Chapter 1

Hamster Market in Hamsterton

 

A warm spring day in Hamsterton. The inhabitants of the little town more or less did their jobs and as an exception everything was quite peaceful. Most of the roads were deserted because on Town Hall Square a market was held. The mayor was there in person and scampered from one stand to the next. He either chatted with the sellers in a friendly way or fumbled the wares curiously and was slapped on his paws now and then. In front of a stand which had written on it "Flecki's and Sasy's Victuals market" the mayor stopped and looked.

"What's that?" he asked with a friendly smile. "Is it edible?"

Flecki goggled at him.

"That's embroidery and knitting ware. Today we also have some nice tinsel-knots which look pretty in the living room. Five sickles only!"

The mayor gave them an embarrassed smile, turned away and walked over to a stand with a sign saying "Trample's Munching Booth" to strengthen himself a little.

"Toidi¹!" Flecki grumbled and her sister Sasy nodded in agreement.

The mayor did not listen and looked unconcerned and bit into a juicy hamburger after he had given Trample ten sickles for it.

"Absolutely unhealthy food", Flecki bawled and pointed to the mayor. "I would be ashamed of such a paunch!"

Not aware of this discussion, Goldi passed the stand at this moment and curiously looked at the tinsel-knots.

"And it's the same with you!" he heard Flecki shouting and looked at her flabbergasted.

"The same what?" Goldi asked and took the tinsel-knots.

There was a loud slap when Flecki's hand hit Goldi's hand.

"Hands off!" Flecki shouted. "You pay first. Then you may for my sake fumble and knacker the knots."

"How much is that tinsel-stuff?" Goldi asked and took an embroidered teacloth in his paw.

"Eight sickles out of friendship", Flecki replied and tore the embroidered cloth from his paw. "But what would you do with tinsel?"

"We-ell", Goldi said, embarrassed. "You can make swell balls of them and use at canon balls. They make quite some distance."

“You, you, you…”, Flecki was about the jump over the counter and lunge at Goldi. “Out! Piss off!”

“But I am outside and…”

When Flecki started to scramble over the counter, Goldi saw that he was off.

“Men!” Flecki snarled. “Always hanging around and thinking of nothing but munching. Look about you, Sasy! All around us munching stands and nothing else! And that’s a hamster market?”

“Well, for some hours they’ve been trying to build up the big wheel”, Sasy replied and pointed at the group of repair hamsters who under the guidance of chief engineer Botchy tried to push the big wheel into the anchoring.

The big wheel was the only attraction the annual hamster market had to offer. Or to be exact: would have been if anybody had succeeded to mount it. After the Hamster Technical Control Company had authorized the project, for several days now the Hamstian Fire Brigade, Hamstian Police and Engineering under the guidance of chief engineer Botchy were busy mounting the big wheel in the centre of the market place. After many unsuccessful attempts the hamsters had the idea to try it with a big crane. Unfortunately half of the market stands had to be dismounted so that a crane could be brought in. It took hours until HMAFI1 and HAMPO2 could calm down the furious stand-owners. After numerous injuries the crane now was standing close to the big wheel which still was lying flat beside the big anchoring. While all around the building site the stands were remounted hectically, the leader of the building office, that was Topple, measured the minimum distance with a measuring tape.

“All stands are within the necessary distance of 3.50 metres unfortunately. All stands have to be moved back for at least one metre!”

As all stands were close together this was not easy to accomplish. There was commotion and upset when the stands should be dismounted again. HAMPO had finished with the uproar after one hour but half of the stands were destroyed by then.

“Not that bad”, chief Botchy said. “Now the safety margin is correct.”

The chief engineer himself scrambled onto the crane and he really succeeded at the first attempt to lift the big wheel with a crook. He even almost succeeded to heave the wheel into the anchoring but then the whole matter got an imbalance, the big wheel broke loose from the crook and crashed to the ground. Several stands were flattened.

“Er, as there are no more problems with safety margins I’m no longer needed here”, technical chief Topple shouted and made off.

“Tuffy, fasten the hook again, we try it once more!” Botchy barked down from the crane and the little repair hamster hectically tried to fulfil the order.

“All right, chief”, Tuffy shouted, “the crook is fastened!”

The chief engineer nodded, satisfied and switched the lever for the hoist motor to full power. There was a loud grinding and rumbling noise. The Hamstian Fire Brigade yelled, a big fire engine was lifted into the air, the hawser of the crane ripped, and the fire engine crashed to the ground.

“Tuffy, you dope, you fastened the hook wrongly! You’re that slipshod once more and you’re a 3^rd class repair hamster again!”

While on the one side of the market loud discussions started, the owners of the remaining market stands got more and more nervous. Big-eyed and from a safe distance Flecki and Sasy watched the repair hamsters repairing the ripped hawser. Dasy, who was admiring a new patchwork cover at “Flecki’s and Sasy’s Victuals”, said with trembling voice:

“We’ve been lucky. The stands on this side at least have not been damaged.”

“You wait and see”, Flecki gnarled. “They are not finished yet.”

Indeed chief engineer Botch tried it once more. This time Tuffy really fastened the hook at the big wheel and made a sign to Botchy. The chief engineer cautiously started the motor and everybody marvelled how the big wheel was lifted majestically. Slowly it moved towards the anchoring and with equal caution was lowered into the corresponding suspension. The knot by which the hawser was tied together contracted more and more. Chief Botchy saw it and sweated. He hurried to lower the wheel to get over with it. He had almost made it but now the wheel was hanging beside the suspension. The chief became more nervous and hectically hoisted the whole thing. Unfortunately that was too much. The pressure contracted the knot and as it was tied too short, big wheel and hook made a free fall onto the suspension and from there to the market place.

