"well" thought the Munchin for a second," We need to diversify. We have interest in a Diamond mine with several Dwarfs, porkrinds, orange marmalade...er..juice, and won several small buisnesses like the shoe store (run by elvish elvis impersonators who make blue suede shoes for tourists), some fur company headed by this guy Gaston jointly with Cruella DeVille, one small shipping firm..you get the idea." If it was wothwhile ta leave it we would. But we make more profit this way. Why don't you take the red brick road or the green one...or maybe the blue one...its just one road. Are you a luddite?," he asked suspiciously.

All the Scarecrow wanted was to get back to Emerald city. He doesn't even remember authorizing te munskinds to tare down the yellowbrick road.

"and dont forget the candy factory we have with the oompa loompas" said a munchkin. " yeah that too" said the head munchkin.
"but, munchkins, the yellowbrick road is not made of gold. its just yellow bricks" said the lion.
"oh yeah?" said the head munchkin. he bit down on a piece of brick. "hey, hes right. we been had fellows"

One of the other munchkins put down his paper,"Look, we are strip mining here not processing bricks. The bricks go to the Emerald city Tourist center. You know as souvineers."
"What about the gravel, Boss?"
"I don't know I think we toss it over there somewhere by those apple trees."
"I thought he was in charge?" asked scarecrow pointing to what he thought was the head munchkin.
"Naw," said the one they called boss,"He's just the head of the morning shift. I'm his supervisor. Dang, oompas went on strike the other day at the factory so some of these lucky stiffs get some overtime. It wasn't a union strike so Jafar's over there clearing the air so to speak. Man, I just hope it stays non-union and none of my guys get mistaken for scabs. Stpid oompas...all over work uniforms. They think they look stupid and demeaning..."
"Anyway," he continued," We were highered by the city planning board for the Emerald City Counsal. Somethin called a freeway is ta be built after we exhaust the strip mines. Just pour in the concrete and whammo! no overpasses or mixmasters needed. We send all the Bricks to that red eyed guy who hangs out with the weasels,"

Just then Mark & Tinman came out of the castle with the witch in hand. The witch shreiked & said,"What are they doing to my yellow brick sidewalk?" "Isn't is a Federal offense to break into someones private property?" she screamed out at the workers. "Why yes I do believe that is correct." answered the Scarecrow. "Look!" said the Lion as he pointed up into the sky. "Kill Mark" was written in the sky. "That too is a serious charge" said Mark to the witch. "Don't look at me" said the witch "I didn't do it!" "Maybe not" said the arresting officer, but that is your broom & your cat & you are an accomplice!" as the arresting officer escorted her into his police car.

Just then, Mark realised what the munchkins were doing with all those yellow bricks - out side each muchkin house was a barbecue, some still under construction.
'hey, Mister' shouted one ' Got any sangers or shrimps? Chuck 'em on the barbie, Mate.'
'Anyone got any tomato sauce?' called out another.

Meanwhile, on the veg patches, munchkins were busy pulling lettuces and picking things to put in a giant salad bowl.
'WAIT!'
The white rabbit arrived, almost out of breath. 'WAIT! we haven't any Mayo!' he gasped.
'we can't start without it!'
'I'll be back in a jiffy' answered one munchkin, disappearing into her kitchen. Returning, she carried a box of mayonnaise jars, all full.
'I bought these at a sale last week,' she said.

Thenthe Jolly Green Giant appeared with his amazon wife and sprout. He had a can of beans in his hand and hurled it at the green golem chuckling wickedly.

The green golem caught the can of beans - 'Ah - baked beans!' he said. 'Got any more? One can won't go very far, will it?'

just then they heard a roar in the sky. they looked up and saw a helicopter. it came down and landed close to the yellowbrick road. they rushed over to see who it was.

'Stop wherever you are!' boomed a voice from the helicopter.
DISASTER PREVENTION was written on the sides of the helicopter.
'In the interest of public safety I order you to hand over those baked beans and the sprout. We all know what happens when they are eaten and there are far too many open-flamed barbecues in this area!'

(Inside the helicopter)
'Phew! Ernest, we were just in time!'
'Yep, Stanley. ' said Ernest, looking relieved. 'Why is your hand on my knee again? '
'Ooops! sorry. Haven't you got hairy legs!'
'That's positively the LAST time I wear shorts in this helicopter!'

With the baked beans and sprout safely locked away in a portable safe, the helicopter takes off oncemore and disappears over the horizon.

"um...Mark," Asked the lion shivering,"Where'd that mad scientist go?"

