Loopy the Robot Dog : A Short Story

It was the year of our lord, Twenty-Twenty. Professor Jacob Einsted was a very clever man. He knew so much about science and engineering that scientists, from all over the world, would contact him when they had a problem. Some years ago he had lost his beloved wife. Now he was a sad and lonely man.

To cheer himself up, he constructed, in great secrecy, a robot dalmatian dog called Loopy. He made Loopy very strong and gave him the ability to talk every language known, and some unknown, to man.  Loopy was so well made that he looked like an ordinary dalmatian. Because he didn't eat or drink, the professor didn't have to fuss with meals for him. Loopy was told he must never allow anyone to hear him speak, otherwise some bad men might capture him, put him on TV, and make loads of money from him: as The Miracle Talking Dog. Loopy promised he would only talk with the professor when they were alone.

The professor had a second-hand Tiger Moth aeroplane, which he bought from the RAF. With it he flew to various countries where he gave lectures at universities. After lecturing in Hungary he flew, with Loopy, over the high Alps en route to Kloten airport in Zurich, Switzerland, where he would give another lecture. After that he would fly back to England and his Laboratory in Cambridge university.

Flying over the high Alps their engine stuttered: Brunch! Crunch! Brunch! The engine made a final splutter and stopped, and the propellers no longer turned.

The professor said, "I'm sorry Loopy we will crash into these high mountains and that will be the end for us."

Just as they stalled and were about to crash, to their amazement they saw, surrounded by steep cliffs, a beautiful green valley.

"Hi, Ho, Loopy. It wont be easy, but I'll try to glide down and if we're lucky, make an emergency landing."

The professor managed to land, and apart from bruises they were both OK, but the Tiger Moth would never fly again.

Feeling shook-up and dizzy, the two survivors gazed in amazement at the landscape before them. They were in a previously unknown green valley. There were trees laden with fruit, rabbits, wild fowl, goats, some dainty Roe Deer, and best of all there was a crystal stream of pure water that ran into a small lake.

"Well Loopy, it looks like we've discovered an unknown valley."

When they felt less groggy, the survivors noticed some primitive huts. They became concerned because groups of people, appeared out of the huts, and walked towards them. They looked like people from an earlier age dressed in animal skins.

The strange natives advanced nearer and nearer towards them. They carried no weapons and their faces expressed amazement rather than aggression. Stopping about twenty feet from our two adventurers they muttered amongst themselves in a strange language.

"Can you understand anything of their strange tongue Loopy?"

"Yes I can. They have never seen a western man before, or a dog, and certainly not an aeroplane. Unfortunately, they think you are a God."

"Tell them we come in peace and mean them no harm."

Loopy relayed the professor's message and to his relief the group surrounded them and began to smile and laugh.

A curious Loopy questioned the crowd, "Who are you people?"

An old man stepped forward.

"We are known as Hunites and we have lived alone in this lovely land for centuries.  Many years ago we were hunter gatherers. One day, lost in the mists of time, starving and thirsty we wandered through a pass in the mountains and discovered this land, with its abundance of game and clear drinking water. We intended to fill our satchels and water bottles and return to our homeland.  Fate thought otherwise; there was an earthquake,  followed by fierce storms and weeks of heavy rain. The mountains collapsed, rocks fell, and our exit passage was blocked. Thankfully, none of us were hurt. There was no way out and we were trapped. In the end, fate had been kind to us because we made our home in this wonderful valley. We built houses from the plentiful timber and bulrushes. We grew healthy and strong and we were never hungry. Our only weapons, for hunting, were bows, arrows and clubs. The shame was that the animals were so tame they would run up to us and be friendly, but we had to eat, and we killed only as many as we required. We all have equal standing in our tribe, but as I'm the wisest they have made me their leader."

Loopy answered, "Thank you. What is your name?"

"Yohannah. What's yours?"

"This gentleman is Professor Jacob Einsted and my name is Loopy."

The old man held out both arms in a welcoming gesture.

"We are your friends, you will sleep in my house until we have built a house for you. We start building tomorrow. As well as timber we can use some parts of your broken flying machine."

All that was left for Loopy to say was, "Thank you Yohannah."

The old man said, "Man who flies in the sky, with wounded bird, follow me.  I have something mysterious to show you."

After Loopy had translated they trailed after Yohannah.

Yohannah took them to the plane and said, "Strong dog lift the wing of your bird."

