LarryBoy, Versus the Volcano
VeggieTales®
LARRYBOY™
VERSUS THE VOLCANO!
WRITTEN BY
DOUG PETERSON
ILLUSTRATED BY
MICHAEL MOORE
BASED ON THE HIT VIDEO SERIES:
LARRYBOY CREATED BY PHIL VISCHER
SERIES ADAPTED BY TOM BANCROFT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
1. A ROCKY BEGINNING
2. BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
3. GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL
4. TURNING UP THE HEAT
5. AN INVITATION TO DANGER
6. VACATION FEVER
7. SECOND—CLASS CITIZENS
8. RECIPE FOR DISASTER
9. BEACH BUMMER
10. THE SUPER SNUB
11. THE TIME BOMB
12. SAY CHEESE!
13. 5…4…3…2…1
14. VOLCANIC VILLAINY
15. SURF’S UP, DUDE!
16. HOT, HOT, HOT!
17. THERE’S A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
18. TARZAN OF THE VEGGIES
19. SOMETHING’S R.O.T.T.E.N
20. A PICTURE—PERFECT POSTCARD ENDING
Copyright
About the Publisher
Share Your Thoughts
CHAPTER 1
A ROCKY BEGINNING
Larry the Cucumber couldn’t believe it was happening. He was actually having a picnic with Vicki Cucumber, the only girl to ever make his heart skip a beat. For a mild-mannered janitor like Larry, the day was postcard picture-perfect.
Larry and Vicki were on the grassy side of Bumbly Mountain, which offered a great view of Bumblyburg. There was only one glitch. Larry couldn’t come up with a thing to talk about.
“Um … did you know that a cockroach can live for several weeks without its head?” asked Larry. He was reading from his list of “Conversation Topics,” prepared especially for times like this.
“Uh … no, I didn’t,” Vicki answered.
Larry smiled and looked around nervously. Then he snuck another peek at his Conversation Topics. “Did you know that houseflies like to—?”
“Maybe we should eat,” Vicki suggested, quickly changing the subject.
“Good idea,” agreed Larry, opening the picnic basket. He pulled out a chicken drumstick. “I made the chicken myself. It’s an old family recipe that—”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Vicki suddenly screamed out of the blue.
Larry looked down at his chicken. “It doesn’t taste that bad. You should just try it—”
“It’s not the food!” Vicki yelled. “It’s that!”
Larry looked up the hill. A giant boulder had cracked loose from the side of the mountain and was heading right toward them.
With swift, cucumber reflexes, Larry shoved Vicki out of the way. But he didn’t have time to save himself. The rock was upon him!
“Larry!” shouted Vicki, closing her eyes. She couldn’t look as Larry the Cucumber was about to become squash.
Larry flipped forward on top of the rock as it raced downhill. But his troubles were just beginning. Trying to stay on top of a rolling stone was like running on a very dangerous treadmill. Larry rode the boulder as it barreled down the mountain at breakneck speed—emphasis on breaking necks.
The boulder was headed straight for Bumbly Park, which was packed with Veggies attending the annual Taste of Bumblyburg Celebration. The crowd was an easy target for an out-of-control boulder.
When the rock came upon a small ledge, it went flying, flipping Larry high into the air. The rock crashed back down onto the ground with a THUD that shook the mountain like a dinosaur’s step.
Larry also hit the ground with an “OOF!” and began to roll downhill, out of control. He somersaulted down the side of the mountain, over and over and over.
Kind of like a boulder, come to think of it.
The chase was on.
CHAPTER 2
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Screaming Veggies scattered like ants as the big boulder smashed its way through Bumbly Park. The boulder pulverized a taco stand, flattened a hot dog cart, and headed straight for a group of innocent and unsuspecting Cub Sprouts!
Fortunately, Larry had recently taken a special training course on how to switch into his superhero costume while swimming, skydiving, playing hopscotch, and … amazingly … while rolling down a hill totally out of control. By the time Larry the Janitor had rolled through the crowd in Bumbly Park, he had changed into Bumblyburg’s most famous, most purplish hero of all time … LARRYBOY!
