MELLYBEAN AND THE GIANT MONSTER
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Summary
Melly loves to play games. All her feline friends want to do, though, is take a nap. So when she doesn't leave them alone, the cats trick her into burying a shoe in the backyard. But the small prank turns into a big problem when Melly falls down the hole . . . and is magically transports her to another world!
Melly lands smack-dab in the middle of a scuffle between a group of knights and a huge monster. But Melly soon befriends the grumpy giant, learning he isn't as scary as he seems. He's being hunted by a greedy king. One who has also been stealing from his people and locking them up in the dungeons. So although Melly is desperate to find a way back home to Mama and Papa (her human owners), she makes it her mission to help her new friend and the kingdom. But how could someone so tiny defeat such a powerful king? It may just take a game that only Melly can win.
Plot
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SPOILER ALERT!! This section contains spoilers...
Chapter 1: The Forbidden Game
Melly chases Butternut around the house trying to get him to play with her. Butternut leads Melly to the couch where Chuck and Tugs are napping and the naughty kitties trick Melly into playing "hide-the-shoe". Tugs leads Melly outside and quickly slams the door shut behind her. With Melly gone, the kitties resume napping. Melly digs a hole for the shoe and finds that the hole connects to a hollow that seems bottomless. The ground crumbles and Melly falls... and falls...
Chapter 2: The Giant Monster
Melly's landing is unusual. She "pop"s into a soft landing and tumbles to safety. Voices are heard in the distance and Melly witnesses soldiers attacking a giant monster. The soldiers are no match for the monster who quickly thwarts their attacks and sends them running in fear. The monster then turns to Melly and lets out a giant "RAWR" but Melly fearlessly smiles and licks the monster's nose. The monster is annoyed and walks away.
Chapter 3: A Persistent Pup
Melly follows the monster and introduces herself, but the monster is not interested in making friends. In an effort to get rid of Melly the monster agrees to play "fetch" and launches a stick across the landscape - only to be amazed when Melly returns with the stick in no time. The monster warns Melly that she should stay away from him or she might also be hunted by humans too, but Melly explains all the humans she knows are really nice. The monster tell a story of his best human friend who betrayed him. The story is of a wizard named Wilma who seemed to be a loyal friend until one day she stole his tail and with it, his magical powers. The soldiers show up again and we learn they are after the monster's "gold" which is actually the monster's eye boogies. Back at home, the cats suddenly realize with Melly gone they can get into some hilarious mischief. That quickly comes to an end with the realization that if Melly is lost, they'll be in big trouble.
Chapter 4: The Bad King
The chapter opens with the king in a room full of gold, bragging about how great he is at everything while a sculptor works in the background, chiseling another statue of him. The king's advisor storms in to inform him that there is no more gold in the castle mines. This infuriates the king who threatens the mine workers with punishment if they don't produce more gold. The king mentions his plan to capture the monster so he can have an endless amount of gold. The king's advisor then informs the king that the people of the city cannot pay their taxes and a local orphanage Headmistress has been arrested for this crime. The king commands she be put in the dungeon with the others. The king hands a page from a book of ancient creatures that contains an image of the monster to the sculptor and orders him to begin an epic painting of the king single handedly capturing the monster.
Chapter 5: The Good People
Back in the forest, Melly is still following the monster around. Melly insists they're "friends" now, but the monster isn't interested. Melly asks the monster to help her find her way home and invites the monster to come and live with her, the cats and "Mama" and "Papa". Just as Melly is trying to convince the monster that not all humans are bad, voices are heard shouting "ATTACK!!". This time, it's not the soldiers, but three children from the orphanage, Leah, Liam and Lou. Melly introduces herself and we learn the monster's name, Narra. The children are amazed at how Narra defeats a handful of soldiers who suddenly appear, and they beg Narra to help them rescue Ms. Cooper, the orphanage Headmistress who is being kept in the king's dungeon. Narra watches as the children rescue an injured bird and is convinced that good people do exist. Melly suggests they head over to the castle and try sitting nicely to get the king to release Ms. Cooper, because according to Melly, humans LOVE a good sit. Meanwhile, back at home the cats are working on a plan to rescue Melly using a leash and harness.
Chapter 6: A Good Sit
Melly and the children ride up to the castle gates on Narra's head. The people of the city are terrified, but Leah shouts down to them and explains Narra is friendly. The king is told that they would like to speak to him and he assumes they want to surrender. Melly, Narra and the children sit in unison and the king bursts out in laughter. Melly tells the king they want him to stop hunting Narra and release Ms. Cooper, but the king laughs that off too. Melly then challenges the king to a race around the perimeter of the castle and the King cannot refuse a good challenge. If Melly wins, the king must leave Narra alone, give up the crown and release Ms. Cooper. If the king wins, Narra will be his prisoner... FOREVER.
Chapter 7: The Big Race
The cats are trying to decide who will be the unlucky one to be lowered into the hole for the rescue mission. Tugs is too heavy so Butternut and Chuck play rock, paper, scissors to decide. Butternut loses and is handed the harness. Back at the castle gates, Melly and the king take their marks and ready themselves for the race. Leah waves the flag and shouts "GO!", the race begins and Melly zooms off effortlessly while the king immediately looks tired. The king huffs and puffs for a bit but quickly sneaks off into a mine entrance looking for a shortcut. The mines are dark with lots of turns and it seems the king is in a bit of trouble. Melly zips around the castle and crosses the finish line, applauded by her friends and the crowd. The king's advisor orders the soldiers to arrest Melly, but the soldiers swear their loyalty to Melly who won the crown fair and square.
Chapter 8: Gifts From Above
King Melly immediately orders all the prisoners to be released from the dungeons and that Narra is to be never hunted again. Next, Melly and the children hop on Narra and fly over to the king's chamber. Narra smashes it open and scoops up the hoarded riches. Together, they fly over the city and shower the happy crowd with gold and riches while the king stumbles around in the darkness of the mines, still lost. The children are finally reunited with Ms. Cooper and Melly tells them it's time she finds her way back home to Mama and Papa. Melly asks Narra to be king and just as he accepts, Butternut pops out of Narra's nostril, hanging from the leash. Narra digs around in his nose and pulls out a magic portal and sets it in the king's chamber so Melly can use it to come back any time. Narra appoints Liam, Leah, Lou and Ms. Cooper as Royal Advisors to help him rule the kingdom and a warm goodbye is exchanged before Melly and Butternut jump into the portal and journey home.
Chapter 9: None The Wiser.
Melly and Butternut tumble through the portal and pop out of the hole where Tugs and Chuck are pulling the leash. They share their excitement that Melly is home safe and no one will get in trouble. Melly tells them she's too tired to tell them about her adventure at the moment and calls for a well deserved nap. The adorable hero calls dibs on the sunbeam and they rush off to the couch together.
Fun Facts
- The Forbidden Game is "hide-the-shoe".
- When the king hands the sculptor a page from the book of ancient creatures, there is an illustration of Narra next to another creature. That creature is Hetty, a hippocorn who is a character in book 2, Mellybean and the Wicked Wizard.