Chief engineer Botchy felt decidedly lousy when he saw how the big wheel rolled towards the last intact stands on the back area of the place. Terrified he watched how the wheel flattened a small stand with embroidery and knitting ware and then a snack bar. Was this the end? No, the big wheel rolled on without mercy, bent to the left, swerved and divided the town hall in half. Then it rolled back to the market place and chief Botchy glared at the killer-wheel with big eyes when it approached his crane.

“Do you still need the tinsel?” Goldi asked while he on the opposite side of the market dragged the lamenting Flecki out of the debris of her victuals.

“You’re impossible, Goldi”, Flecki hissed. “Look at! The big wheel is going for the crane! Chief Botchy is in peril of his life! Where is super-hamster? Come on, do something!”

Terrified, Goldi looked at the crane, then he looked at the uncontrolled big wheel which threatened to flatten all Hamsterton. He doubled his paws and started running. When he reached one of the fire engines he scrambled to the reel for the fire hose, rolled it off and climbed onto the crane with it. While Goldi wound the hose around the frame of the crane he saw how chief Botchy still sat motionless, glaring at the approaching big wheel. Super-hamster Goldi hastened, jumped down from the crane, ran to the driver cabin of the fire engine and started the motor full power. The mad big wheel had now reached the crane which at this moment turned slowly over and crashed onto the fire engine while the wheel disappeared at the horizon.

“Best regards to Hamsterhoosen”, Goldi mumbled and looked after the wheel which now really moved towards their neighbouring town of Hamsterhoosen.

“Where is the chief engineer?” super-hamster now heard a familiar voice. “Where is he? He will repair my victual-market and replace all the goods.”

“Well”, Goldi grumbled, “I think, Flecki, for some time he’ll repair nothing, I just saved his life.”

While the first hooters announced the arrival of the AHH – the All Hamster Hospital – ambulances, the rather dishevelled looking mayor turned up. His fur was full of ketchup and cucumber salad and in all he did not look very neat.

“What happened to the chief?” he curiously asked when unconscious Botchy was dragged from under the smashed crane.

“Super-hamster rescued him!” Tuffy shouted with shining eyes.

“O well”, Flecki gnarled, “would like to know how he’d looked like if hadn’t been lucky enough to be rescued!”

When the chief was taken away with flashing blue lights, Superintendent Sniffle approached the mayor.

“You still need us, Mayor?”

“Er, thank you, no. You made a first rate job.”

Flecki did not believe her pointed ears.

“First rate job, Mayor? The market place is completely down and we have no hamster market any more. Moreover the big wheel is now rolling towards Hamsterhoosen!”

“Well, er”, the mayor stammered, “of course I’ll ring up Hamsterhoosen immediately and give the authorities a few hints how to handle the big wheel. As to the market place, we will spare neither costs nor pains to lend a new face to Hamsterton. We will build up something better, newer, modern, of course.”

“Indeed”, Taty jeered and Flecki gave the mayor a sharp look. “Does that mean we’ll get eleven munching stands instead of ten?”

“No, er, well, er”, the mayor stammered and sweat dropped from his whiskers. Lots of hamsters had assembled and looked at him expectantly. This was a peculiar situation and the mayor thought feverishly. “Come on, Harry-George”, he thought, “think of something or they think you’re a twerp.” Then he had a great idea, yes, it was the best idea of the century. He stepped forward, lifted his little paws and said:

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to make a kermess!”

1. Toidi, hamstish: Idiot

 

First Plannings

 

“A Hamstian kermess?” Tealeafy asked in surprise, wording what everybody thought.

The hamsters had assembled in the town hall debris to learn more details about the mayor’s idea.

“Due to the office granted to me I think it is my duty to put together a strong team to proceed with the work. Of course I will not only lead but also guide the dingbat, er, organization.”

The hamsters goggled at their mayor without comprehending.

“Er, the preparations will begin immediately. Like I use to say things should not be shelved because they would be full otherwise. The shelves, I mean, and I’m, er, open for proposals.”

The mayor looked at the hamsters expectantly but nobody came forward.

“Well, first of all we begin with the planning of the kermess and have to consider of what it shall consist. Well?”

Again the mayor looked at the hamsters expectantly but nobody said anything.

“I thought about a large park with many attractions like merry-go-round, water slide, roller-coaster, skating… What else might there be?”

“Oh, I see”, Dodo butt in. “So a kermess is funfair. But why don’t we say funfair?”

“Because kermess sounds nicer”, Tuffy explained.

“But nobody knows what it is.”

“Yes, Dodo, but it shall be cool, even if nobody knows what it is.”

“Why, it’s a mess of ker, whatever that is, and who wants to have a mess?” Dodo argued and many a hamster nodded.

“All right, all right, we’ll call it funfair, just to please you”, the mayor impatiently said and expectantly looked at the hamsters but now they all were silent. “No proposals?” he asked, panic in his voice.

Goldi cleared his throat.

“Yes, please”, the mayor shouted. “Every beginning is difficult, dear Goldi! Come out with your proposals.”

“What about munching stands?”

“Munching stands! Nothing else in your head? Nice gardens perhaps? Pretty things to buy?” Flecki hissed.

“But at munching stands you can buy very pretty things for munching and…”

“Trampolining!” Dodo interrupted.

