Read Online Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger by Lee Edward Födi - Free Book Online

heads.
    “Why, it’s a skerpent!” Professor Bumblebean declared, quickly flipping through one of his books.
    “A what?” Kendra gasped, her eye fixed on the monster.
    “A skerpent!” the professor repeated. He had now found the proper place in his book and happily read out the following passage: “Skerpent are nocturnal creatures, preferring to live underground in moist or wet environments. In a group, they are known as a coil. Their diet consists of—,”
    “Oh, do shut it!” Jinx scowled, drawing her sword. “Skerpent or not, this thing looks like it means business!”
    The tiny grasshopper was right, for at that moment, the beast lunged towards the walnut boat with all three heads, its jaws snapping, eyes gleaming, tongues flickering.
    “EEK!” Oki screamed. “Don’t think of turnips! Don’t think of turnips!” In his fright, he reached out and grabbed hold of the nearest thing he could find—which, in this case, happened to be old Uncle Griffinskitch’s beard. In the next moment the old wizard and the mouse had tumbled to the bottom of the boat in a great pile.
    “Days of Een!” Uncle Griffinskitch exclaimed. “How will I save us now?”
    But Jinx was on the job. Just before the skerpent could strike, Jinx launched herself at the creature and drove it away from the boat with a mighty kick of her long back legs. Both grasshopper and beast plunged into the river, disappearing beneath the surface.
    “Jinx!” Kendra cried. “Where are you?”
    Only a moment later the giant skerpent burst out of the water, the feisty Jinx riding its thick coils.
    “That’s the way, Jinx!” Professor Bumblebean shouted, leaning over the boat. “It says in this book that skerpent don’t like confrontation!”
    “Do you mind?” Jinx called back. “I’m kind of busy here!”

     
    She now struck down at the skerpent with every weapon she had. None would seem to break through the leviathan’s strong scales, but the skerpent now let loose a horrific squeal that seemed to shake the entire cavern. It thrashed madly about the water, causing a tidal wave that sent the tiny walnut boat—and all its occupants—hurtling against the rocky shore.
    Like any good nut, the boat was shattered and Kendra and her companions were sent sprawling across the rocks. No one seemed hurt, but even as they crawled from the wreckage, Jinx continued to wage battle with the terrible skerpent. It snapped at her with each of its three heads, and yet the speedy grasshopper seemed to avoid every attack, jumping here and there and thrusting at the skerpent’s writhing body with her swords.
    It was a noble fight, but at last the skerpent was able to wrap each of its three long tongues around Jinx. Soon the skerpent’s angry heads were all pulling the grasshopper in different directions. It was like a game of tug-of-war—and Jinx was the rope.
    Then, just as it seemed as if the tiny grasshopper had met her end, a loud, sharp voice cut through the darkness of tunnel.
    “Who dares to play with the pet of his royal majesty, King Reginaldo IV?”



AT THE SOUND OF THIS STRANGE VOICE, everyone turned to see a most remarkable character waddle into the dim light of the tunnel. One glimpse told Kendra that he was none other than a Dwarf, for she had met one on her last journey into the outside world. Now, it might seem odd for an Een such as Kendra to call this creature a Dwarf, for indeed, he was at least twice as big as she. But of course, to you or me, he would have appeared quite small—but a Dwarf he certainly was, for he had a gray bushy beard, large ears, and a long nose. The most peculiar aspect of the figure, however, was that he was covered from head to foot in keys. These hung from his arms and his waist and even from his beard, so that he jingled and jangled as he moved.
    “Poor little Pooky-Wooens,” the Dwarf exclaimed as he approached the edge of the shore and looked upon the skerpent. “Have they been playin’ rough with