15 Farewells

15. FAREWELLS "Hiya, Jim!" said Matilda, poking her head out of the enormous parrot's mouth. Her voice was amplified by a megaphone. Nugget appeared next to her, with a monkey on her head. "Do you like what we made?" "It's perfect!" Jim replied. "That'll keep the Pirate Cruncher away for good!" The bedraggled pirates gathered on the beach. Parrots fluttered in from the trees and landed on their shoulders. Monkeys

scampered from the forest, climbing up the trees and covering the rocks along the shore. King Hairy Toes arrived on a portable throne carried by four burly monkeys, accompanied by a drumroll and Banana Bill, who offered everyone a reward.

The pirates came forward, one by one, to be presented with a banana. A stout pirate with a bald head and an octopus tattoo stumbled to the front of the line, struggling to see through his homemade spectacles. "Aaah-ooh! Eech! Seeed! Seeeed!" squealed King Hairy Toes, springing from his throne. He flew across the sand, through the air, and engulfed the stout pirate in a hug, peppering his cheeks with slobbery kisses. "Oh my, it's Sturdy Sid!" said Banana Bill, translating. "Kiss, kiss, kiss." "Hairy Toes! Is that you?" said Sturdy Sid, crying with joy. "I thought

the beast had eaten ye! For years, thought ye to be gobbled up! I thought about ye every day! And here ye are a king!" King Hairy Toes pulled a ragged teddy bear from his throne along with the portrait he had shown Jim and Matilda.

He passed the bear to Sturdy Sid and held the portrait alongside Sid's face, flicking his eyes back and forth. "Um, this is prob'ly a good time to be leavin'," said Jim's mom. "Twas lovely to meet ye all, but we be needin' to get Matilda back to Dull-on-Sea before her parents start to worry. I'll thank ye on behalf of my husband for all the banana bread he ate. And thank ye for lookin' after Nugget. She's had a lovely time." "Sid, will ye be stayin' with King Hairy Toes?" asked Jim Lad. "Or comin' with us?" "I've found me best mate!" gushed Sturdy Sid. "And I like a banana, so I'll stay 'ere!"

"Ah! Ah! Oooooooh!" said King Hairy Toes, opening a huge chest of gold. "Aka! Aka! Nananana, eeeh!" "Take some extra gold!" Banana Bill translated. "And we've loaded the rafts with ample bananas for your journey!" The old pirates cheered and clambered back onto their rafts. Nugget gave King Hairy Toes a big hug and climbed into the car-boat, between Grandpa and Matilda. Jim toppled the cage off the stern of the vehicle, and a horde of monkeys hoisted the treasure chest in its place. The Jolley-Rogers and the pirates waved good-bye to King Hairy Toes, the monkeys, Sturdy Sid, and Banana Bill,