Peter Carrot-top, Page 4

  Chapter 4

  Return to Baja

  Jane ran into the room where Peter was still fast

  asleep through all the noise, and lying beside him was

  Dingo. Jane smiled and gently touched her son's face. She

  placed a kiss on his cheek, and then Peter opened his

  pretty big blue eyes.

  "What's wrong, Mother?" Peter asked.

  "Oh, nothing," Jane replied. "It's just time to get up

  and start our day."

  Peter jumped up with excitement. He told his mother he

  couldn't wait to see Baja, and all his family. Jane had a

  little bit of worry on her face, but she did not let Peter

  see it.

  He ran into the bathroom where he began to brush his

  teeth. Then in came two mice with fresh towels and new

  clothing for him. They never said a word, just went about

  their duties.

  As Peter was getting ready, Jane met back up with Sam.

  She began to talk to him about how happy their son was and

  that they needed to do anything and everything to clear

  their names. Sam agreed, and off they went to get ready for

  the next day.

  Even though fresh new clothing was on their beds, the

  family liked their old-style ones and kept their original

  clothes. Needless to say, this pissed the servants off.

  They ran and told Victor that the Carrot-Tops would not

  wear their royal garments.

  In came Victor, "Master Sam, you must dress like the

  royal family."

  Sam said, "Victor, my family doesn't need fancy

  clothing to be royal."

  "Very well," said Victor as he cracked a snobbish grin.

  One of the mice started crying; tears were flowing

  everywhere.

  "What's wrong?" Jane asked.

  The mouse shied away and continued crying. Jane went

  over and patted its little head.

  The mouse crawled up in Jane's hand and asked, "Why

  don't you like my tailored garments? I worked a long time

  to make them fit right."

  Jane wiped the mouse's tears and reassured him that it

  was not his sewing, but that they liked a simple style of

  clothing. The mouse calmed down as Jane gave him a big

  kiss. As the mouse blushed, he slid right out of Jane's

  hand.

  "I have to watch out for such a handsome fella like

  you. You might take my wife," Sam said playfully to the

  mouse.

  Everyone began laughing.

  Jane called to Peter, and told him it was time to eat.

  He and Dingo burst into the room, but the three watchers

  caught his attention. "Wow!" he said as he looked at his

  protectors.

  He admired the wizard's hat and how the secret codes

  on the hat glowed from bright to dim. Then he saw the

  knight, covered in all silver armor from head to toe. The

  same secret codes were visible all over his armor. Last,

  Peter loved the barbarian and how big he was. The golden

  leather belt that went around his waist also had codes that

  glittered and glowed. He had golden coins melted into his

  skin from head to toe. Peter had never seen coins like them

  in his life.

  He went over to the barbarian's foot and rubbed one of

  the coins. Peter could feel a shockwave run up his hands as

  he touched the coins. It was so powerful; it made his

  orange hair stand up.

  After a few moments of amazement, Peter went to

  breakfast mumbling to his parent about the three

  protectors. He could barely keep the food in his mouth.

  "I thought you would like them," Sam said to Peter.

  The Carrot-Tops continued eating their breakfast, but

  Peter was in such a rush to see Baja; he ate very fast.

  "Slow down," Jane said to Peter, but Peter was so

  filled with excitement that he could hardly contain his

  emotions.

  As the ride stopped, Peter jumped up and headed to the

  window with his face plastered to the glass. He sat there

  and watched as people got on and off the ride. "Father,

  Mother, come see!" he shouted.

  As Jane and Sam came to the window, they saw so many

  different people getting off and on the ride. They were

  wondering where all the people came from. The ride was not

  big enough to handle that many people, but in Baja, the

  impossible was possible.

  "Quickly," Victor the cat motioned to the Carrot-Tops.

  As the Carrot-Top family came toward him, he let them know

  that this was their stop and they must pack up quickly, so

  that they would not miss their flight.

  "So quickly?" Sam asked.

  Victor just nodded and gave Sam their passports and

  luggage.

  Dingo came running into Peter's arms as he almost got

  left behind. He gave Peter a big fat lick on the cheek.

  Peter laughed as Dingo continually licked him all over his

  face. Victor then threw Sam the deck of cards with the

  three watchers to protect Peter. He told Sam never to lose

  the box of cards because it could be a matter of life or

  death.

  "Wait right here, and the flight will pick you up,"

  Victor said to the Carrot-Tops.

