Read Zorgamazoo for Free Online Page B

explain
the insidious perils besetting her brain.
    How Mrs. Krabone had commissioned a quack,
to pry at her skull with a crick and a crack!
    Â 
    Morty meanwhile—he spoke of his quest,
his lottery ticket, and all of the rest.
He mentioned his Pop, who was sick as a dog,
who sagged in his bed like a moldering log.
    Â 
    But mostly he griped about being picked,
how to him it appeared as if he’d been tricked.
“What a joke!” he lamented. “I haven’t a clue
how to find any zorgles in Zorgamazoo!”
    Â 
    As she listened, Katrina was greatly engrossed.
This tale had the stuff she admired the most:
a potential adventure, with thrill after thrill!
She soaked it all up. She was utterly still.
    Â 
    But her belly had butterflies flitting inside.
Her breathing had quickened. Her eyes had gone wide.
She felt like her body was lit from within.
On her face, was the subtlest hint of a grin.
    And so, it was then that Katrina Katrell
decided to have an adventure as well…
    Â 
    â€œListen,” she said. “I don’t mean to pry,
but I’d sure like to give an adventure a try.
I always wanted to travel, to ramble and roam,
but old Krabby won’t let me. She keeps me at home.
So this is my chance, I’m off on my own.
I can travel the world! Explore the unknown!”
    Â 
    Morty thought for a moment. He paced in a loop.
He went moping around in a sort of a stoop.
“Wait a second,” he said. “Are you actually sure?
If you join me, who knows what we’ll have to endure. . .”
    Â 
    â€œOf course!” said Katrina. “I could give you a hand.
I could help you to make it to Zorgamaland.
I’m good with a map and I’m quick on my feet.
Who knows? Perhaps we were destined to meet!”
    Â 
    Morty chuckled and smiled. “Okay, you can stop.
You know, you remind me a bit of my Pop.
He’s nothing like me. He’s all gutsy, like you.
Oh, and one other thing: It’s ‘Zorgama zoo. ’”
    â€œFair enough,” said Katrina. “Now hand me the map.”
Which he did, and she opened it up in her lap.

    Every inch of the paper was covered with roads,
with passages, tunnels and curious codes.
It seemed to be utterly puzzling at first.
In no time Katrina was deeply immersed.
    Â 
    Then, all at once, it seemed to make sense,
despite being so inextricably dense.
“I’ve got it!” she said. “It’s all coming clear.
There should be a doorway. . .
    right
    Â 

over
    here .”
    Â 
    Â 
    Â 
    Â 
    Â 
    Â 
    She pointed across to a cleft in the wall,
a gap that was hardly a doorway at all.
It led to a tunnel, forbidding and dark:
the path onto which they were set to embark.
    Â 
    As they vanished inside and into the black
Katrina knew then:
    Â 
    There was
no turning back…

Chapter 7
    the tunnel of hush

    It seemed like they traveled for several days, through a network of tunnels, an intricate maze.

    Going farther, the passage began to ascend.
It appeared to go upwards, without any end.
The climb was so steep that their muscles grew stiff.
It seemed they were practically scaling a cliff.
    Â 
    Morty, of course, was the first to protest.
“This is awful!” he cried. “What a terrible quest!
Say, look at the map. Are we close to the top?
I’ll tell you, Katrina, I’m ready to flop!”
    Â 
    Katrina, initially, didn’t respond.
She stopped, looking up at the tunnels beyond.
She consulted the map that was guiding the trip,
and lifted a fingertip up to her lip.
    Â 
    â€œQuiet,” she whispered, “don’t make a sound,
and whatever you do, don’t stumble around.
We’ve almost arrived, but this next little bit—
it’s kind of a doozy, I have to admit.
    It’s marked on the map like a forest of horns,
like a cluster of bristles and thistles and thorns.
But they’ll be up above us, on the roof of the cave.
If we want to get through, then