“I AM THAT HERO!” he shouted, firing one of his supersuction ears.
THONK!
The plunger hit the boulder and held fast. Larryboy was sure that the tether cord stretching from the plunger back to his head would be enough to stop the boulder. But he underestimated the power of the rock. The boulder yanked Larryboy up into the air.
The rock closed in on the Cub Sprouts, who were now frozen with fear.
Meanwhile, Larryboy’s tether cord wrapped ‘round and ‘round the rolling boulder as Larryboy flew behind in midair, being pulled in closer and closer to the boulder—like string around a ball.
ZIP!
Larryboy sent a second supersuction ear zipping toward the side of a nearby bagel truck. THONK! The purple protector anchored himself to the side of the truck, hoping to slow the rampaging boulder on the other side.
Only one problem …
Larryboy felt like he was being torn apart between the rock and the bagel truck! As the truck tipped back on its rear wheels, the doors swung open and thousands of bagels came rolling out.
But the cords held fast, finally bringing the boulder to a stop … just inches before crushing the Cub Sprouts.
As the crowd dodged different flavored bagels, they let out a cheer, and Larryboy smiled in relief.
“Thank you, thank you, it was nothing,” our hero said, pulling out a chicken drumstick, which had become caught in his cape while he changed into his costume.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” the people screamed.
“What is it about my chicken that causes such a reaction?” Larryboy asked, staring at his drumstick.
“It’s not the chicken, Larryboy!” shouted Officer Olaf.
“It’s that!”
Larryboy spun around and looked right into the angry eyes of the boulder! “Eyes?” said Larryboy. “Since when do boulders have eyes?”
“I not only have eyes,” spoke the rock. “I also have a mouth.”
With that, the boulder laughed and breathed out the worst stream of bad breath that Larryboy had ever whiffed. The rock’s breath was burning hot and spicy, with just a hint of dog breath, dirty gym socks, and unwashed weasel smell.
In fact, the odor was so powerful that Larryboy fell over backwards, completely unconscious.
With Larryboy out of the picture, the rock let loose another evil laugh that would have scored high in the annual Villainous Laugh Contest at the Bumblyburg State Fair. Then the rock rolled right through the side of the Scuba-Tuba Superstore–the largest store in the world devoted to underwater diving equipment and tubas.
“Let’s rock and roll!” laughed the rock, stealing scuba gear right and left.
But Larryboy wasn’t defeated yet. The wobbly superhero regained consciousness and spotted the boulder driving a forklift that loaded scuba gear onto a truck.
“Yo, Rocky! Release that scuba gear!” Larryboy shouted, trying to strike a dramatic pose (which was hard to do while dazed and dizzy).
The boulder wheeled around in surprise. “So the pickle boy woke up! You know what you get when you wake up, don’t you? DRAGON BREATH!” The bo
ulder smiled wickedly and breathed another mouthful of deadly odors.
The last thing Larryboy remembered smelling was a mixture of superheated air, tangy spices, and spoiled milk. Then everything went dark.
CHAPTER 3
GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL
“It’s a good thing you have a spare costume. This one may be ruined,” said Archibald, Larryboy’s faithful servant.
Archie was trying to scrub the foul smell from Larryboy’s costume, while our cucumber hero lounged around in his bathrobe, sipping Slushees. It was nighttime, and Larryboy was back inside the Larrycave.
“By the way, what did that rocky rascal get away with?” Larryboy asked sleepily.
“He stole every piece of scuba and snorkeling gear in the store, Master Larry.”
“Scuba gear?” Larryboy asked, puzzled. “What would a rock do with scuba gear?”
“I’m not certain. First, tell me about your time with Vicki. Were you enjoying yourselves before the boulder hit the scene?”
Larryboy’s eyes lit up. “Vicki and I had a great time, Archie. I just wish I didn’t always have to save Bumblyburg so often—and at the worst of times! It’s exhausting.” Larryboy took another sip of his chocolate mocha-mint vanilla swirl frozen drink.
“I see,” said Archie, madly scrubbing the Larryboy costume.
