The Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera

44. Tickled Pink

May, 1979

It was a lovely spring day in the Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera, and Huckleberry Hound was out for a walk through town. He sang a merry tune as he strolled through the park.

"Oh mah darlin', oh mah darlin'...oh mah darlin' Clemen-tayyyyne..."

He paused for a moment, then took a deep breath of the fresh spring air.

"Ahh, sure is a lovely day," he sighed. "Reckon maybe I oughtta take me a little walk in the woods whilst I'm at it! The forest is right pretty in the prime of spring!"

He resumed his stroll and soon reached the forest, where a quaint little trail wound its way through the trees. The scents of the dirt, the leaves, the flowers...it all smelled so soothing and beautiful. The sounds of the birds singing in the trees also added to the serene atmosphere.

"Howdy thar!" he called to a little sparrow in a nearby sycamore tree. "I love the way you sing, lil' birdie!"

The bird titled its head at Huck and tweeted, with the hound making his bird call in return, the two of them tweeting and whistling back and forth. Huck chuckled, then continued on his way. But as he roamed deeper into the woods, it started to grow a lot more mossy and a slight mist began to fill the air. He soon found himself in what appeared to be a swamp. He sniffed the air, then held his nose.

"Yuck!" he exclaimed. "Swamp mud! I'd better tread careful-like. Y'never know when you might step in quicksand 'round these parts!"

He continued to walk along the path, disgusted by how the swamp smelled. But then, there was a sight that caught his eye...an egg! It was a rather large egg, sitting in a tangle of moss and swamp weeds. Curious, he wandered over to take a look.

"Well bust mah britches! That's one gigantic-type egg if'n I've ever seen one! Wonder what sort of critter laid it!"

He reached over to pick it up and take a closer look, but the moment his paws touched the egg, it tilted and went rolling away out of the weeds!

"Whoops! Come back here!"

Huck ran after the egg as it rolled down a small hill, then suddenly, it landed in the quicksand pit nearby with a squish!

"Gosh! That poor egg is gonna be sunk if'n I don't get it outta there fast-like!" he exclaimed.

So, he ran over into the quicksand, and snatched up the egg in both paws before it could sink.

"I got it!" he cried. But then he could feel himself sinking. "Uh-oh! I saved the egg, but I'm gonna be sunk if I don't save myself!

He grabbed onto a nearby branch, and grunted as he struggled to pull himself up and out of the muck. It wasn't easy since he only had one arm to work with, with the other tucked around the egg. Luckily, he was able to make it out just in time.

"Whew! I made it! Now I'd better skedaddle outta this smelly swamp before I gets myself into deeper trouble!"

He didn't want to risk getting stuck in the quicksand again, so he whistled for his magic broomstick, and flew out of the swamp, holding onto the egg.

"Mm, I dunno of any swamp critters around here who lay eggs this big," he muttered to himself. "Maybe someone in Bedrock lost one of their prized baby ptero-dactile eggs! I think I'll mosey on over there and ask around about it. After all, as a good deed doer, it's my boudin' duty!"

So he glided over to Bedrock, and started looking for people to ask about the egg. First he glided past the Cave Care center, where Mrs. Feldspar was taking care of the children and looking after them. He walked up to the stone fence and called out to her.