“Ghost train!” Trample shouted cheerfully.

At this point the discussion went out of control as usual. Everybody yelled his ideas and first brawls started. It took the mayor hours to calm down the assembly.

“After having explained the different aspects thoroughly we now should build the “Funfair”-Team. We need someone responsible for the planning procedures. Someone willing to put himself out for this project night and day, someone who works for the joy of succeeding and not for the wages!”

They mayor looked at the hamsters expectantly but they either watched the ground or the half-destroyed town hall which really offered a most interesting sight.

“I propose chief engineer Botchy”, repair hamster Tuffy squeaked. “He’ll just love it!”

“Yes, Botchy shall do it, long live Botchy, Botchy plans the funfair!” the hamsters cheered.

“Fine!” The mayor was happy. “After this is clarified, Tuffy will have the honour to congratulate chief engineer Botchy when he wakes up in the hospital. I’ll ring up the hospital administration today so that Mr. Botchy gets a special permission to leave his sickbed earlier. We want to get ready after all!”

Cheers and paw trampling accompanied his words.

“Now, er”, the mayor continued, “we need further deeply committed assistants.”

The hamsters were fascinated by the evening sky.

“I think, and certainly you all will agree, that first of all there is the responsible position of a shift manager. Dear hamsters, his duty is to provide and to carry in all things necessary. The leading part. Well, who wants to do it?”

“Nice evening sky, isn’t it?” Goldi whispered to Dodo.

“Yes, the clouds are smart!”

“Well, dear hamsters”, the obviously nervous mayor repeated this question, “who wants to fill this most important position?”

“Where do you see clouds?” Goldi asked with a sly grin.

“Up there!” Dodo shouted and stretched out his paw to the sky.

“Ah, a volunteer! Congratulations, dear Dodo.” The mayor was relieved. “Your application is herewith accepted. Now we are approaching our Hamstian-Funfair-Qualification-Team with big steps, er, paws. Now we only need an architect. He will plan the proportions of the funfair, that is where the stands are located, how many munching stands there are or merry-go-rounds are erected…”

“I’ll take care of the munching stands!” Goldi shouted and hopped up and down.

“Fine, fine”, the mayor exclaimed, “now we are complete. Holding this office, I declare…”

“Stop!” Flecki had climbed onto a wall and stood with her paws on her hips. “If Goldi takes care of that we’ll have 99 munching stands and one merry-go-round! I protest!”

“Well, erm erm…” The mayor looked helpless. “Well, what are we to do? What are we to do now?”

“You’re the mayor, so it’s your decision!” Flecki shouted, outraged.

Suddenly the mayor felt very unwell and would have liked to go home. But all hamsters were sitting in front of him, expecting decisions, his decisions and so he had to show management skills.

“Well, ahem, I will summarize, dear hamster-friends, for especially in times like this it is essential to know what you have and have not. Of course it is not easy to come to a decision in such a weighty matter but as I always have said and use to say…”

“Stop doting, come to the point!”

The mayor blinked in an embarrassed style and tried to find out which hamster had said this. But all around him he saw nothing but impatient faces and he would have given a kingdom for a solution. Goldi or Flecki? Flecki or Goldi? Or… ? Yes, that was it!

“Certainly I’m coming to the point, my impatient friend. After considering carefully here is my decision unconditionally: Both will do it! With the cumulative knowledge, the cumulative competence of these two hamsters the project will be a success!”

“Competence? Cumulative knowledge? Did that lad crash into a phone box again? Goldi, tell him that he can’t have talked about you.”

“O well”, Goldi mumbled and grinned at Flecki, “he also prated something about the project succeeding. Has he ever been wrong?”

“Has he ever been right? Has ever anything been a success with that bloke?”

 

Chapter 3

Tidying up

 

After running to and fro helplessly for two days the hamsters had the idea to build planning groups. So the following weeks were spent in hectic bustle. In the meantime chief engineer Botchy against his expressed wish but under the pressure of the hospital manager had left the AHH. The saying was that a short time later repair hamster Tuffy had been seen with a sign around her neck. It was said chief Botchy had threatened to degrade Tuffy to lowest grade repair hamster if she did not wear this sign for a full week. Furthermore the saying was that the following words were written on the sign: “I am a brainless chatterbox.”

It was a pity that nobody knew whether this was the truth. Tuffy had suddenly disappeared and chief engineer Botchy was not willing to answer any questions. When one week later Tuffy showed up again, she also was not willing to answer any questions.

After three weeks the hamsters at last had succeeded to extend the Hamstian Funfair-Competence-Teams. The following groups were established:

Execution of planning: Chief engineer Botchy

Assistants: Tuffy, Dasy

Position of shift leader: Dodo

Assistant: Trample

Architects: Flecki, Goldi

Assistants: Taty, Tealeafy

After a makeshift repair of the town hall, the first planning session of the Hamstian Funfair-Competence-Team took place under the chairmanship of the mayor. Unfortunately there were some problems with the lift and as up to now the staircases could not be used, it took some time until all hamsters were assembled. First of all the architects were to lay down their ideas. Taty was permitted to give the paper, while Goldi and Flecki held aloof.

When the short speech had been finished, there were some long faces between the hamsters.

“Very good”, the mayor sounded. “Again and again I can see how everybody can contribute to a successful success. The plan is a masterpiece and I am certain it will be a landmark in the history of Hamsterton!”