  Nervousness spread on the faces of the family. They

  waited on the platform patiently and waved good-bye to

  Victor and the rest of the crew. They watched until the

  turtle train was out of sight. It seemed to just disappear

  like the wind.

  As the turtle ride disappeared into the hills, a big

  black shadow came over the platform where the Carrot-Top

  family was standing. Everyone looked up. This creature had

  a massive wingspan and had to weigh a ton.

  "Look out!" someone said, as the creature came in for

  a landing.

  Peter and his family were so in awe of the creature

  that they did not hear the warning alarm. A gentleman came

  to their rescue, and pushed the family out of the way.

  "Oh! Thank you so much," Sam said.

  The man just smiled and walked away. Sam turned to

  another couple on the platform to ask them if this was the

  right stop. The couple nodded their heads and said, "Yes,

  my lord."

  "Oh stop, just call us the Carrot-Tops," Sam said, but

  the people just bowed their heads in honor as the Carrot-

  Tops passed by.

  The massive creature was a bird of some sort with a

  long purple beak and gold and white features. It also

  displayed the codes and symbols of Baja. They glittered in

  the sunlight.

  The Carrot-Tops were so amazed that they could not

  move. They became motionless with a surprised look on their

  faces. Peter began walking up to the creature's side and

  then up to his face. The creature's eyes met Peter's eyes.

  "What a magnificent creature!" Peter mumbled to himself.

  "Well, hi there," the creature said.

  Peter was speechless. He ran his fingers on the side

  of the creature's belly.

  "Oh, that tickles!" it said.

  Peter continued to rub and rub its belly; he was so

  amazed to see something that size up close and personal.

  Jane and Sam ran over, telling Peter to leave the


  creature alone. The creature sat down with his legs under

  its stomach. It carried a large cargo area on its back, it

  looked like a floating city. There were buildings that

  looked like castles; the walls were made of pure ivory,

  inlaid with gold. There were long, pointed golden cones

  that were towers where people stayed for long rides. The

  sand outside the tower was pure black.

  People inside watched as the sand revealed what it was

  hiding -- huge, massive devil ray fish that jumped in and

  out of the sand performing tricks for the guests. Then

  there were 20-foot earthworms that were blue and red in

  color that jumped out of the sand and did cannonballs and

  twirled into the air.

  Peter heard the people clapping and saw how much fun

  they were having. He couldn't wait to see the inside.

  People began to get off the ride; they had suitcases and

  other knick-knacks. Some people were going off to work, and

  it was like a coach stop. The Carrot-Tops just watched the

  hustle and bustle of the people of Baja.

  Almost everyone that went by bowed to the Carrot-Tops,

  tilting their hats and extending their respect. The Carrot-

  Tops weren't sure what to make of it, but they began to

  accept their fate and played along with the citizens of

  Baja. People were carrying all sorts of gifts and food; Sam

  stopped a couple and asked what was going on.

  One couple replied, "It is you, my Lord. Now we can

  celebrate Royal Day."

  "Royal Day?" Sam replied.

  Yes, it was Royal Day. It had been 10 years of not

  celebrating any holidays because of the curse Sam left on

  Baja. No holidays were allowed because one of the elders

  could not be awakened, but now, since the word had traveled

  that a gifted child was born of Sam and Jane, the curse

  would be broken.

  When Sam heard this, more pressure mounted, and he

  wasn't sure Peter was the one. A look of fear darkened

  Sam's face. In his heart, he wanted Peter to be the one,

  the one who could make his family name right again. Sam

  knew that if he failed this time, he would never be allowed

  back in Baja. As Sam headed toward his family, standing on

  the platform, a loud horn blew.

  "All aboard, all aboard," a ticket taker yelled.

  Sam, Jane, and Peter headed toward the line, and they

  were greeted by four elf-like servants.

  "This way, my Lord," all the elves said at the same

  time.

  The elves pointed the Carrot-Top family into a private

  entrance of the bird coach.

  Sam looked back as he heard the crowd whispering,

  "That's the king and his family. They have beaten the

  curse."

  As the Carrot-Tops entered the main entrance into the

  hub of the bird, they could hear the creature's beating

  heart. Every time the heart beat, there would be a wave of

  flute music.

