and Sir Edward took off their chains and sea weed, and washed off the luminous paint. Then when the laughing and chattering had died down they took their places with the choir. Uncle Bron stepped forward.

“Tonight we welcome our real maestro, Sir Edward Eel Gar, to conduct his latest work, “The saga of Julius Brontus,” he said, “and I would like to give a special mention to Sophie Pteranadon, who helped save him from Bad Jason, and who tonight is singing her first solo part with the choir, as the soothsayer.” It was a memorable evening enjoyed by every one, and Sophie's alarm call which ended the performance was greatly admired by all.