Loopy easily pushed the wing to one side and they were surprised to see an old stone with carved writing on it.  Excited, Jacob went to the house and returned, with a pen and some paper, and drew a diagram of the scribbled writing.

Jacob asked Loopy, "Do you understand this strange lettering?"

"No I can’t, but I can tell you it's older than Sanskrit, which I can read."

None the wiser Jacob stashed the drawing, he had made, into his pocket.

The Hunites were an attractive race. The men were tall, with good feature’s, and fine physiques. The woman were willowy, gracious, and appealing. They were good workers; they had the professor's house built in three days. With the help of the professor's planning, the construction of his home was remarkably efficient, helped by the professor salvaging some items from the plane.

Life continued and the Hunites proved to be faithful friends. Loopy would play ball with the children and together they enjoyed fun and games. He took this opportunity to find out more about their unexpected hosts.

Yohannah told him, "We all love each other and we are all mothers and fathers to the children."

Loopy received a strange answer when he broached the sensitive subject of burial.

Looking serious the old man said, "We have no need for burials because none of us ever die. We stay the same age as we did when we arrived here. If you remain with us you will also never die."

When Loopy relayed Yohanna's answer to Jacob, he retorted, "Please my friend, don't tell me any more fairy stories, life is complicated enough."

Some weeks later, Loopy brought a pretty girl called Marannah to Jacob.

Loopy's story to the mystified professor was, "Yohannah has sent this girl to you, she will cook, clean, and wash your clothes, she will also live with you and care for us both."

Jacob hesitated, but before he could refuse Loopy intervened, "If you refuse to have the girl, the tribe will be insulted and our friendly relations will cease."

A bewildered Jacob, not wishing to stir up trouble, made a show of making the girl welcome. The choice should have been an easy one because Marannah was extremely pretty. She had large dark eyes, and jet-black hair that curled down to her waist. She smiled easily, had a trim figure, and her animal-hide dresses were fashioned in a modern manner.

The couple enjoyed life with the Hunites, but after a month Jacob talked seriously with Loopy, "As you know I have a dear friend, Doctor Tom Galbraith, who is my lab' assistant in Cambridge. Tom will be worried about our disappearance. Unfortunately, I've no way of contacting him and explaining our dilemma. We've no satellite phone and our radio was wrecked beyond repair. I would dearly like to contact Tom, but I don't know how."

Loopy stated, "When Tom receives no messages from you, he will look into things."

"Of course he will, but I must admit to growing happier every day. I want us to be found, but life is so peaceful here.  Do you feel the same way Loopy?"

"Yes professor, I would be happy to stay here with my new friends."

"Duty is duty Loopy and I'm sure Tom will be delighted to find us in this wonderful place.  Let's stand by the wreck of our plane and marvel at how lucky we've been to make a miraculous landing in this unknown valley." 

In Cambridge, Tom was on the phone to the Swiss Mountain-Rescue-Service.

"My two friends were flying from Hungary to Zurich, Switzerland, but they never arrived. Perhaps weather conditions forced my friends  to alter course. It's all a bit of a mystery. Tell me, are you  willing to mobilise a search team from Switzerland?--You are!--Excellent!--Would you mind if I flew to Switzerland and took part in the search?--Don't be daft!--I'm only forty and I keep myself in tip-top condition-- I can--Good! I'll meet your team and we'll get going in three days time.  My friends will be surprised,  but pleased to see me.  I hope they are OK because I'm very fond of them both.  Jacob is a competent pilot so I expect they will both be fine."

Some days later, after a difficult search, Tom with the searchers found the crashed plane and his two close friends. The beautiful valley was non-existent; there was only the rocky mountain terrain. Tom stared at the ancient stone tablet and asked if anyone could understand it. Naturally this was impossible because no person alive could decipher the scribbled script. If someone could have, they would be able to decipher just one word: PARADISE.

Philip's Army is now available in Paperback and Kindle formats.

ASIN: B008R7DD20
ISBN-10: 1479242624
ISBN-13: 978-1479242627


Chapter One The War Council can be read for free here.

The Fat Boy called Jumbo : A Short Story

Tom lived with his mum and dad in a small village in England. Tom was very, very fat, and he grew fatter every day. Because he was so fat the other boys and girls called him Jumbo.  Tom was twelve years old and he was bullied at school.  Boys would punch his large tummy and call him nasty hurtful names.  This made Tom unhappy and, when he was alone, he would cry.