  As the family continued to walk through the massive

  meeting area, there were many guests from around Baja and

  from different worlds. They noticed there was quite a

  difference between the rich and the poor. All the rich

  folks had their servants with them, and all the businessmen

  and woman were huddled together talking business, all

  dressed up in business attire.

  "We're out of our league," Jane said to Sam.

  This meeting hall was huge and overwhelming for the

  Carrot-Tops. There were ballrooms with chandeliers as big

  as mountains and many, many fireplaces. Everyone stared at

  the Carrot-Tops.

  One snobbish lady asked her companion, "How could they

  be royal when they are dressed in rags?"

  As the lady stuck her nose in the air at the Carrot-

  Top family; nevertheless, the family minded their own

  business and kept moving. Then they passed another meeting

  place where everything was underwater; Peter and his family

  stopped to watch as mermaids danced and had fun. To Peter,

  that was fantastic. He had never seen a mermaid. One of the

  mermaids saw Peter watching and came up to the glass that

  separates them, and blew him a kiss. Yes, indeed, Peter was

  very embarrassed and began to blush. His parents just

  laughed at their son's shyness.

  As they kept walking down the long golden corridor,

  there were many rooms. Some of the room doors were open.

  One room was a saloon where bar fights were going on.

  Quickly Sam and Jane covered their son's eyes to such

  violence, and one of the elves called for security on his

  secret watch communicator.

  Another door held a big playland for the kids. Peter

  begged his parent to go in. They were reluctant, but they

  let him have a little fun for a while. Sam and Jane watched

  as their son ran toward the playground leaving them behind.

  The playground was huge, with a large sandbox. In it was a

  large worm; it had to be about 20 feet long, and had seats

  on its back for the children to sit in as they rode up and

  down through the air.

  Everyone could hear the children's laughter. Peter

  immediately left his pet and parents behind and ran into

  the line for a ride with the sand worm. He could hardly

  wait! Once in front of the line, the trainer buckled Peter

  and the rest of the kids safely in their seats. Up and down

  the worm went, splashing sand all over the place.

  "Wheeeeeeee!" shouted the children.

  Peter was having the time of his life; waving his

  hands in the air as his proud parents looked on. After the

  fun ride, Peter socialized with the rest of the children.

  There he meet a young kid name Zack Bean; he was very

  slender and had long, golden blond hair that touched his

  shoulders, and big blue hypnotizing eyes. Zack was a very

  well-rounded child. He was very outgoing and easily made

  friends, and he was always the center of attention.

  He also met Nicholas Webster, a very heavy, overweight

  child, who was a joy to be around. Nicholas had short black

  hair and wore glasses that were held together with a piece

  of tape. He wore big, baggy oversized clothing that was

  always tripping him or causing him to fall down. No matter

  what time of day or night it was, Nicholas was always

  eating a banana.

  Next was Clara, tall and skinny, with fire-engine red

  hair that she kept in two ponytails. She wore dusty old

  overalls and miss-matched shoes. Clara was the type of girl

  that bullied boys around -- she was not to be messed with.

  Then there was Robert Clark, a Beanpole of a child who was

  very, very skinny indeed. He was so skinny that he could

  hide behind a pole. Robert was an unusual child for being

  only 10 years old; he was 7 feet tall with slick, greasy

  black hair. He wore ripped jeans and shirts and carried 10

  watches on both wrists. Robert was more strange than

  unusual.

  Last, but not least, there was Benjamin Franklin. He

  had a gene disorder that caused fur to grow all over his

  body. He was an average-size child
with a great appetite

  for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches -- that's all he

  ever wanted. As he was covered in fur, no one knew what he

  really looked like. He had straight white fur from head to

  toe. No matter what he put on, the fur poked out. It didn't

  matter whether it was clothing or a hat; the fur stuck out

  and was a pain to work with.

  Now Peter had a whole new set of friends to play with.

  Back in the land of the living, he had had a hard time

  making friends. But here in Baja, it was much easier for

  him. Peter's parents were so proud to see their son finally

  make friends and being a normal kid.

  Suddenly, the horn blew very loudly, and down came a

  big floating pirate ship out of the sky. The kids began to

  scream with excitement.

  "It's Captain Johnny!" one of the kids shouted.

  Peter was a little awestruck once again for he had

  never seen anything like this before in his life. The

  pirate ship was huge. It flashed through the sky like a

  bird moving vigorously back and forth. This was a big brown

  ship of some sort with crewmen onboard waving their swords

  at the kids. Peter went over to Robert and asked him about

  the ship. Robert told him that this was the best ride in

  Baja, and that Captain Johnny rides were the best.

