This is my book aimed at 7-12 year olds. Now on sale on www.lulu.com go to http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=2856712The King who went to the moon!There was an old king who lived in a faraway land full of magic and mystery. He was a wealthy, wise and extremely adventurous king. There was just one problem: he had done everything there was that a king could possibly think to do.This was why King Ozwald sat on his throne in the main hall looking so sad. No matter how many jokes the pageboy Ben told, or how many magical tricks the Wizard Zoran conjured, nothing could pull the King from this deep-rooted boredom.“Is there nothing you have not done or tried at all, my great King? Nothing at all?” asked Ben, looking unhappily at King Ozwald, who juststared out over his Kingdom.“Dear boy, I’ll tell you something that not a lot of people know. I’ve climbed the highest mountains, dived to the bottom of the deepest seas. I’ve fought the tallest giants and the most fearsome dragons—and not without a few singed hairs, I might add!” Ozwald proudly related his most daring exploits to Ben and Zoran.“I’ve tried every sport, every hobby, all kinds of record-breaking attempts—what more can I do to try to fight this ghastly boredom?” This thought made his sadness return.“Maybe we should ask the people of our Kingdom to come up with an idea? Surely someone must know about something you’ve never done before?” As Ben began to explain his idea, King Ozwald began to brighten up a little.“My boy, I think you’ve cracked it! We’ll have a huge party for everyone in my Kingdom. The person who can come up with something I’ve never done before can have a chest of gold and jewels so big they’ll never have to work again!” With this, Ozwald seemed a lot happier and set about calling for the people to gather in the great hall.“My King, everyone has written down their ideas, and some are quite extraordinary,” proclaimed the Wizard.“Water skiing, knife juggling, dwarf tossing! But I don’t think there’s anything here you’ve not tried—within reason.” Zoran smiled to himself at some of the things the people had suggested.“What must I do, Zoran?” King Ozwald asked as he stared up at the full moon that shone brightly down on the Kingdom.“I’ve no idea, my King, but you’d better cheer up or the people will lose their faith in you,” Zoran spoke with a rather unsympathetic tone.Then, “I know, my King, there is something you have never done, and one idea that I’ve always dreamed of!” shouted Ben suddenly with glee in his voice.“Look at the beautiful moon up in the sky—what an adventure it would be to travel there and look down on the earth!” This had always been Ben’s dream, ever since he was a small boy on his father’s farm.The night turned into one long celebration. Even the cynical Zoran joined in the fun with an amazing fireworks display that lit up the sky for miles around.The court’s musicians piped up with the King’s favourite music. Everyone danced the night away.“I would give everything to come with you, my King,” asked Ben nervously.“My boy, I would be extremely proud to take you—after all, it was your idea.” The King looked down at Ben with pleasure.“Then let’s build a rocket ship big enough for both of us, just like the ones Zoran is setting off tonight,” Ben giggled with excitement, as another rocket burst into the night sky.The next day, the King and Ben clambered down the castle steps to the courtyard below, where Zoran the Wizard was waiting impatiently.“My King, if you are to travel to the moon you must train to be an astronaut, so you can survive in the deep cold of space.” The Wizard then explained how space is a cold and difficult place for anyone to travel.“Well, Zoran, do your worst, but make sure we are fit for whatever the trip has in store,” King Ozwald agreed with a nervous edge to his voice.With this, Zoran began to prepare them for the weightlessness of space. If only they knew what evil plan he had in store for them!After days of extremely vigorous training, in which the Wizard Zoran seemed to take great delight, the King decided that enough was enough and told Zoran they needed to rest.“Fine, I’ve been meaning to get back to building the rocket ship you asked for.” Then the Wizard promptly disappeared down one of the castle’s stairways into the dungeon.“Well, I’ve never seen him act like that before,” said Ben suspiciously.“Neither have I—maybe we should take a peek at what he’s been making down in the dungeon,” suggested the King. They both began to climb down the stairs to spy on Zoran.They were amazed at how quickly the rocket was being built. “Now I know where all the castle armour has disappeared to!” whispered Ozwald.After two more weeks the rocket ship was ready for launch, and the King and Ben had finished their astronaut training.“Well, my King, today is the day of the great space adventure. Are you ready to climb aboard the ship?” Zoran was rubbing his hands with undisguised glee that his evil plan was about to take place.“As ready as we will ever be! My only concern is, how do we get back?’ Ozwald replied in a worried tone.“No need to worry about that. I’ll explain when you land safely on the moon,” sniggered Zoran.“I don’t trust him at all,” Ben whispered to the King. They both climbed into the cockpit of the rocket and strapped themselves in, ready for takeoff.“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, zero—we have lift off!” shouted Zoran over the radio.The rockets roared into life and the ship hurtled into the skies. The King and Ben were thrown back into their seats by the G-force of the takeoff.As the rocket propelled itself into the atmosphere, the evil Wizard Zoran raced downstairs to where the King kept all his gold and crown jewels.