‘Well,’ said Jonathan Ripples, who had finally discovered a snack on the island – a really small coconut that tasted like sick. ‘It’s all over. The time has come to return to Lamonic Bibber at last.’
‘But how can we, Mr Ripples, sir? Our ballooner’s all damaged up beyond repair,’ said Polly.
‘Oh, yes, I’d forgotten about that,’ said Jonathan Ripples glumly. ‘Whatever are we going to do?’
But just then Padlock’s ears pricked up and he started dashing through the forest, turning somersaults as he went.
‘Why, he’s gone quite mad,’ laughed Polly as she and Jonathan Ripples followed him down to the beach. But there upon the shining white sands stood the hot-air balloon, fully repaired and as good as new, and surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of happy laughing creatures, frolicking in the sunshine and having their races.
‘Oh, my LORD! The animals have fixed the balloon!’ shouted Jonathan Ripples, falling over in disbelief and getting sand down his trousers.
‘Not the animals,’ laughed Polly, seeing that the basket was loaded with enough fruit chews to last them the entire trip back home. ‘You know, Mr Ripples, sir, I think the Spirit of the Rainbow’s been helpin’ us out again.’
‘Oh, Polly,’ smiled Jonathan Ripples. ‘Not that nonsense again! Just who is this Spirit of the Rainbow character supposed to be, anyway?’
‘Why, don’t you knows, sir?’ said Polly seriously. ‘He’s a marvellous little boy what’s probbly also a supernatural Force for Good an’ he often comes to our aid when we needs him most.’
‘Well, where is he then?’ said Jonathan Ripples, scratching his head and looking up and down the beach.
‘He’s everywhere,’ said Polly firmly. ‘He’s all around us at all times, if only we could jus’ open up our hearts to see him. Except when his mum calls him an’ he has to go home for his tea, that is.’
‘Really, Polly,’ frowned Jonathan Ripples as he tried to make sense of it all. It was all most peculiar – but he had to admit that the balloon really was mended.
Well, maybe, just maybe she’s right, thought Jonathan Ripples to himself – and for just one moment, he thought he could make out a small shape playing in the sparkling waves, laughing like a schoolboy while calypso music played somewhere far off. And though Jonathan Ripples never spoke of that moment to anyone, he cherished it all his life. And often, as he was going downstairs for a midnight feast back in his house in Lamonic Bibber, he would remember that moment. His hand would pause on the fridge door and he would think, Perhaps I don’t need a snack just now, after all. And he would go back upstairs to his enormous bed and sleep like the happy bouncing baby he had once been, all those years ago before the hunger got him.
It was early evening and the first shadows were starting to crawl across the sand. The waves lapped gently at the shore like a mother’s lullaby and far out to sea a flock of herrings wheeled through the sky, singing their mournful song. It was time to depart.
‘I’m gonna miss you, Padlock,’ sobbed Polly, throwing her arms around her friend’s thick glossy neck and gazing deeply into his beautiful hazel peepers. ‘You made me as proud as a go-kart an’ I won’t never forgets you, though I knows I won’t never see you ever again. Cos just as you was a stranger in our world, this island isn’t for the likes of me. I hopes you have a nice long life, Padders, an’ maybe you’ll think of me sometimes an’ smile.’
Then Padlock bit her head off. Not really, but it would have been funny if he had.
‘Goodbye, Padlock,’ said Jonathan Ripples as the big red balloon began to rise. Soon they were high above the island and Padlock was just a dot on the golden-white sands below. But he was a happy dot. A healthy dot. A dot roaming wild and free and hairy like nature intended.
Goodbye, Padlock, goodbye!