  Peter's parents ran over, fearing the worst. He ran to

  meet them, and told them that this was a kids' ride and

  there was nothing to be worried about. As his parents were

  leaving, Dingo, Peter's pet, jumped on his shoulder wanting

  to go with him.

  "All right, boy, you can go with me," Peter said to

  Dingo as he rubbed his head.

  The children watched as the pirate ship came down.

  This was a huge vessel, made of deep maple red wood. The

  ship had to be at least 100 feet long. There were missiles

  and cannons onboard that shot out fireworks. Its long white

  sails fluttered in the winds. The ship came hovering down.

  The children began to scream, "Captain! Captain!

  Captain!" as they chanted for his quick arrival.

  As the ship landed, a well-built man came forward in

  his captain's outfit. He had a patch over one eye, and he

  wore a red bandanna with the outline of a skull and

  crossbones. His goatee came down to his stomach, and his

  long white hair was braided into one long braid with beads

  and sea shells throughout it.

  As the children chanted his name, Captain Johnny came

  forward raised his hands to the sky, and did backflips over

  and over. The kids loved him.

  "All aboard, all aboard," Captain Johnny said.

  The kids climbed up into the vessel. Peter had a

  nervous look on his face. He grabbed ahold of Dingo, and

  off the ship flew, back and forth, swinging higher and

  higher. Then the ship spun around and around in circles

  with the speed of light. The children screamed with

  excitement. This was one of the best times they had ever

  had, but poor little Dingo clutched onto Peter's shirt. His

  paw-like hands began to tremble.

  "It's okay, boy," Peter said like a proud papa

  protecting his young.

  The kids rode the pirate ship for well over 20

  minutes, then they were invited to start the fireworks.

  What a blast Peter was having! But it was time to go. Peter

  said good-bye to all the new friends he had made, and was

  on his way again with the magical flying bird.

  The elves came back and greeted the Carrot-Tops, and

  they showed the family to their room. It was a huge place

  with high ceilings and Victorian decor. Dingo was glad to

  be on solid ground, and he jumped out of Peter's hand and

  onto the floor, rolling and chasing his tail. The Carrot-

  Tops were told that they would be arriving in Baja any

  minute, and that they needed to spruce up a bit. They

  complied and changed into clothing made for royalty.

  Peter wore a silk lace suit that was all white, and on

  his head was a crown. His clothing had the same mystical

  symbols as everything else in Baja. His parents were also

  dressed in all white with crowns that graced their heads.

  They looked like a true royal family.

  Then in came a servant snapping pictures and taking

  them away quickly. The family began to get nervous, not

  knowing what they were up against. Then a loud sounding

  alarm began to blow. Peter ran to the window and saw a

  beautiful sight. It was the land of Baja, very colorful and

  unique. Trees were 100 feet tall or taller, and there were

  beanstalks that giants were sliding down. As Peter looked

  over to the right, he could see a group of colorful birds

  flying back and forth with welcome signs in their beaks.

  The sun was shining brightly, and there were chariots

  flying through the sky carrying kings, queens, and

  descendants of royalty. Peter called over his parents, and

  they rushed to the window. They had not seen Baja in so

  long. Jane began to cry. Baja was a beautiful mystical land

  where the impossible co-existed with the possible.

  "What's wrong, Mother?" Peter asked as he saw Jane

  crying.

  She explained to him that she was the one that grew

  all of those flowers and trees, and that her magical gifts

  were the reason plants flourished. Peter told his mother

  that he was so proud of her.

  Down below, Sam could also see the empires that he

  helped build. Because of Sam's magical ability to move

  objects of any size, he was sought after to build a massive

  empire for the elders. The family embraced each other as

  the door opened and a servant walked in and stated that

  they were in Baja, and their royal presence was needed.

  Peter was excited and was the first Carrot-Top to the

  door. As the servant opened it, they were greeted by armed

  guards. They were dressed in all black with their faces

  covered. The same mystical symbols glittered on their

  clothing. They each carried a secret weapon. One had a

  silver sword that could stretch 10 feet long. The next had

  a ball that created explosions, and the last one had a

  golden bow and arrow. Peter stared the three guards up and

  down, trying to see if they would look at him, but they

  never did. They were focused and never talked or made a

  move unless the Carrot-Tops did so first.