“What do you think you’re doing down here?” growled the King’s special crown guard.“I’m taking over this Kingdom so I can steal all the gold in the castle.” The Wizard then cast an evil spell, turning all the King’s guards into zombies.Thankfully King Ozwald and Ben were managing to keep the rocket steady on its course to the moon. They were enthralled by how beautiful the earth looked and how bright the stars shone this far out in space.“Get ready, Ben, I think we’re about to land on the moon,” said the King. They started to deploy the landing gear as they hurtled towards the rocky ground of the moon.“I think we’re going to crash. Hold on to something,” said Ben as the rocket smashed into the moon’s surface with an almighty bang and a wallop!“That’s torn it. I don’t know how we’ll get back now,” groaned King Ozwald as they clambered out of the damaged spaceship.“Be careful Ben, we can’t afford to get lost. We need to find a way of getting back.” They both floated across the surface looking for someone to help them get back.Before long they came across a strange blue giant sitting on a moon rock and eating some cheese. “What are you two strange creatures doing on my moon?” bellowed the giant.“I am King Ozwald from the Kingdom of UpperMill, and this is my trusted pageboy Ben,” said the King with a nervous smile.“Yes, we didn’t mean to trespass on your planet. We have crashed and don’t know how to get back to earth,” Ben gasped in amazement as he gazed at the huge giant who towered over them.“Well then, I suppose that’s okay. I may be able to help you,” rumbled the giant.“I am the man in the moon and I live here alone making my magic moon cheese.” The man in the moon then explained how by eating his cheese they could make a wish and their dreams would come true.“We would be grateful if you could help us,” cried Ben as his oxygen began to run out, making it harder for him to breathe.“Don’t worry, little boy, just eat a small portion of my cheese and you’ll fall asleep, whereupon you will dream. Whatever you dream will come true, even if you wish to arrive back home safely,” explained the man in the moon.With this they both took a bite of the magical cheese and dreamt of being back home in the castle.With a “POW!” they both suddenly appeared in a flash of smoke at the foot of the bed of the castle chef and his wife.“How did you get back here, my King?” screamed the chef, waking his wife.“Calm down, Chef, we were trapped on the moon by the evil Wizard Zoran.” The King explained how the man in the moon had saved them.The chef and his wife then told King Ozwald and Ben how the Wizard Zoran had taken over the castle, with the help of soldiers who had been put under an evil zombie spell.“We’ll soon sort him out,” growled the King.“I don’t think so, my King,” Zoran hissed as he stepped into the room with two huge zombie guards.“Don’t hurt the boy, Zoran, we’ll come quietly.” King Ozwald decided it wasn’t a good idea to try to fight the zombies.“Good thinking, my King. Down to the dungeons with you both.” Zoran chortled as the King and Ben were carried away by the two zombies to the castle’s dark, damp dungeon.The zombies unlocked the heavily bolted doors of the dungeon, throwing the King and Ben roughly across the floor. Only the glow of a candle and a thin sliver of light from the moon penetrated the dark dampness of the cramped cell.“Don’t worry, Ben, I’m sure we’ll find a way out,” the King tried his best to reassure Ben.“My King, all is not lost. All we have to do is contact the man in the moon—I’m sure he will save us.” Ben’s hope was like a beacon in the gloom of the dungeon.“I saved some of the magic cheese the man in the moon gave us. All we have to do is eat it and make our wish.” They both ate a piece before dropping off to sleep, hoping for the man in the moon’s help one more time.Within minutes of them both dropping off to sleep, a strange rumbling could be heard outside the castle walls.“Who dares wake me from my sleep?” bellowed Zoran as he clambered onto the top turret of the castle.“I do. I’m here to rescue my two friends the King and the pageboy Ben.” The man in the moon’s voice was so loud it even shook the turrets of the castle.Then the Wizard unleashed his most powerful spell, which had absolutely no effect, as the man in the moon’s magic was too powerful.“I’ve got work for you to do, Zoran. You can churn my cheese and keep me company on the moon for your crimes today,” he said.The Wizard was so afraid he turned all the guards back to normal and freed the King and Ben.“We thank you again.” The King chuckled along with Ben as the man in the moon and the Wizard faded away.The King vowed never again to complain of being bored, but promised Ben they would one day visit the moon again.Zoran was now under lock and key, and had plenty of hard labour to do, helping the man in the moon make his special moon cheese.Ben asked the King how they would get back to the moon. “I think we can do that any time we wish, as my loyal chef has copied the cheese recipe with the man in the moon’s permission.” Ben smiled and the King winked in acknowledgement.“Well, Ben, maybe this is the start of many adventures to come,” said the King in excitement.A great cheer rose from the guards, the chef and his wife, who had all come to see what happened to the evil Wizard Zoran.The end.Or was it the beginning?
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