“I’ve been thinking that I could use a vacation,” Larryboy said, sinking deeper into his cushy couch. “I need time off when I can’t be interrupted.”
“A vacation would be nice,” Archie agreed, scrubbing even harder.
Larryboy sprang from the couch. “I’m glad you agree! I know just the place to go.” He unfolded a large, colorful brochure. “It’s called Superhero Island!”
Archie set aside the soggy costume, took the brochure, and sat down to read it. “Where did you get this, Master Larry?”
“Someone stuck it on the windshield of the Larrymobile. Doesn’t Superhero Island sound great? Beautiful beaches! Scuba diving! Gourmet dining!”
Archie continued to read:
TIRED OF LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS
OR RUNNING FASTER THAN A SPEEDING LOCOMOTIVE?
DO ORDINARY PEOPLE EXPECT YOU TO SAVE THE WORLD,
EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR FAVORITE CARTOON?
YOU DESERVE A BREAK TODAY ON
SUPERHERO ISLAND!
YOU’LL BE SURROUNDED BY THE GREATEST,
MOST HEROIC, AND IMPORTANT
PEOPLE ON THE PLANET-OTHER SUPERHEROES!
SUPERHERO ISLAND IS AN EXCLUSIVE RESORT,
SPECIALLY CREATED FOR SUPER PEOPLE ONLY.
IMAGINE:
AN ENTIRE WEEK WITH
THE BEST OF THE BEST!
YOU’LL HAVE A PERFECT TIME WHEN
YOU’RE WITH PERFECT PEOPLE!
“It sounds a little snooty to me,” said Archie.
“Oh, don’t be a stick-in-the-mud,” laughed Larryboy.
Archie shook his head. “Well … if this is where you really want to go for vacation, I’ll pack the bags.”
“Superhero Island, here we come!”
CHAPTER 4
TURNING UP THE HEAT
A thousand miles away from the Larrycave was a cave of a completely different sort. This was a dark, secluded cave, tucked away on a deserted jungle island. Torches and multicolored lava lamps eerily lit up the cave.
This was none other than the secret hideout of the world-famous Chili Pepper. However, Chili Pepper was not world-famous for being a supervillain, as you’re probably thinking. No one even knew about Chili’s wicked ways. Instead, Chili Pepper was famous for being “the Snooty Gourmet,” a television chef who gave tips on how to make chili a hundred different ways.
Chili’s sidekick was Coconut, a muscular thug who dreamed of someday becoming much more than just a sidekick. He wanted to be a supervillain himself. In fact, he was taking an evil genius correspondence course and was busily doing his homework.
“Um, Chili Pepper, what do you think about this question?” Coconut said, holding up his quiz. “Question 4 says: ‘If you had evil mutant power, what would you use it for? (A) To take over the world; (B) To wreak havoc and destruction; or (C) To floss regularly?’ I was thinking the answer might be D.”
“D? There is no D,” said Chili Pepper.
“I know. But I think this is a trick question. D is an invisible answer. They put it in just to fool me.”
“Ah … good thinking,” said Chili Pepper, rolling his eyes. “Then maybe you should fill out all of your answers in invisible ink.”
“Great idea!” grinned Coconut.
Chili Pepper stood at his deluxe stove, testing his latest chili recipe. He was famous for making the hottest, spiciest chili in the universe—chili so spicy that it brought tears to your eyes from a block away.
“By the way, Coconut, how many superheroes have signed up to come to our island retreat?” Chili Pepper asked, tasting his hot concoction.
Coconut set aside his quiz to check the registration book. “One hundred and thirty-five superheroes are coming to Superhero Island, boss. That’s a lot of spandex!”
“That’s almost every superhero in the world,” snickered Chili Pepper. “Little do they know that Superhero Island is really a Tourist Trap! Emphasis on the word ‘trap’!”
“Good one, Boss!” Coconut laughed. Then his smile vanished as a thought crossed his mind—a rare event. “But what about this mysterious volcanic rock I’ve heard about? Do you think this creature will be mad when it finds out what we’re doing to the island’s volcano? Personally, that rock scares me.”