  Off they went; they were led by two elves through a

  big double door. They were so huge that the Carrot-Tops had

  to look all the way up to see the door handles. The door

  was solid gold with different secret codes scattered all

  over it. The door had two big lion heads that looked like

  they were moving.

  The family kept moving and looking over their

  shoulders. As they came closer to the door, it began to

  open. A beaming bright light came through the crack of the

  opening, blinding the family. They quickly put their hands

  over their faces and proceeded through the door.

  At first the family could only see the bright beam of

  white light, and then it
subsided. They were now in an

  arena filled with millions of people from all over the

  world. It was so beautiful, with large marble pillars

  throughout the arena. The pillars were covered with

  beautiful mystical drawings, and there were large statues

  of kings and queens and many famous rulers.

  There were also thousands of army men made out of

  carved marble stone that circled around the entire arena.

  The top of the arena had a dome that had Christian

  paintings on it, including the birth of Jesus, the baptism

  and many more.

  "That must have taken years to paint," Peter said to

  his father.

  People began to clap for the family as they arrived in

  the arena; it was a royal celebration. There was

  entertainment such as juggling and magic tricks. People

  were holding up signs and banners that welcomed the royal

  family's return. The Carrot-Tops were modest and quickly

  tried to settle the crowd down, but it did not work. There

  had not been a magical child born in 10 years. As Peter

  looked over his shoulder to the right, there were tables

  upon tables of gifts and presents, all wrapped in pretty

  paper and big bows.

  After a few minutes of being surprised, the Carrot-

  Tops were escorted to their seats. They were made of gold

  and had the finest feather pillows for cushions. Then a man

  appeared out of nowhere on the large stage. He introduced

  himself as Mr. Patric Stewart. He was very well groomed,

  and his suit had the look and work of a professional

  tailor. Mr. Stewart had no hair on his head; he was

  completely bald. He was a man for getting down to business.

  He cleared his throat and gave a welcome speech to

  introduce the Carrot-Tops. "In ten years there has never

  been a child born with gifts outside of Baja, and our world

  depends on the resources of the gifted ones."

  The speech was long and touching. Patric told the

  crowd that the Carrot-Tops would be staying in Baja and to

  treat them as their own family. For the most part, many of

  the millions of visitors were satisfied, but there were a

  few that whispered about the authenticity of the family

  returning to Baja.

  Mr. Stewart shared that the family had gone through

  their share of betrayals and that in time, everything would

  be returned to right. The crowd clapped and cheered,

  balloons began to fly into the air. It was a big day in

  Baja, very festive and joyous. After the speech, he came

  over and greeted the Carrot-Tops. Sam and Jane knew him

  very well; he was the one that kicked them out of Baja many

  years ago. Mr. Stewart was very humble in his apology, but

  he was still skeptical about Peter's powers. This was

  something he had only heard about and not seen for himself.

  He walked over to Peter and requested to see his

  powers. Sam was upset about the request, but Mr. Stewart

  reminded the Carrot-Tops that if they wanted to make it in

  Baja, they would have to prove that Peter was a gifted

  child. Very reluctantly Sam gave in, but he was still very

  disappointed by Mr. Stewart's request.

  "It's okay, Father. I'll do it," Peter proclaimed.

  Mr. Stewart got the crowd's attention to watch a

  miracle in action. The air was thick, and in that big

  arena, you could hear a pin drop. Suddenly Peter held his

  hand to the ground. The dust began to fly and the earth

  began to shake. The crowd was frightened to see the power

  of a little boy in action.

  Peter's orange hair began to flap in the wind,

  vigorously swaying back and forth. Suddenly huge chunks of

  rock and earth began to fly up and into the air. With

  lightning speed, a whirlwind erupted. As the dust finally

  settled, there was a gigantic hole the same size as the

  arena. When the crowd looked down, there was nothing but

  pure darkness.

  Peter, his family and Mr. Stewart were standing on a

  little chunk of rock; there was nothing else left. Mr.

  Stewart looked down into the hole and saw nothing. It was

  like this hole was a never ending abyss. Then, suddenly, he

  leapt off the side of the rock and into the hole.

  The crowds screamed at the top of their lungs, and

  then went silent. Sam and Jane feared the worst -- that Mr.