'Dunno' said Mark, looking round nervously. 'This whole situation gives me the creeps!'

As he watched, a yellow cab drew up a little way away. The Witch got out. 'Where's my lawyer!' she screeched angrily. 'I'm gonna sue for Police Harassment!'
and she stormed into the castle, slamming the door so hard it almost broke off its hinges.

Skyking's taking off -- say farewell.

Bye Skyking...where ya goin bud?:(

"wha-wha-what do you sup-supose happened to the puh-puh policemen?" Stuttered the tinman.
"wha-Why don't ya ask her?" replied the Lion.
"Very funny," glared the scarecrow. "What do we do now?"
A bizzare noise sounded and the jawbrige began to lower. An army of Jam and butter men began to ooze its way from the castle. The group heard an erie cackle...It was led by a giant pale figure that laughed in a high pitch voice...like a child. A strange, fat child....it was the pilsbury dough boy all grown up. "hee-hee," it laughed. Mark felt his knees begin to shake...not from fear alone, but also from the giant concussions from the Dough creature's feet.

I'm just not being moderator no more.

So, who is the new moderator gonna be?

unknown

I suggested Nirvana but I don't know if Fencer got a letter to her

have we frustrated ya enough yet, or are ya gonna write more now?

I haven't heard anything,Skyking.

Mark awoke back in his kitchen and it was still morning. Darn it was all a fantastic dream.

THE End

Yet, there was popcorn popping in the microwave and little man-like shapes of butter and Jam on his kitchen table....he decided he'd never eat salami and brown mustard sandwiches before bed ever again.

Just then a van pulled up outside Mark's house.
Four uniformed Police Officers and a spaniel dog with the waggiest of tales marched up the path.

Breaking the door down, the dog was let loose. Mark was told to 'Stand exactly where you are' and did so.
The spaniel sniffed around, then headed in the direction of the kitchen. Suddenly the dog raced to the vegetable rack, barking excitedly.
Immediately, the dog's handler ran to his dog's side. Looking in the vegetable rack, he saw a collection of mushrooms. Carefully he picked one up, examined it, then put all the mushrooms in a bag.
'You are under arrest' said one of the other officers, 'for the possession of suspect mushrooms.'

Mark was ushered into the waiting Police car which had also arrived.

Despite his protestations, he was found guilty of possessing illegal substances and sentenced to a long term of imprisonment.

There once was a worm called George, who spent all his time burrowing through earth, day in day out, squirming through all types and standards of the muddiest of soil.
George wasn't the normal kind of worm. He was a worm with aspirations. Big ones.
Once, he had been pulled out of the earth by a young inexperienced blackbird. he was a good wriggler, was George, one of the best. One good wriggle and he was free from the orange beak.
But all he could think of afterwards was not how lucky he was to have escaped being eaten (as one might have expected) but of the World outside and what it felt like to be in the air.
George wanted more than anything to be able to fly.

He was let go....there was no mushroom in his system, yet the peyote tea he had drink was completely legal due to him being half-cherokee and part of the Native American Church....he got off through a loophole, but would never drink grama red bison's herbal tea ever again!!

George wriggled his way to the surface near to a large oak tree.
On the ground was sewing box someone had left behind, with elastic clearly visible. As George looked curiously , he saw movement.
Cecil Centipede had been passing by when he too had noticed and stopped to have a closer look.
'Morning Cecil.
'Morning George' said Cecil. 'Any luck with the flying?'
'No' answered George,'not yet. Look at these. Let's have some fun with the elastic!'
Gripping hard with all his extra feet and hands, Cecil helped George to pull out the elastic. Then they climbed the tree, with Cecil holding one end of the elastic with one hand.
As they came to a fork in the main trunk, they pondered on which direction to take. Seeing Sebastian Spider's web sprawled over towards the left, they carefully went almost to the web, and, using some of the loose ends of the sticky web, they knotted the elastic around the tree, so it dangled down towards the floor.
Climing gingerly on to the elastic, George tentatively started to wriggle down it until he was hanging about half-way down. With a few more aggressive wriggles, George found the elastic was around his body and he was hanging in mid air. Because it was elastic it stretched springily.
Boinnng! Boing.
'this is fun' called George to Cecil.
Cecil wasn't too sure about all this. But then he knew his friend was a bit strange, and if George wanted to take up Bungee jumping, then he couldn't see any reason why he shouldn't.

Now Nirvana..you think after all Marks gone through he should end up in prison? I hate sad endings LOL

may be he will wake up from a nightmare or something who knows. magic mushrooms grow wild don't they? or perhaps he breaks out? short sentence or parole. Anything could happen.

