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Sarah was drawing nearer to the castle every minute, and Jareth was starting to worry. So he decided to pay Hoggle another visit.
‘Here,’ Jareth told Hoggle, handing him a peach that glowed like a small star. ‘Give her this, or I will plunge you into the Bog of eternal Stench. And if she kisses you,’ he added, feeling particularly clever, ‘I will plunge you both in.’
‘I won’t do anything to hurt the little missy!’ Hoggle cried. But Jareth gazed deep into Hoggle’s eyes, and Hoggle knew he had no choice.
In the forest, Sarah came upon a band of strange creatures who were able to take off their heads and toss them into the air. Sarah found this most peculiar. Yet they seemed friendly and willing to help.
The creatures promised to take Sarah to the castle. But the deeper they travelled into the forest, the more she realised that they didn’t even know what a castle was, let alone how to find one.
Try as she might, Sarah could not get away from them.
Finally, she ran. The creatures chased her until she came to a wall that blocked her path. She looked around wildly for a way to escape.
‘Up here!’ a voice called.
It was Hoggle. He lowered a rope to her, and she climbed to safety.
‘No! Don’t kiss me!’ Hoggle screamed. But it was too late - she already had. The wall gave away, and Sarah and Hoggle plunged towards the Bog of Eternal Stench. They slipped and slid down the steep incline until they landed on something soft and large. It was Ludo.
‘Arh!’ Hoggle shrank back, noticing Ludo’s large teeth.
‘Ludo!’ Sarah gratefully hugged the furry beast.
‘Smell!’ moaned Ludo, tears pouring down his cheeks.
Sarah gasped, the she held her breath.
There was only one bridge across the foul - smelling bog. It was guarded by a gallant knight, Sir Didymus, and his faithful steed, Ambrosius.
‘I am sworn to do my duty,’ Sir Didymus told them. ‘Without my permission, no one may cross this bridge.’
‘Oh please!’ Sarah begged. ‘I’ve got so little time left. I must find Toby!’ She stepped towards the bridge, but Sir Didymus stopped her, brandishing a walking stick.
Ludo jumped up to defend Sarah, and a battle began,. Ludo had size and strength on his side, but Sir Didymus was courageous and determined. He also had one great advantage - he didn’t seem to notice the smell.
The duel ended in a draw.
When the fighting was over and Ludo and Sir Didymus had shaken hands, Sarah approached the little knight once more.
‘What exactly have you sworn?’ she asked him.
‘I have sworn with my life blood,’ Sir Didymus replied, bowing deeply, ‘that no one shall pass this way without my permission.’
‘Well then,’ Sarah said politely, holding her nose, ‘may we have your permission?’
The gallant Sir Didymus turned Sarah’s question around and examined it from all angles. He could see no flaw in it.
‘Yes,’ he finally said. He bowed low again, kissing Sarah’s hand. ‘And I , Sir Didymus, will join your courageous band.’
Sarah now had three companions to aid her on her journey.
Sarah had just stepped onto the creaking, groaning bridge when it collapsed and sank slowly into the bog.
‘Oh, no!’ she gasped. ‘How will I get across now?’
‘There is no other way, milady,’ Sir Didymus told her, shaking his head.
At that moment, Ludo sat down on the bank and began to howl.
Sir Didymus turned in amazement. ‘My brother!’ he said. ‘Are you the manly knight I fought just now? How can you sit by and howl when yon maiden needs our help?’
Ludo kept howling. As the astonished Sir Didymus watched, a boulder rose up put of the bog ion answer to Ludo’s cry. More boulders joined it, becoming a bridge of stepping stones that led to the opposite bank.
‘Rocks … friends,’ Ludo said sweetly.
Sarah, Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus moved quickly through a deep, dappled forest. There were only three hours left. They were tired and very hungry.
Hoggle found himself holding out Jareth’s peach. ‘Here,’ he said to Sarah through clenched teeth.
Sarah accepted the fruit gratefully. But when she took her first bite, she realised that it was magic.
‘Hoggle,’ she said. ‘Oh, Hoggle. What have you done to me?’
Hoggle’s eyes filled with tears. He turned and ran back into the forest, hating himself and Jareth in equal measure.
Then Sarah forgot everything - Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, even Toby. There were bubbles floating above her, glittering bubbles that seemed to beckon her to some enchanted place. She followed them.
The bubbles took Sarah to a gold and crystal ballroom. Dancers whirled across the floor. In the centre of it all, watching her, was Jareth.
He took her in his arms. ‘Give up this foolish quest,’ he whispered. The music washed over her as he spun her around in dizzying circles.
She felt herself giving in. Then somehow, she thought of Toby.
‘No!’ she gasped. In an instant, the ballroom and everything in it crumbled into dust.
Sarah found herself in another dream, floating down into a bleak, grey landscape full of mounds of junk. One of the mounds drifted towards her. She heard a voice.
‘Hello dearie,’ the voice said. It was coming from an old woman, wrinkled and bent. The mound of junk sat on her back.
‘I’m searching for something,’ Sarah said, wondering what it was.
‘We all are, dearie,’ the junk woman replied.’ Here’s what you’ve been searching for. All your toys … your nice, fluffy rabbit, and your panda slippers. And here’s your old horsey … and Lancelot, your very special bear.’
That was when Sarah remembered. ‘I don’t want any of that!’ she shouted. ‘It’s all junk. I only want Toby, back home and safe.’
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