“Don’t worry about a piece of stone,” said Chili Pepper, stirring the chili. “Let’s concentrate on the superheroes. They don’t realize that I’ve cooked up one big surprise for them. When they arrive, they’re going to get a taste of my awesome power!”
Chili Pepper’s laugh echoed through the caves, rumbling ominously throughout the entire island.
CHAPTER 5
AN INVITATION TO DANGER
Larry the Janitor had never seen Bob the Tomato this way before. Bob had always been the super-serious, hardworking editor of the Daily Bumble newspaper.
But not today.
Today, Bob the Tomato was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, a big straw hat, and sunglasses. Polynesian music floated out of Bob’s office as Larry the Janitor prepared to mop his floor.
“What’s up?” Larry asked.
“I’ll tell you what’s up!” Bob exclaimed, taking Larry’s mop and dancing around the room with it.
“I’m going on the assignment of a lifetime! I’m off to Superhero Island!”
Larry almost blurted out, “So am I!” But he caught himself just in time. You see, no one but Archie knew that Larry was much more than a mild-mannered janitor for the Daily Bumble. No one else knew that he was also LARRYBOY!
“That’s nice,” he said instead.
“Vicki and I have been invited to Superhero Island to do an exclusive report on this new resort for superheroes,” Bob explained, popping open his luggage and checking to make sure he had everything. “I’m doing the story, and Vicki is taking photos. Even though it’s work, it’ll feel like a vacation.”
“Well, don’t forget your sunblock,” Larry said, pulling a tube out of Bob’s suitcase and handing it to him. “You’re already looking pretty red.”
“I’m a tomato, Larry. Tomatoes are red!”
“Oh. Right.”
“This is going to be the most fun assignment ever!” Bob shouted as he spread the sunscreen on his face. “Hey! This is minty-smelling sunscreen. I like it!”
Larry took a closer look at the tube that he had just handed to Bob. Then he quickly ducked out of the room as he spotted Vicki about to enter Bob’s office.
“How come you smeared toothpaste all over your face, Chief?” Vicki asked as she entered the room.
As Larry hopped onto the elevator, he heard Bob shout, “LARRY!”
So much for Bob’s good mood. He quickly push
ed the “down” button.
CHAPTER 6
VACATION FEVER
You probably know what it’s like on the last day of school before vacation. Well, that’s pretty much what it was like in Larryboy’s Superhero 101 class later that day at Bumblyburg Community College.
Most of the superheroes didn’t have their minds on their studies or their eyes on their instructor, Bok Choy. Their eyes were on the clock, and their minds were on Superhero Island. Almost every superhero in the class was planning to go on vacation to the island.
The Scarlet Tomato sat in class wearing snorkeling gear. Electro-Melon had stuffed a surfboard into his school backpack. And Larryboy was blowing up a huge, inflatable rubber ducky.
Each hero had received the same Superhero Island brochure. And each one of them was convinced they were the BEST OF THE BEST and wanted the perfect getaway with perfect people.
Each superhero’s pride inflated just as rapidly as the rubber ducky that Larryboy was blowing up.
“Larryboy, I hate to take the air out of your duck, but would you read today’s lesson from the Superhero Handbook?” said Bok Choy.
“Mmmm?” Larryboy asked, his mouth still puffing on the slowly inflating raft.
“Please read Section 45, paragraph 12, line 16 in your Superhero Handbook.”
“MMMMMMM MMMMM MM MMMMMM MMM MMMM,” Larryboy mumbled, reading from the Handbook.
“Perhaps you could stop inflating your raft while you read,” Bok Choy suggested.
Larryboy let out a big sigh, reluctantly releasing his mouth from the duck’s blower-upper thingie. Instantly, all of the air gushed out, and the duck took off like a balloon rocket.
“DUCK!”
The deflating duck flew wildly around the room, bouncing off walls, knocking over the globe, swooping around Electro-Melon’s surfboard, crashing into a stack of books, and finally winding up on top of Bok Choy’s desk.
“Oops,” said Larryboy.