Bab looked at Prong, asleep in the corner, and felt jealous. He loved sleep. Maybe because his brain was so big, it needed lots of rest. Plus, yesterday was a big day, with lots of crushed houses and shops to repair in Mumphis. He’d tried turning his Beard into a hammer, a saw, even a big hairy bulldozer.

“You know, Bab,” said Scaler, “you’ve been doing nothing but work, work, work with that Beard of yours. What say we cut loose and have some fun with it for once?”

Bab shrugged. “I’ve been having fun this entire time! Except for the whole trying-not-to-get-killed thing. But what should I turn it into, Scaler?”

“A plane!” said Scaler, excited. “I’ve loved watching those things fly over ever since I could see your world.”

“Meh, I’ve tried that before. The Beard can’t fly, it’s too hairy.”

“I know, a volcano!” cried Scaler. “I’ve always wanted to see a volcano, especially one made from hair.” Bab could tell the mummified fish had been thinking of the plane and volcano ideas for some time.

Bab smiled. “Okay. Beard, attach!”

The Beard flicked up from under Bab’s pillow and attached itself to his chin.

BLING!

Two gold threads wrapped themselves neatly around the hairs.

“Beard, turn into a volcano.” The Beard snaked forwards in front of Bab. Ballooning out, it formed the shape of a pointy volcano, half as tall as the room. Resting atop the mess on Bab’s floor, the volcano shook and rumbled.

“A cold volcano, not a hot one!” Bab shouted, just in time.

It erupted, blasting out hundreds of tiny hair balls. They knocked Bab’s stuff all over the place. Then the volcano sprouted long, shiny hairs that flowed down its sides like lava and poured onto the carpet.

Scaler and Bab looked on in amazement while Prong just snored loudly.

The purple Fish Mummy ran up the side of the hairy volcano and sat her fish butt on top of it, blocking the crater. The volcano swelled underneath her until . . .

KRAKA-BLAM!

Scaler flew into the air like a champagne cork. She hit the ceiling and landed in a pile of hairy balls.

She laughed hysterically. Bab hadn’t seen Scaler laugh before. She had the goofiest laugh Bab had ever heard. “HWUK HWUK HWUK!” The sound of it made Bab laugh too.

Laughing like a goof, Scaler jumped up and down on the spot. “This is amazing! Hwuk hwuk. What else can it do?”

She pulled her bony guitar out of her bandages. Stomping a gazelle hoof, she struck up an acoustic song.

“You got a magic beard,” sang Scaler, “that’s a thing I wanna see.

“Why don’t you turn it into a trampoline for me?

“You got a magic beard cos you’re the smartest one around.

“Turn it into a roller-coaster, zooming up and down!

“Turn it into a palm tree with a hairy bird’s nest.

“Turn it into a furry hammock so we can have a rest!”

As Scaler sang, Bab told the Beard to become a trampoline, a mini-roller-coaster, a palm tree with a bird’s nest, and a hammock. (Scaler was thrilled by all of these, although she complained the roller-coaster was too small.)

Bab and Scaler were swinging in the hammock, about to turn the Beard into a train, when . . .

BANG BANG!

Someone was banging on Bab’s bedroom door. Scaler stuffed her bony guitar back into her body.

“Babby Boo, are you all right in there?” called a bubbly voice through the door. “I thought I could hear a roller-coaster.”

It was Bab’s mum, Prof Sharkey! All the ruckus had woken her up. How could Bab have been so stupid?

So much for the Beard choosing the smartest person, he thought. I’m an idiot!

“It’s not safe to build a theme park in your bedroom,” called Bab’s mum.

If she shoves the door open and finds Scaler and Prong . . .

But before Bab could finish that awful thought, his mum shoved the door open.