The Reluctant Adventures of Pigglebottom Broadsword

Chapter Twelve

Pigglebottom continued wandering north after being dropped off just a short distance from the bridge in which he met the strange quarreling pair of man and horse. The path he now found himself on, which was darkened by an almost tunnel-like covering of trees, grew narrower the further in he walked. In the distance, groans and squeals could be heard on the wind as the leaves rustled with a calm and slow quiver. After some time walking far down the path until the trees were almost caressing his head, Pigglebottom's eyes were drawn to a plant which stood out very obviously amongst the rest of the fauna. It was a rather peculiar shape, its thick roots supported its slender body and a large bulb at the top which resembled a ball hanging precariously from a tentacle. As he drew closer, the spherical part began pulsating as a dim yet glowing light shone at its centre. The branch it was attached to began to squirm and writhe before suddenly lifting the ball down towards the path. Pigglebottom stopped dead in his tracks as the ball bobbed up and down just a few centimetres from his face.

"These paths is not your path...s" a slurred voice gurgled in low tones.

"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to go North to the border, I'll go another way, I meant no offence." Pigglebottom loudly proclaimed as he slowly turned and began walking backward out of the narrow path. The branch flailed into the air, carrying with it the spherical object which then slammed down, almost cracking away from the branch as it hovered again just a few inches away from Pigglebottom's face.

"Didn't say yous could leave... didn't... did I... done... didn't?" the ball gurgled in an almost confused fashion seemingly questioning the nonsensical drivel it was spouting.

"I.. I think you did. Yes" Pigglebottom said as he nervously quivered in an attempt to outsmart the bizarre and sentient plant life that lay before him.

"Oh..." the ball gurgled, hissed then made a gulp-like sound "If I said... then said I did... that, said it I done said..." slurred the ball, hiccupping as it finished its sentence.

"Ok, well, I'll be on my way, thank you" Pigglebottom slowly backed away, then swiftly turned in the opposite direction to make a break for it.

"Not so fastly quickly you didn't don't", the ball gurgled, "going through, you answer me... have to".

"What do you mean?" Pigglebottom enquired confused.

"Question... one" the ball slowly muttered "what..." the ball seemingly fell asleep for a few moments as Pigglebottom could hear it beginning to snore before it was jolted awake again by the force of a squirrel dropping onto its branch to which it muttered "bloody squizzles" in an even sleepier fashion than previously.

"Do we really have to do this? I have places to be" Pigglebottom stated.

"Do... what, now?" the ball questioned.

"The quiz to get through, you just said it!" Pigglebottom said as he was becoming increasingly irritable.

"Oh... question one", it began again, "what's... name, this, my, what's?" the ball enquired.

"Your name? How on earth am I supposed to know what you name is!" Pigglebottom replied.

"Correct" the ball stated as Pigglebottom was confused as to what part he was correct about.

"Question... four", the ball began again, seemingly skipping the second and third questions, "what... do".

"What do?" Pigglebottom enquired.

"What do..." the ball replied

"What do what?" Pigglebottom enquired again.

A moment of silence occurred again before the ball muttered the words "yeah... is correct".