Tom had a problem: he would only eat pies, sausages, cakes and fizzy drinks.

His mum would try to make him eat sensible food, but when she offered him fruit, vegetables, and fish dishes, Tom would thump the table angrily and say, "I want pies and sausages! Give me pies and sausages!"

Trying hard to teach her son, mummy gave Tom a big bowl of porridge, some oat biscuits and a glass of water.

Tom in a bad mood threw the porridge on the ground and stomped out of the room shouting, "You know I only eat pies and sausages!"

After a while his mum, and later his dad, stopped trying to make their son eat correct food.  Instead they would give him money to go to the shops and buy pies, sausages, cakes and fizzy drinks.

One Saturday Tom was waddling along the road, on his way to the pie shop, when a very old man called out to him, "Hello, Jumbo Tom.  Where are you going?"

"How do you know my name? I don't know you mister."

"Well, Tom for many years I have tried to help people solve their problems. Somehow the name of the person floats into my head.  That is why I know your name, and it's my duty to help you."

"Go away! I don't have a problem, and I don't need your help."

"Are you going to spend money buying pies you silly fat boy."

"Yes, I am, and anyway it's none of your business."

"Why don't you come to my house? I have lots of pies and cakes that you can eat for free."

Tom was tempted, "OK, I'll come with you, but don't try any funny business."

The old man led Tom into a nearby house.

Once inside, the old man told Tom, "Come into this room, I think you will like what you see."

Tom's eyes opened wide in wonderment, because on a table were rows and rows of pies, string after string of sausages, and loads of cakes and fizzy drinks.

As Tom approached the table, three strange things happened.  All the food disappeared, the old man vanished, and the entrance door grew narrower, and narrower making it impossible for Tom to squeeze through and escape.

"What dirty tricks are you up to, old man.  Let me out of here or I'll call the police."

His captor suddenly appeared.

"I'm sorry boy, but you're going to be my guest for some time.  The toilet is over there and that single bed is for you to sleep in."

Tom ran to the door and tried to force it open, but to no avail.

A desperate, worried Tom shouted, "Let me out of here or I'll biff you."

Tom rushed towards his enemy intending to force him into freeing him, but as soon as he got close, his jailer disappeared. Depressed, Tom sat down on the bed and started to cry.  The old man returned.

"No need to cry Tom, I won't harm you.  Go over to that long mirror and look into it."

Reluctantly, Tom went over and looked in the mirror.  He saw the figure of a slim, handsome, young man looking back at him.

"Who's this stuck up jerk I'm looking at?"

"It's you Tom, or how you will look before you can go home."

"Don't be daft! that's impossible."

"It's not easy, but it's possible.  I know some exercises created in China two-thousand-years ago. You will do these gymnastics for four hours every day, you will skip for two hours every day and you will run on the spot until you collapse with exhaustion, and you will only eat the food I give you.

"I refuse to be bothered with this silly nonsense.  I ask you one more time I want to go home, my mum will be worried about me."

"You don't have a choice Tom, you have to stay here, with me, until your're ready to go. Think how proud your mum will be when her handsome son returns to her.

Days past and Tom lost all sense of time.  The old man put him through a strenuous routine of Chinese exercises, skipping, and running on the spot, until Tom collapsed exhausted.

Then one day the old man said, "You're ready Tom, it's time for you to go home. Goodbye I'll miss you."

The door opened wide and Tom drifted, out of the house, into the sunshine.

The first rays of the morning sun found Tom's mum sitting by the hospital bed. It had been two months since the old man had crashed his car into Tom.  The accident caused the old man to fall asleep.  The fat boy had sustained only minor injuries except for a bump on the head that had resulted in the  mysterious dream state of a coma.  A sudden movement, from the bed, alerted the watching mum.  Tom opened his eyes and muttered something.

Rushing out of the room the excited woman shouted, "Doctor! doctor! My son has returned! My son has returned to me."

Tom had returned and soon he was allowed to go home.  To his mum and dad's joy their son was now a trim, good-looking boy; he resembled the reflection of the handsome boy he had seen in the mirror.  The happy family looked forward to the future, but one thing was certain, Tom would no longer eat pies, sausages, cakes, and drink fizzy drinks.


Philip's Army is now available in Paperback and Kindle formats.

ASIN: B008R7DD20
ISBN-10: 1479242624
ISBN-13: 978-1479242627


Chapter One The War Council can be read for free here.