“Why don’t we have more munching stands?” Dodo asked and Sasie added: “And why is one half filled with stands and the other half greens?”

“Not simply greens”, Flecki nagged. “Beautiful herbaceous borders matching in colours. The terraces will be a wonderful contrast to the landscape. A fountain will be in the middle as a resting place for exhausted hamsters. The other half is Goldi’s crap, there are bumper cars, a moon rocket and shooting galleries. O yes, and two munching stands.”

“Only two?” Dodo asked disappointedly.

“That’s enough”, Flecki retorted, “there’s vegetarian and a non-vegetarian stand.”

“We’d have loved to sell pretty lots but we haven’t got the money to buy prizes”, Tealeafy added.

The architects plus assistant looked about them so that the mayor felt obliged to say something.

“Well, according to my office and duty represented I think we will solve this problem. Of course I will do my share so that we can offer prizes. As I always said…”

“Horray!” Goldi bawled an interruption. “The mayor pays the prizes!”

Now all hamsters gave the mayor standing ovation for several minutes while he only had had in mind to get rid of his old rusty bike this way. He desperately tried to make his voice heard, but in vain. Resigned, he sat down in a corner to listen to the next speech of chief engineer Botchy.

“First things first and so we have to tidy away the rubbish from the market place. That will be the shift-leader’s duty. When he has finished, building works can start.”

“Erm, eh!”

“Yes, Dodo?”

“Well, how am I to do that, chief? That’s much too much for me!”

Chief Botchy thought and looked at the mayor. The mayor thought and looked at the carpet. Everybody was silent and helpless. Suddenly Goldi sneezed and all eyes were upon him.

“Yes, Goldi?” chief Botchy, Dodo, and the mayor shouted simultaneously.

“Er, nothing, I only sneezed.”

When they still goggled at him, Goldi felt obliged to say something else and continued:

“Now, that isn’t that difficult, Dodo. You only have to clear away the rubbish.”

“Can’t you help me with it, Goldi?”

Before Goldi could open his mouth to say “No, thank you”, Flecki had put a paw on this shoulder and fluted:

“Certainly super-hamster loves to help you. If anybody knows about rubbish, it’s him.”

Goldi pushed off Flecki’s paw and objected that he still had duties as architect but all about him it now chorused: “Super-hamster! Super-hamster! Super-hamster!”

The next day Dodo and Trample were standing on the market place waiting for Goldi. Half an hour late he came shuffling along grumpily. Together they checked the situation. Battered timber lay about everywhere and in the centre of the chaos a broken crane on a dented fire engine.

“HAMFI at least could have taken away their car”, Goldi scolded.

“They said they don’t need it any longer”, Trample explained.

“What shall we do now? Where shall we begin?” Dodo lamented.

Goldi thought while the shift leader and his assistant looked at him expectantly with big eyes.

“I’ve got it – we take the car!” Goldi shouted.

“Now where did I hear that before?” Dodo said. “And where do we go to?”

“Not we, dimwit”, Goldi snarled. “We’ll fasten all the rubbish to the fire engine and drag it off.”

“And where shall we drag it?” Trample asked.

“To Hamsterhoosen of course. If the big wheel came down there they will not notice some rubbish more or less.”

Goldi now began to fumble at motor and carb of the fire engine to get more power out of it, as Goldi persisted. Dodo and Trample in the next two hours were busy collecting the rubbish and somehow to fasten it at the vehicle. Then they mounted the car and jolted towards Hamsterhoosen.

While Goldi, Dodo, and Trample were on their way from Hamsterton to Hamsterhoosen and from Hamsterhoosen back to Hamsterton the inhabitants of both towns were soundly asleep and noticed nothing about the cleaning mission.

After many hours and many tours everything was tidied up and the three hamsters exhaustedly lay down to sleep.

 

Chapter 4

Planning I

 

The mayor was hacked off. Not only that his sleep was interrupted, he also had to listen to wild scolding. With a sigh he put down the receiver and wondered what to do now. The prime police hamster and the mayor of Hamsterhoosen complained that in a night action lots and lots of rubbish from Hamsterton had been tilted into the village pond of Hamsterhoosen. He was sure that would have consequences and quickly send a small message-hamster to fetch shift leader Dodo plus assistant. He raised his glance to the ceiling were he could see the blue sky. As long as there were no showers it was quite pleasant to sit at the fresh air. He decided to discuss the repair of the town hall with chief Botchy these days. Then he continued his nap.

Loud, heavy steps in front of his door made the mayor wake up a few minutes later. He blinked, looked at the door and there was a knock. When he just wanted to say ‘Come in’, the door split and timber whirled through the air. Horrified the mayor looked at Dodo who was accompanied by Goldi and Trample. His jaw dropped and he heard Goldi say:

“Why did you fool knock down the door?”

“Because it was written there”, Dodo retorted, surprised.

“What was written there?” Goldi asked, no less surprised.

“See here”, Dodo said. “The sign says: ‘Please knock at the door.’ That’s what I did!”

The mayor still glared at the damaged door, then he slowly turned his head to look at Dodo.

“What is it, Mayor, I don’t have much time.”

“Ehum”, the mayor croaked, “I – er.” He looked at the door once more and added: “Who tilted the rubbish into the Hamsterhoosen village pond?”

“Village pond? Oh, that’s why it splashed so”, Dodo replied, ducking away.

“I told you it isn’t okay”, Trample wailed.

“Goldi said that it doesn’t matter if only we are rid of the rubbish”, Dodo whimpered.