  Stewart was gone for good. But then, he suddenly appeared,

  brushing the dirt from his shoulders. He raised his hands

  to the crowd, letting them know that he was okay. Mr.

  Stewart leaned over and told the Carrot-Tops that they had

  one special child.

  Sam smiled, but deep down he knew there was more to

  Mr. Stewart's comments than he let on. After all, this was

  the man that kicked them out of Baja. The crowd was roaring

  and cheering for Peter, and they kept calling his name.

  A big, wide grin graced Peter's face. He was a happy

  boy because he was in a land that appreciated him for who

  he was. Sam and Jane rushed over to hug him. After the

  show, there were parades and all-night festivities. Sam

  asked Mr. Stewart when they would be in Baja, the main

  island.

  Mr. Stewart asked, "Why are you so in a rush, my boy?

  Enjoy life, because from here on out, you will be proving

  yourself to the entire world."

  After that, Mr. Stewart walked away, never looking

  back at the Carrot-Tops. Sam was puzzled by his comments,

  but went along with the fun.

  Peter was so happy when he and his parents got to tour

  the entire bird ship. He saw the captain's deck, and met

  some very important people of Baja, including wizards,

  priests and royalty. It was overwhelming for Peter, but he

  handled it like anything else -- he got nervous and his

  head swelled like a pumpkin. When this happened, he rushed

  out of the room. Jane ran behind her son to comfort him,

  and let him know that everything would be okay, while Sam

  stayed behind to cover for Peter and Jane.

  For such a long time, Sam had felt neglected by the

  people of Baja. Now he felt like royalty -- a feeling that

  only was ten years in the making. Sam noticed that the

  people were more interested in his son than him. After

  Peter left the room, the royal members of society did not

  want to talk to Sam. They began to shun him over and over

  again. One royal member confided to Sam that his son was

  the only reason he was invited back to Baja.

  Sam was feeling unwanted and that Peter was the only

  reason they were there. He burst through the crowd, pushing

  and shoving with anger. He began to yell for his wife like

  a crazy man.

  "Jane, Jane, let's go!" Sam shouted.

  She came running, with Peter at her side. Sam

  explained to her that they were only there because of

  Peter, and that they might be hanged when they arrived in

  Baja. Jane tried to calm him down, but it did no good; Sam

  was ready to leave, and leave now.

  He ordered the captain to turn around, but he

  explained to Sam that they were rid
ing on a magical rainbow

  and couldn't turn back because the rainbows were erased by

  sweeping angels. The captain told Sam that, after the

  elders had been in slumber, the world of Baja was under

  attack and easily penetrated, so they had to come up with a

  way to disguise the route to the main inlands of Baja.

  Deep down in Sam's heart, he wanted to go back home,

  but on the other hand, he wanted to stay and confront his

  fears. Sam flopped down onto a chair with his eyes covered

  by his hands, "What, have I done to deserve this?" Sam

  shouted.

  Jane ran over to Sam and gave him a big hug, putting

  her fingers on his lips, motioning for him not to speak.

  Peter ran over and gave them both a big hug. The family

  stayed hugging for a while, and then they got up refreshed.

  A loud horn blew, signaling that the ship had arrived on

  the main land of Baja.

  The crowd of people could be heard un-boarding the

  ship. Peter and his family were guided by the elves to

  retrieve their belongings. He saw the friends he'd made

  getting off and waved to them.

  "See you soon," said Peter as his new friends waved

  back.

  The elves reminded the Carrot-Tops to have their

  passports ready. As the family gathered up their few

  belongings, they headed to the door. People were pointing

  and whispering that they were the royal family, and some

  wanted autographs and pictures. The family felt a little

  strange doing this, but they did it to please the people of

  Baja. All the young kids wanted Peter's autograph. His

  father told him not to let the fame go to his head, and to

  know who his true friends were. As the passengers lined up,

  a voice came over the air telling them to pull out all

  passports and get ready to be scanned.

  The Carrot-Tops held up their passports and a beam of

  white light scanned their entire bodies. No one coming into

  Baja would be left un-scanned, no matter who they were or

  their rank. Dingo was also scanned, poor little animal. He

  was so afraid of the scans, but Peter kept talking to him,

  letting his little friend know that it would be all right.

  During the phase of the white light, the scanner could

  tell everything about a person, from their age to their

  health, even the length of their hair. Everything went well

  going through the scanner for the Carrot-Top family.