George was the oddest troll ya ever did see. Cecil didn't know much about bungee jumping, but doing it in the dark....
He heard a large "crack" as George's head struck the ground. George's form popped up in the air again and a few seconds later another crack followed. Goeorge was laughing hysterically.
"Come one Cecil, ya gotta try this!"
"No thanks George...its fun just watching you..."

Cecil sat watching, munching on his favorite snack of centipedes and grubs...his other favorite was little human children.

er Horseman : George is a worm, Cecil is a centipede !!!

A mist was creeping round the base of the tree.'Is it me, George, or is it getting foggy?' Cecil was becoming anxious as the whole are around the tree was becoming cloaked in a blanket of very cold mist.
George wormed his way hastily back up the elastic, shivering as the cold fog touched his body. 'brrrrrrrrrrrrr' muttered George.

A door opened in the side of the tree, and out stepped one of the ugliest fairies you could every hope to see.
'Botheration!' said the fairy.'Icemachine is set too high again!' Coughing a bit in the foggy area, she raised her wand:
'I am the Fairy of the Oak Tree' she announced. 'I will grant you one wish each,' she said to the astonished George and Cecil'
Sebastian Spider opened one eye, yawned, and went back to sleep, thinking: 'Good grief! not again .... wish she would get that icemaking machine fixed.' as he dozed off once more he switched to 'auto mode' and spun extra webbing to keep warm. 'brrrrrrrrrrrr Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz'

George blinked a bit. One wish. He couldn't believe his luck! Without any hesitation he immediately said ' I want to be able to fly ~ more than anything in the World, it's my greatest dream.'

Glenda, the Oak Tree Fairy, cackled, waved her wand and a futfut fut sound was heard, a bit like an outboard motor that wouldn't start. 'Damn! ' she muttered. 'Engine's cold again'
George watched as Glenda's wart-covered face reddened with annoyance. Her long black cloak was open to show off a body that resembled a sack of porridge, all lumpy and appearing to overflow from the loose string vest she wore. Her spindly legs were all nobbly and had hairs sticking out all over them, all going in different directions, rather like her orange hair, so that George couldn't help wondering if she had put her finger in a plug socket or something.
'One moment, young Worm.! Glenda tapped the wand on the tree trunk.
A sort of spluttering coughing sound was heard and then fut-fut-fut BANG! 'There' Said Glenda, looking pleased. That should fix it! waving the wand in George's direction, she added' Give this Worm his wish!'
George felt what he thought was some kind of mild electric shock. Then nothing.

Cecil, in the mean time, was thinking hard. He wanted to see more of the World, but he didn't want to fly exactly. But he had seen people in air balloons sometimes, and often wondered what it would be like to go in one. So, after careful thought, he said politely: 'Please, Miss. I would lke to have an air balloon, so that I too may see more of the World'
Glenda cackled once more. 'Hehehe! then that is what you shall have, oh many~limbed One!'
She aimed the wand at Cecil. He too felt a mild electric shock, then nothing.
As the two friends stared at Glenda's rather daunting figure, they realised the mist was beginning to clear.
'Eeeeheheheh!' Glenda cackled. 'Be sure to use your gifts to the full!'
'Thank you ' chorussed Georege and Cecil, as Glenda turned back towards the open door. ' Thank you very much'
Glenda disappeared back into the tree and the hinges creaked as she closed the door.
Slowly the mist began to clear.
George and Cecil climbed down from their lofty branch and sat looking at each other.

Sebastian Spider was called that because great big spiders like to nest in his nappy hair. Cecil didn't care for him too much. George just envied his hair.

As the sun appeared, George started floating for the Balloon. Cecil hung onto George as they hovered away from
the oak tree, they saw the balloon near a pond. The fairie left them a note telling them how to operate it. There was even a hole in the Basket for Cecil to crawl through

As Cecil droped a weight, they shot up into the air and saw portions of the forest they had not been before. Strange that where they left was clear but fog was all around them. George and Cecil heard something under the basket. "Let me up you dag nabbed bugs!" Sticking his head through the hole George saw it was Sabatian. "What in tar nation you doing there?" George said "Who invited you here?" "Oh I so desperately wanted to see the world, let me come?". Cecil nodded 'yes' and George flew down to carry the nuisance
for a spider in. "Thought you had webs?" Came a disgruntled George. "I did yet I couldn't crawl up very well". George wispers to Cecil Do spiders eat worms or centipedes?" Cecil didn't know

Sebastian set about making himself useful, spinning a hammock for them all to sleep in.