“We’ll never do it again!” Dodo and Trample chorused.

By and by the mayor got rather frustrated. But he had to show strength of leadership and somehow punish the responsible hamster or everybody would think him to be boneless wimp who had no control over his people.

“Er, Goldi, er, what are we to do?”

“Send them free tickets for the funfair and they’ll be happy again.”

“Excellent, my dear Goldi. I will at once ring up the prime police hamster and my colleague, the mayor, to give them these happy tidings. This of course means that the works on the funfair must be continued full speed, gentlemen! As I always use to say…”

“Come on, folks, that was that”, Goldi growled and left the mayor’s office. Dodo and Trample followed as fast as possible.

“And what shall we do now?” Dodo asked when they were on the market place again.

“Time for a little something!” Goldi shouted, took down the big rucksack he had been carrying all the time and sat down in the middle of the empty market place.

Dodo and Trample just wanted to join him when Flecki and Tealeafy came along with a large roll of paper.

“The first drafts are ready”, they excitedly cried. “Come, take a look!”

Goldi quickly stuffed two buns into his cheek pouches and came closer.

“Swell, such a lot of munch stands”, he said, chewing cheerfully, when he took a look at the map.

He met with a crushing look.

“That are handiwork and victual stands”, Flecki explained. “There are no munchies in the upper area. In the lower area there is a vegetarian snack bar and a stand with sweets. Take your greasy fingers off the paper!”

Goldi drew back his paw quickly.

“Two merry-go-rounds?” Trample asked, surprised.

“One only. One is a moon rocket which some time I developed together with chief Botchy”, Goldi replied and took two more buns out of his rucksack. “The other is a turbo-top.”

“Turbo-top?” Trample gasped. “Isn’t that too dangerous?”

“It’s a normal roundabout, only a bit faster”, Goldi chewed and smacked. “The thing is that it is connected to the bumper car.”

“And what can we do in the recreation park?”

“Flecki’s idea”, Goldi replied and belched as he now had finished his snack.

“In winter there will be the skating rink”, Flecki explained, pointing at the water ride. In autumn we’ll just divert the water ride into the park. Then we wait for frost and have a beautiful skating rink.”

“And that will work?” Dodo wondered.

“Goldi says, he and chief Botchy will get that done”, Flecki nodded.

“Just so”, Goldi agreed. “Botchy says it’s no problem at all. So there’s only the question how we equip the ghost train.”

“How about calling everybody in and voting?” Trample proposed.

“Great!” Flecki said. “I’ll inform the mayor.”

 

Chapter 5

Planning II

 

“Ghost train! Ghost train! Ghost train!”

Again and again the mayor and chief engineer Botchy tried to get themselves heard but the excited folk on the market place could not be detained. A real ghost train in Hamsterton, what a progress! Everywhere they had loud discussions on the bloodcurdling figures by which the unit was to be equipped. Unfortunately as usual each hamster had a different idea what a real ghost train should look like and unfortunately there were brawls. Finally the mayor fetched a sack of sunflower seed from his private stock and emptied it over the fighting hamsters. Now at last he could speak up.

“Dear hamsters! I am proud to announce that Hamsterton will be the first Hamstian town with a ghost train and I want…”

“Ey, you dunce, we know that, tell us news!” somebody shouted.

“Er, yes, well, in my capacity as chief planning manager…”

“Ghost train, ghost train, ghost train!”

"Yes, certainly, dear hamsters, as I always said to use, er, used to say…”

“Stop bending our ears, we want the ghost train!”

“Perhaps, dear hamsters, in voting in general and in detail…”

“Ghost train, ghost train, ghost train!”

“Well, dear fellow hamsters, er, our chief Botchy will explain all the rest to you!”

After these words they mayor saw that he got off the line of fire and left the makeshift podium which had been built on the market place. All eyes now were on chief Botchy who was dozing on a chair, exhausted after the much too early release from hospital after his accident. Goldi winked at Dodo who was standing beside the sleeping chief engineer.

“Eh?” Dodo did not understand what Goldi wanted to tell him.

“The chief! Nudge him, he’s got to be on the podium!” Goldi angrily hissed.

A few seconds later poor Botchy was hurtled onto the podium, shrieked and stayed lying after a loud bump.

“Did that swell!” Goldi hissed.

“Yes”, Dodo proudly replied, “I’m always giving my very best.”

By now the chief had straightened up with a groan and looked about him. He was not certain what he was doing here in the middle of a podium on the market place. He only knew that he yearned for a warm, cosy bed because his head still hurt after the unpleasant meeting with the crane. He felt a bit dizzy and thought of the hospital were he had had his quiet. The next moment he thought his head would burst.

“Ghost train, ghost train, ghost train!”

Botchy held his thick head and slowly it dawned to him what all this was about. Funfair! After the mayor’s first words he had fallen asleep but now he understood and all these cheering hamsters wanted to learn something new.

“Erm, ghost train, right…” he stammered and tried to stay on his legs while from all sides it chorused “ghost train, ghost train” again. “So, the ghost train”, he tried to continue, but the hamsters yelled so loud that he thought his head would explode any minute.

“Ghost train, ghost train, ghost train!”

“I’ll go bonkers!” chief Botchy shouted on the top of his voice and the mafficking crowd was suddenly silent. “Another word and you get something on your hamster cheeks that the sunflower seed of the last three days fall out! I’m not your ghost train dummy! Fill it up with what you will, I don’t mind! Look for another clown, McClown for my sake or better: McShredder and the Loch Ness Monster. But you leave me alone! Got that?!”