  Finally, they were home! Tears began to well up in

  Sam's eyes. Peter watched as his parent's facial

  expressions showed so much pain. He could not do anything

  for them, but feel their pain. One more step and the

  Carrot-Tops were on land. Peter looked back to wave to the

  captain on the bridge and the people leaving. He looked

  around as he saw family after family hugging and kissing

  each other.

  Baja was a beautiful place with countless waterfalls,

  and large animals co-existed with humans and other species.

  There were large beanstalks that giants slid down. Children

  raced their seahorses in the rivers and twenty rainbows in

  the sky gave off a multicolored glow. The trees walked, and

  sang and talked to the citizens of Baja. There were birds

  as big as houses filling the entire sky. There were huge

  statues throughout the land, some reached the clouds. Every

  statue in Baja had a meaning, whether it was of a mighty

  warrior or to educate the people.

  Baja had its fair share of icons. There were golden

  gates, bridges, and rivers that ran through the town

  bringing fresh fish and food to the people. Most of the

  streets were made of mud bricks. Shops were everywhere.

  There was every store a child could imagine -- toy stores,

  train stores, games store -- you name it, Baja had it.

  There were millions of residents that called Baja home,

  walking about the streets going about their daily lives.

  Peter couldn't wait to get into the swing of things.

  He wanted to start enjoying his new home. "Where is our

  family?" he asked his parents.

  Both Sam and Jane looked around, hoping someone would

  come forward and claim them, but no one did. They hailed a

  cab, and just as it was coming, an older gentleman shouted

  "Sam, Sam, my son!"

  Sam and Jane quickly turned around. They looked

  puzzled. They could not recall the face for the life of

  them.

  "Yes?" Sam asked.

  The man explained that he was Sam's father.

  "Father!" said Sam, as he ran up to the man stroking

  his long beard and pale skin.

  "What happened to you, Sam?" asked his father, David.

  "Your mother and I were also banned from Baja. We had to

  work in the hot underground tunnels as our punishment for

  having a failure as a son."

  David explained that they had been kicked out of Baja

  after Sam had. David let Sam know that his mother was

  barely holding on, and today was the first time they had

  seen daylight. Sam became very angry, and he blamed

  himself. He told his father he would straighten everything

  out.

  Peter began to pull on his father's coat tail. "What

  about me?"

  "Oh! Father, I would like to introduce you to your

  grandson, Peter," Sam replied.

  "You are the one that wizards and witches are talking

  about," said David.

  "Witches?" Peter mumbled.

  David told his grandson not to be afraid of evil, but

  by the look in Peter's eyes, he was still afraid. Then Jane

  came forward and stretched out her hands for a hug.

  "Oh! Jane, my beautiful daughter-in-law," cried David

  as they hugged.

  Peter noticed that a strange man was watching them

  from across the street, but when he turned around to tell

  his father, the man was gone, vanished into thin air.

  Peter's eyes began to bulge out and he looked vigorously

  from side to side. But the man was nowhere to be found, so

  he never told his parents anything else about what he had

  seen.

  David quickly looked around and told his son that he

  would take him home.

  "Home?" Sam replied.

  "Yes, home," said his father.

  David explained to Sam and his family that their house

  was never destroyed; the house was put onto the house farm.

  "House farm?" asked Peter.

  "Yes, a house farm," said Grandpa David.

  Jane and Sam explained to Peter that when any citizen

  was facing punishment of any sort, all their belongings,

  including their house, were stored on the house farm. Then,

  when that individual was set free, he or she went to the

  farm and requested their belongings.

  "Let's go," said Peter.

  Grandpa David just laughed and was happy to have his

  family back. As they were leaving, a group of royal

  soldiers came and stopped the family. There were five

  soldiers in all, dressed in all white uniforms and top

  hats. They explained to the Carrot-Tops that because they

  were important citizens of Baja, they would be escorted
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  everywhere. One of the soldiers pointed to their beautiful

  transportation. It was all white, and had wings like a bird

  and eight wheel tiers. Brown leather covered the seats

  inside.

  The transportation was new and shiny. Peter was about

  to run over to see it until his mother pulled him back.

  "No! We do not need your charity. We will make it on

  our own," said Jane.

  Then the Carrot-Tops walked away, leaving the

  soldier's puzzled.

  "That fixed them!" said Grandpa David, and the family

  went off to find their home.