NUBBINS
A SERIES OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS
BY
BRIAN CAIN
EPISODE FOUR
THE CAVE OF KNOWLEDGE
The Snub Nubbins
The Cave of Knowledge
Copyright 2014 Brian Cain
The information, views, opinions and visuals expressed in this publication are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of the publisher. The publisher disclaims any liabilities or responsibilities whatsoever for any damages, libel or liabilities arising directly or indirectly from the contents of the publication.
Previous general and adult publications by Brian Cain
Circles of Fear
The Sword And The Dagger
Vigilante
Flaxmead
Once Upon A Time In Australia
In The Name Of The Mother
Jodi Ann
Bella Elizabeth
The Hunt For Rose
Louise Legrande
Larco and the Quog
Larco Builds a Bok Bok
Return of the Wizard
For Aidan and Rhiannon, who are growing up hearing stories, and drawing pictures of the Snub Nubbins.
PREFACE
Larco returns to scientific research. The Wizard makes a decision to do something to educate Larco before he enters the unknown.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
THE CAVE OF KNOWLEDGE
EPISODE FOUR. THE CAVE OF KNOWLEDGE.
Larco swooped into the jungle aboard his Bok Bok, he climbed out and thrust his head into dark hole of rainbows, and he spied on the humans on Plop Plop.
The Wizard thought hard about what he was going to do, before he did anything, in case he got it wrong.
On the tallest mountain amongst the clouds, was the cave of knowledge. The Wizard didn't know if Larco was ready to enter the cave, as he didn't know enough about emotions, so he had kept it secret. Some of the information stored in the cave would muster emotions, and one would be anger. The grand Wizard was the keeper of the cave, but he had perished long ago, and now it was up to the Wizard of the time to protect the cave.
The Wizard had not been to the cave since he was banished to the dark side, and the grand Wizard was lost to compost, both at the same time. The Wizard had been named Poo Poo by the grand council, and banished to the dark side after he chased the grand Wobbly into the black swamp, for diving into the dark hole of rainbows without anyone's permission. The grand Wobbly's actions in the dark hole of rainbows had brought a pestilence upon the Snubs that caused the great plague.
The Wizard remembered the teachings of the grand Wizard so long ago, and wondered what it would be like to have such responsibility, and now he knew, and he liked it.
Wizards were the keepers of the cave of knowledge, in the clouds, on top of the great mountain, on the dark side of Snub. The Wizard had to decide if he should take Larco to the cave, so he could study the history, and facts stored there. If he was to do this, Larco would be a student of the Wizard, there could only be one, and at the moment they had none. Scientists were banned from being students of the Wizard, as they took too many risks, and may endanger the power held in the cave of knowledge.
The grand council had banned scientists from becoming Wizards, but they had all perished in the black swamp. The Wizard was once a scientist, and was now head of the grand council, and a Wizard, so he thought he'd change things, and he abolished the law. He told no one as he thought that would be silly, as no one knew there was a law that banned scientists from becoming Wizards, it was from so long ago.
The Wizard thought about these things and felt Larco would be a good student, so he decided to find Larco and tell him of the cave of knowledge.
Larco flew his Bok Bok to the jungle, he expected to find Larco at the dark hole of rainbows, and he was right. Scientists are always trying to find things out, and the dark hole of rainbows was full questions and wonder.
Larco had his head in the dark hole of rainbows and the Wizard had to tap him on the shoulder. Larco jumped and pulled his head out, he looked round and there was the Wizard. "I had something go through me," said Larco.
"Surprise, as in shock and alarm," replied the Wizard.
Larco didn't want to appear silly, he knew what surprise was, but the words the Wizard used he wasn't sure of, so he acted like he knew. He had never done this before, and wanted to see if it worked, he didn't like it. "Oh, I was surprised yes."
The Wizard was very wise and saw through Larco's fib. "How?"
"How what," asked Larco.
"Would you know you were surprised?"
Larco thought for a few seconds. "Because you just told me."
The Wizard was happy with Larco's reply, because he was right, Larco had thought about it and worked it out with his enormous brain. "Excellent," said the Wizard. "I am going to take you to the cave of knowledge."
Larco had no idea what he was talking about, but he worked out somewhere there was a cave of knowledge he didn't know about. "When?"
The Wizard tested Larco again. "You know of the cave of knowledge."
"Yes, you just told me, I have no reason to think you would tell me of something that was not there."
The Wizard was pleased with Larco's response. "Are the shuttle's for the baby Snubs working well."
"Yes, I have not checked for many pecks, they would summon me if there was a problem." said Larco.
"The city is filling fast but working well, we can leave immediately."
"Where is this cave?" asked Larco.
"The high mountain of the dark side, we need modify our Bok Boks to go there."
Larco said nothing, he followed the Wizard in his Bok Bok, from the dark hole of rainbows to the cave of glowing Quog near the wall of the dark side, and they landed outside the cave. Larco followed the Wizard into the dark side, he selected a small piece of bright blue Quog, and Larco did the same. The Wizard went back into the sunny side and placed the piece of Quog on the front of his Bok Bok, Larco copied him. "We are going deep into the dark side aboard our Bok Boks, we will now be able to see where we are going. Follow me carefully, as the top of the great mountain may be hidden by mist and cloud."