George wriggled onto the hammock, then wriggled some more as the hammock began to sway a little.
'hehe' he laughed. 'this is fun!' and he carried on swinging.
Cecil stood leaning on the egde of the basket, staring at the various birds as they flew past.
'Hello' he said to a surprised looking thrush.
'SQWaaaaark!' the bird screeched as it flew past, looking over its shoulder as it flew on.
Then 'Ouch' and a string of expletives as it flew into a lamp~post .
'Hey, Arnold! 'said another bird. 'Look where you're going !'
'Hmmmm! ' said Arnold crossly, and flew away as fast as his embarrassed wings could carry him.

Cecil and George(Excluding the spider) couldn't decide where to go. A rolled up map lay before them yet they had never known the human's world. Taking his tail, Cecil swung it down on the now unrolled map. Looks like we are going to South America? so using the compass they headed south and followed the land as George hovered around the balloon enjoying his flying. The lazy snake was sound asleep

Suddenly a giant shadow appeared above them, blocking out the warm sun.
With huge wings outstretched, a golden eagle soared above them, scanning the ground below for the slightest movement.
'Gives new meaning to "Fast Food" said Cecil.
'Or "Rabbit to go" laughed George.
Al three creatures watched in awe as the magnificent bird swooped down on upon a careless dinner, as it nibbled the grass, unaware of its looming fate.
'Wouldn't want to be a rabbit' said Sebastian, shaking his head.
The balloon flew on, heading towards some very sandy looking areas.

'Wow!' said George. 'Look at all that sand' Jumpimg in the air, he flew down onto the hot sand. 'Ouch ouch !' Cecil threw down a bit of blanket he had found on the floor of the basket then jumped. George spread out the blanket and they both sat on it, looking at all the sand.
'This is serious sand' said Cecil.
The two of them began building a sandcastle.

Just then Sebastian, who was acting as look out from the air balloon, called out 'Look out you two. The sand appears to be moving!'

An area of the sand was moving. A large sandy lump emerged from the sand and stood watching the two architects as they worked away at their castle.
'Oi' said the sand monster. 'oi. Who said you could build here? This is MY sand'

Before George could fly out of the way, the monster prownsed on him. He tried burrowing through the sand but was making slow progress. Cecil crawled up the back of the monster but was only tickling it. Sebasion tried lowering the baloon yet was like George in that he couldn't hang on to the controls. All of a sudden a prairie dog came to they're rescue as it nawed at the monsters leg. Then another prairie dog followed by a bunch of them. soon they ran off the monster who baried itself in the sand. When things were calm The architects found out they were saved by a bunch of Prairie dogs who had a small underground village beyond the sand. The head Prairie dog was called Carmen

Landing the balloon, they followed Carmen and her warrior dogs to their village.
As Carmen went ahead, prodly leading the way, George gasped ~ gripping her fur firmly and waving, with a big grin on its face was a small flea.
As he wriggled as fast as he could into the village, he became aware of huge armies of fleas on the dogs, all waving, as they peeked through the fur.

The entered a village that consisted of huts or buildings built into the wall, like the indians use to do.

George was in awe of their habitat, but he was preoccupied with all the fleas. "how am I going to get rid off all these fleas?", he thought. He nudged Cecil and whispered to him about the "small" flea problem. "what do you want me to do about it?", Cecil said sarcastically. "Do about what?", Carmen asked. "Uh, nothing!" stammered George. "I was complaining about my sunburn to Cecil is all." Cecil agreed immediately. "That's all we need, is to get on their bad side", groweled Cecil. Please keep your mouth shut until we know what is going on and why they brought us here!

Carman showed them a small room with a map on the wall. 2 prairie dogs were looking at a spot on it. "They are pinpointing where the monster has been" Explained Carmen. "Seems the monster is headed west to a dry lake?"

Another room had prairie dogs lining up for a battle. Cecil and George made their exit as soon as Carmen left them alone and Sabasion had the baloon close by. After lifting off the saw the creature trying to snap at the Baloon. "Seems wrong to leave those prairie dogs to fend against the monster" Spoke Cecil. "We are to small" said George. after a little ways, low and behold Carman, the Prairie Dog pulled himself into the basket "I am not foolish enough to help fight that monster" panted Carmen"Anyone got any tea and crumpets?" So the 3 accepted their new friend and passenger

Since no ones added a new story line in a few weeks I am ending this one.

Any suggestions welcomed please.