Under thundering applause the exhausted chief scrambled back to his chair and fell asleep again. He did not notice anything about the uproar all around him:

“McShredder and the Loch Ness Monster! McShredder and the Loch Ness Monster! McShredder and the Loch Ness Monster!”

The mayor now raised his short arms and shouted: “Dear hamsters! Isn’t it just nice that this important and necessary item for Hamsterton has been clarified? Now let us begin to repair the town hall. That’s nothing but a warm up for our dear chief engineer. Afterwards, my dear hamsters, the funfair of Hamsterton will see the first delve of spade! We all will help in it and I personally will muster further repair teams and technical assistance.”

As fast as his little paws carried him the mayor ran back into his office, took up the receiver and rang up the prime police hamster and the mayor of Hamsterhoosen to tell them about the giant ghost train and all their planning. Then he called Hamsterjelly, Hamstercity and all other neighbouring hamster counties and proudly told them about the latest developments in Hamsterton. Of course he invited all his correspondents and all their friends for the opening. Afterwards he rang up the Hamstian Planning and required further workers. When all this had been done to his full satisfaction he put his little paws on his desk and fell asleep.

 

Chapter 6

A Mishap

 

Chief engineer Botchy was badly stressed. First priority, the mayor had boasted and for a moment Botchy wondered whether he should take the bulldozer and run flat the town hall including mayor. Then repair hamster Tuffy interrupted is evil thoughts.

“Shall I push aside the debris with the bulldozer?”

“Yes, do”, Botchy gnarled, “but take care not to ram a load-bearing wall.”

While red-headed Tuffy mounted the bulldozer, the chief called in his people:

“Start to take away the damaged beams, I’ll check where to put in the new ones. And don’t dawdle, we’ve got to get ready today. Any questions?”

“Yes”, Hamstilidamst shouted, “my cousin will pay me a visit later on. May I leave earlier?”

“When will be lunch break?” Dodo asked.

“I’ve got a splinter in my paw. Have to go to the doctor”, Trample lamented.

“May I get a holiday? I want to…”

“Darn it, shut up!” chief Botchy yelled but as Tuffy just rumbled past him with the bulldozer, his shouts were drowned by the noise of the vehicle.

“Will you get off with that rumbling tank, Tuffy?” he shrieked.

Tuffy turned and replied: “Get up the rubble trunk? All right, boss!”

Shaking his head, he turned to the debating hamsters again, smiled kindly and said: “If any of you has further wishes, tell me! I’ll love to fulfil them. Now be serious, guys. If that stuff is not finished within five hours, I’ll skin you. Got that?”

“Does that mean I cannot go to my dancing group today, boss?” Dasy asked in a shocked voice.

“We have been training so long”, Taty remarked. “Look here, chief!”

He took Dasy’s paws and they both danced in a round between the debris on the market place.

“Let me put it this way”, Botchy smiled, “if you do not start your work at once I’ll teach you dancing! And now to work and no dilly-dallying!”

“My, he’s in a filthy mood”, Dodo groaned while together with Hamstilidamst he took some small parts of a wall and piled them.

Also Taty and Sasy looked at the chief engineer angrily but he had another problem. The dust made him dizzy, his head was still throbbing. Exhaustedly he sat down behind a half collapsed wall and closed his eyes. It did not take him long to be soundly asleep.

Nearby the members of the Hamstian repair team dragged along stones, lamented, moaned and were by no means happy. Again and again they looked to the spot were they last had seen the chief and they worked slower and slower.

“I can’t go on”, Dodo gasped, again made certain that no chief engineer was in sight and sat down on the ground, panting. Of course it did not take long until all members of the Hamstian repair service were lying on the ground, resting.

“Well, that’s much better”, Trample cheered and Sasy added: “And Tuffy at last stopped to make a racket with that silly bulldozer. Where is she, by the way?”

“Up there!” Tealeafy cried and pointed to the town hall balcony.

Curiously they all watched how Tuffy with a rope pulled up a big something and fastened it to the balcony rail in front of the mayor’s office. When the little repair hamster was ready she scrambled into it and crying “Hooray!” she slid down to the ground almost to the feet of her marvelling colleagues.

“Is that a slide for the funfair?” Tealeafy excitedly asked.

“O no”, Tuffy replied and made an important face. “Chief Botchy asked me to fetch the trunk. We will need it to clear away the debris from the roof. He certainly will be proud how well I fastened it as…”

“What I said was you should be off with the tank and not you shall mount the trunk! And what about you?” the chief turned to the trembling rest of his troop. “Have you cleared away everything?”

“Not completely, Boss”, Sasy whispered.

“But almost”, Taty added.

“Only a few stones and we’ll be ready. Really a laughing matter, we do that blindfold”, Trample explained.

“Fine”, Botchy retorted. “To give you some real laughing matter you now will dismount the daft trunk before the mayor notices anything.”

“Cooee, chief Botchy, we’ve got a problem!”

Flecki had crept by and now stood in front of the chief engineer, looking helpless.

“Indeed? A problem? All I need! What is it now?”

“Hamstian Broadcasting reports high traffic volume towards Hamsterton and Goldi has already seen the first motorcades. He thinks they all think that the Hamster-Funfair is already opened.”

In the distance they really could hear hooting. Big-eyed and with hanging cheeks the chief engineer and his troop stood amidst heaps of bricks and debris. Nobody said a word, nobody moved. The hooting became louder, also engine noises were audible now. This moment another group of hamsters came, the 2^nd and 3^rd repair team, accompanied by the fire brigade who showed up as scheduled to build the new pleasure ground.