Larco followed the Wizard, and Larco concentrated on remembering how to get there, in case he lost the Wizard and needed to get back. It took a long time, in the distance Larco could see a grand glow, they passed to one side of it, he couldn't see what it was, but he could see patches of Quog in the darkness below him and work out how high they were flying, they were very high. The air became misty and the Quog light on the front of the Bok Boks lit the mist up like a rainbow. The Wizard slowed down, they pushed on slowly descending and there in their lights, was a giant mother tree that had passed but not composted, it looked grey and scary. Larco had many questions, because he knew mother trees, and other plants, would not grow in the dark.
The Wizard parked his Bok Bok with the Quog rock light attached to the front, shining towards the mountain face, on a ledge high above the surrounding landscape. Larco could see Quog glowing in the dark but it was a long long way down. The Wizard landed only metres from a rock wall that toward up out of sight, and their in the lights, was a cave entrance, Larco landed along side. The Wizard stood before the cave holding his arms out wide and shouting. "Behold, the cave of knowledge!"
Larco was bit disappointed, it was a small black hole in the face of the rock. "Is this it," he asked.
The Wizard walked towards the entrance. "To have little faith in the cave of knowledge is sad, come your concerns are worthless."
Larco followed the Wizard into the cave entrance, it was a tunnel, and he could see a brilliant shining light at the end of the tunnel. They walked on,
the light got brighter, as bright as the sun on the sunny side. As they walked into a massive cavern, it took a few seconds for Larco's eyes to get used to the light. They were standing on a rock ledge and could see down across the cavern, it was so big Larco could not see the other side. The roof was glowing with magnificent blue Quog rock, there were plants, grasses and what looked like a small wooden box, it looked the same as the rock buildings in Snub city. "You lived here," asked Larco.
"Yes, it is the most secret place on Snub, only Wizards know of this place." Larco liked it and he smiled, the first time the Wizard had ever seen Larco smile, emotions were making their presence known in Larco's brain. "Come, you are now a Wizard student."
Larco followed the Wizard to the cavern floor, they walked through lush grasses amongst rainbow ferns, and it was very beautiful. The Wizard showed Larco inside what he called the cabin, a box made of mother wood. There were fern parchments with ancient writing on shelves all around the cabin, and blocks of fern parchments tightly squashed together standing on the shelves in rows. "What are these?" asked Larco.
The Wizard took one from a shelf and handed it to Larco. "They are called books, the base of learning for all Wizards for millions of palliums. The findings of many wizards are held between the parchments of these books, so it can be passed on when wizards compost." Larco opened the book and the Wizard could see by Larco's face he was spellbound. Larco said nothing he just read the marks on the parchments. "We shall return here after we have visited the great wall, and library of knowledge."
Larco returned the book to the shelf and followed the Wizard across the great floor, through a magnificent garden, and flowing streams, far beyond the cabin, until they came to a great wall. On the wall, scribed in the rock, was writing that Larco did not understand, and around the surrounding walls were thousands of books. "I don't understand the writing," said Larco.
The Wizard began to explain. "They are from many millions of palliums ago, before wizards had mastered the use of parchment, paper, and books. They are in a language that dates back to when the dark side could see the sun."
Larco was mesmerized, a perfect way for a student wizard to be. "Can I learn this language," he asked.
The Wizard pointed to the oldest books far along the wall. "You will have to start here, it will take many palliums for you to store the wisdom of the wizards. When you can tell me of the past, and display wisdom beyond risk, you can become a wizard and again study the dark hole of rainbows."
Larco became very excited, he smiled at Wizard, and at last, Larco knew what smiling meant. "I shall start now," said Larco and he knew why Poo Poo was now called Wizard, he was no longer the Wizard, but just Wizard, his friend.
Wizard took Larco to the very first book, it was very old, heavy, and somewhat frail. He carefully took it from a shelf on the wall made of mother wood, and handed it to Larco. "You must take it to the cabin before you study, and only ever open the books whilst in the cabin."
Larco made his way back to the cabin, he remembered the way exactly. When in the cabin he carefully put the book on a wide shelf, under a hole in the box that looked out over the garden, Wizard called it a table. Then sat on another lower shelf along side the table, Wizard called a chair, Larco opened the book and began to read. "I'm starting," said Larco. "I shall read all the books, and when I can read the wall, I shall summon you."
"My time here is over," said Wizard. "I shall return every pallium and we shall talk. You must feed on the lush lands of the cavern floor, and the sweet water of the running streams every peck, for there is none purer on the planet Snub. This will nourish your brain as it begins to work so hard, and you must walk the garden every peck to rest and ponder your learning's."
Larco said nothing, he just kept reading, and he liked it.
Wizard left the cavern, and returned to Snub City, for there was much to be done.
Larco was never bored, he found walking the gardens and pondering his learning's most gratifying. He feed on the lush earth of the cavern floor, and drank the pure water of the rainbow streams. The path between the great wall library, and the cabin once again became well worn, and Larco's knowledge grew, and he liked it.