“Hello Boss, things get going, don’t they?” Doodle shouted who lead the troop together with Topple.

Chief Botchy said nothing but with a terrified face stared at the incoming cars and coaches which now arrived on the market place. Bawling and cheering, the first hamsters got out and looked about them.

“Ey, where’s that swell ghost train? Where are the munch stands, I’m thirsty! Where’s the roller coaster?”

By now the market place and all adjoining streets were crammed with vehicles and cheering hamsters from Hamsterhoosen, Hamsterjelly, Hamstercity and all other hamster counties. The noise was terrible and chief engineer Botchy thought his head was going to explode.

“What sort of scrap yard is that?” a big, broad hamster bawled. “Where is Monster-McShredder? Where are the stands?”

“Not yet ready”, Botchy groaned.

“What? We’ve come down here all the way and naught ready? You wanna take the piss out of me? Where’s that mayor of yours, he’s got to answer a few questions.”

The above mentioned felt yet again disturbed in his recreative office sleep. What was it now, what did the uproar in front of his town hall mean? Why did nothing work without him? Fuming, he got up and ran out to the balcony. Too late he saw that part of the railing was missing. Were it had still been a few days ago, now an abyss yawned and in front of this abyss was hanging a giant – something. Desperately the mayor tried to stop but it was too late. With a yell he fell into the trunk and disappeared in the darkness.

The crowd in front of the town hall had watched all this of course and loud cheering and clapping began. In between the wailing of the falling mayor was to be heard. He felt right proxy when he went down and down and down within the trunk. Just before he reached the ground the trunk swerved towards the market place, the anxious mayor saw that it became lighter and closed his eyes in expectation of the impact. The crowd kept their breath because it was evident that any moment now Hamsterton’s mayor would come shooting out of the debris trunk. They made room so that nothing would hinder his flight but when a terrified hamster head appeared in the lower trunk opening, the slide was finished. The mayor was stuck.

A loud, general and disappointed “Ooooh!” sounded over the market place. It was obvious that the newly arrived guests were dissatisfied.

“You know-hopers! You’re wimps, real shatter hamsters! We want to see the monster-show! Monster-show! Monster-show!”

The mayor began to panic. Where was chief engineer Botchy? Where was the competence-team? He thought he saw some repair hamsters disappear in the crowd. Terrible – what a disgrace! He, the mayor, had to defuse the situation or Hamsterton would be a laughing stock for ever. Sweat was running over his face and blocked his view. No, now nothing and nobody would and could help him, it was his and only his duty to make the best of the matter. Bravely he blinked into the crowd and cleared his throat. Silence fell immediately and all eyes were on him. Normally he would have liked that but as matters stood he could have well done without it.

“Erm”, he said and blinked as sweat was dripping into his eyes.

Thousands of eyes watched him expectantly.

“Well, erm!” Sweat was burning in his eyes and he wished he at least could free one paw but he was hopelessly stuck in the debris trunk.

The crowd got impatient, first catcalls were audible.

“Erm, of course, dear guests, I’m happy to welcome you. Due to, er, a technical problem, er, in a manner of speaking for technical reasons and reasons I don’t want to refer to as you certainly will understand and I want to indicate so to speak in the name of town hamsters, er, Hamsterton and its population to welcome you!”

The catcalls ceased, the bewildered crowd looked at the sweating mayor. What did he want to tell them with his words? The onlookers were decidedly perplexed.

“Well, er, dear guests”, the mayor continued, “for me and my competence-team who unrestless and of course also the repair team whose excellent thingy, er, service, as the saying goes…”

“That podge mucks around”, a big, dangerous looking hamster in the first row bawled. “Now were are the munch stands?”

“Yea, and where is that swell ghost train?” other furious hamsters shouted. “Where is hamster-shock McShredder?”

“Er, well, dear, er, shocker, er, guests, certainly and I stand by it…”

“Right now you’re hanging, you twit!” somebody heckled and the crowd cheered. The situation got out of control, that much the mayor realised by now. He also realised that he had no chance to escape and that was the worst of all. Stuck in a big trunk, he had to await the developments on the market place and watched the beginning uproar with big eyes. He expected the worst. All his life rolled by in his brain but as hamsters do not get especially old, this took only a few seconds.

“Hamsterton is good for nothing!” it sounded from the market place. “Every other hamster country is better!”

A nightmare, the mayor thought and blinked because still sweat was dripping into his eyes. If only the Hamstian Police or Fire Brigade would come to clear the market place, but they were stuck in some traffic jam. Probably HAMPO and HAMFI had called it a day anyhow as their cars were stuck. For a moment the mayor saw stars and felt something muddy running over his face. The laughter of the crowd told him that something stinking had been thrown at him. What a cheek to do something like that to him, an official hamster who had to be respected! Furiously he tried to get free, his muscles strained, his eyes protruding like balloons.

“We’ll show you, we Hamsterton folk!” he shouted as loud as he could.

The bawling, roistering crowed was baffled, silent and goggled at the floundering mayor.

“In a few weeks we’ll have built a pleasure park like the world never has seen before! We’ll found the 3^rd Hamstian Wonder of the World. Your eyes will fall out of your heads if you see what we can do. We will show you, we will!”

For some eternal seconds there was not a single sound. Somewhere in the distance a car was hooting and you could have heard a slip of paper falling to the ground. Then the big hamster in the first row spoke up again:

“And the hamster-shock monster?”

“It will be here! We even will fetch the real McShredder, no problem, we can do it!”

By and by the market place emptied and the mayor breathed in relief. He closed his burning little eyes and exhaustedly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

 

Chapter 7

Rescue of the Mayor

 

The unbidden guests left Hamsterton in a hooting convoy.

However, the repair hamsters stood on the market place, feeling rather helpless. Nobody really knew what to think about the situation. By now Dodo have woken up chief Botchy and told him in so many words what just had happened.

“We will build the 3^rd Hamstian Wonder of the World”, Tuffy delightedly cried. “I think that was beautifully said. As to me, I’m proud to live in Hamsterton!”

“Wouldn’t that be wonderful”, Taty said with sparkling eyes. “We might approach at the opening with our dancing group. Mr. Mayor, what do you think…”

“O my, poor man”, Tuffy gasped. “Look, he’s so very exhausted after his great speech. Goldi, now will you do something and not only stand around?”

Grumpily, Goldi looked at the official of public life who was lying limply at the end of a debris trunk and did not utter a word. Then Goldi’s eyes flashed and he called Dodo:

“Come on, you’ve got to help me.”

Goldi ran to the town hall, followed by Dodo who had no idea what was to come. A few minutes later the two panting hamster reached the 3^rd floor and the mayor’s office. Goldi went to the bathroom, took the shower and dragged the hose to the balcony.

“Okay, Dodo, turn up the tape!”

There was a loud crunching sound, followed by a bang and the splashing of a water fountain. Obviously Dodo again had given his very best. With terrible forebodings Goldi ran into the mayor’s bathroom and saw Dodo beside the bathing tub looking embarrassed.

“I only turned the tape upwards and then it was off”, the big, fat hamster wailed. “What shall we do now?”

Goldi looked at the tub where the water level was raising quickly for the small plughole could not manage all the water. On the other hand, Goldi thought, it would not be that bad to push the mayor out of the trunk by a big amount of water and the corresponding pressure.

“No problem, Dodo”, Goldi grinned and closed the balcony door. “Our work’s finished.”

“But what will be the outcome?” Dodo asked in a frightened voice when he and Goldi descended the town hall stairs.

“Easy. In the mayor’s room the water will rise to the ceiling. Chief Botchy built in an extra-thick entrance door, remember? That will hold the water but the balcony door, ha ha, will break down like cardboard. Then the water splashes over the balcony into the trunk full tilt so that the mayor gets a free ride.”

“Isn’t that frightfully dangerous?”

“Don’t tremble, Dodo, not for us.”

When they left the building the repair hamsters came running to them.

“Well then?” Tuffy asked with big eyes.

“No problem for super-hamster”, Goldi boasted. “Let’s make ourselves comfortable and wait. Oh, sit down a little aside, will you. No good idea to be directly in front of the mayor.”

Super-hamster had not quite finished his sentence when it happened. There was a loud bang and with open mouths the hamsters watched a big flush coming out of the mayor’s office. With tremendous power the water gushed over the balcony and made a gorgeous waterfall down the damaged part of the balcony. Part of the waterfall went down the trunk and with loud gurgling sounds ran towards the mayor.

The hamsters on the market place marvelled and had not been chief Botchy close by, Tuffy would have exclaimed “How beautiful!” It looked impressive indeed how a waterfall rushed down from the 3^rd floor of the town hall to the ground. Flecki was the first one to realise the danger.

“All down! Take cover!” And it came. A bang, a yell, and something big, furry came flying. Another yell and a loud dash.

“Mayor’s touch down”, Dodo stated.

“The water”, Flecki suddenly shrieked. “It floods the whole market place! Goldi, that was your idea, turn off the water or we’ll all drown!”

“Why always me”, Goldi grumped. “But this time it wasn’t me. Dodo ripped of the tap.”

“Follow me, hamsters!” chief Botchy suddenly shouted and ran to the town hall.

“What a brave man!” Tuffy doted when she saw how Botchy fought against the current and tried to reach the staircase.

The water current, however, was too strong and a few minutes later the exhausted chief engineer drifted by and across the market place up to the mayor who had bobbed up in the meantime and called out to the chief:

“My dear Botchy, nice to see you. Do you think we will keep the schedule? Our future is at stake!”

“Glub, glubbub!” The chief had difficulties to keep his head over water.

“That’s exactly my opinion”, the mayor replied and nodded, by now facing some problems to stand upright against the water current. “Perhaps I should not have said anything about this McShredder. Do you think such a lord is willing to volunteer for a ghost train?”

“Glblblblb! Blurrrp!” Botchy replied.

“Well, you may be right”, the mayor thoughtfully said. By now the current was so strong that he could no longer stand on his little paws and swam beside the chief who desperately fought for air. “In any case we will name the best team we have at our disposal, Botchy, rest assured. When worst comes to worse I will join in because we have to succeed.”

“Glldibb, glldibb!”

“My dear chief, you’ll be in, that’s out of question. Perhaps I should explain my idea to you in detail…”

While poor Botchy had to listen to the monologue of his boss and they drifted through the streets of Hamsterton, Goldi and Flecki succeeded in closing the main tap in the town hall and stop the waterfall.

“And what now?” Taty asked, when the repair team hamsters were standing on a heap of debris and looked at the lake that earlier had been the market place.

“No idea”, Flecki said, “but I guess this will not by far be the end of it.”

 

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