Rainbow Brite: Happy
Birthday, Buddy Blue
by Lyn Calder
If you could travel to the very end of the rainbow, you would find
yourself in a wonderful place called Rainbow Land.
Rainbow Land is the home of Rainbow Brite, a lovable little girl who
brings joy and happiness to everyone by coloring the world. A
handful of Star Sprinkles is all she needs. Now, if you could get to
Rainbow Land right away, maybe--just maybe--you would be invited to
Buddy Blue's surprise birthday party.
"Bend and stretch! Bend and stretch! Jump...2...3...4!
Jump...2...3...4!" called Buddy Blue as he exercised with Patty
O'Green.
"Come
on, Buddy," moaned Patty. "I'm tired already, and we haven't even
started to run."
"You
have to warm up before you run," said Buddy. "Patty O'Green, you
promised to come with me!"
"I
will. I will," said Patty, remembering that it was her job to keep
Buddy away from the Color Castle while it was being decorated for
his surprise birthday party.
So Patty and Buddy finished their warm-ups. Meanwhile, the sprites
and all the other Color Kids were working hard to get ready for
Buddy's party. The sprites were busy scrubbing the Color Castle from
top to bottom. Twink, Rainbow Brite's favorite sprite, was hurrying
them along.
The Color Kids were filling the castle with star decorations and
balloons of every color. "You'd better be careful, Red Butler," said
Rainbow Brite. "I don't think you should blow that balloon up much
more..."
POP! It was too late. Everybody laughed at the look of surprise on
Red Butler's face. LaLa Orange ran to his side. "Are you all
right?" she asked.
"Sure," said Red. "Just get me another balloon!"
By now, Buddy Blue and Patty O'Green had started on their run around
Rainbow Land. Up to Red Region, down to Orange Meadows, through
Yellow Plains, and straight into Green Grange. Patty O'Green was
huffing and puffing.
"I
think it's time to rest," she said breathlessly, sitting down in a
bed of green clover.
"I'll
just take a quick spin around Blue Zone," called Buddy over his
shoulder. "I'll be back to get you in no time."
As soon as Patty O'Green caught her breath, she began looking for a
four-leaf clover. "That would make a fine birthday present for
Buddy," she said to herself.
On a gray and gloomy hill just above Rainbow Land is a place called
The Pits, where Murky Dismal and his helper, Lurky, live. Every
day, Murky tries his hardest to make everyone as miserable as he is.
"Ah," said Murky Dismal, looking over Lurky's shoulder as he mixed a
brew in a great pot. "Our doom potion is just about ready. Why
don't we go try it out on one of those cheerful little Color Kids."
Murky Dismal and Lurky packed up the potion and climbed into their
Grunge Buggy. They headed toward Rainbow Land--straight toward Blue
Zone.
"I did it! I found one!" shouted Patty O'Green, holding up a
four-leaf clover. She started humming "Happy Birthday to You." "But
where is Buddy?" she wondered. "He was going to take a quick spin
and then come back to get me." She knew there was only one thing
that would stop him from coming back--Murky Dismal! "I hope you're
as lucky as you're supposed to be!" said Patty O'Green to her
four-leaf clover. And she ran as fast as she could back to the
Color Castle.
When she got there, she had to shout over the noise of the Color
Kids and the sprites. "Buddy Blue is in trouble!" She said. "He
went jogging up toward the Blue Zone and never came back!"
"Oh,
no!" said Rainbow Brite. "We've got to help him!"
Rainbow Brite ran outside and began to call for Starlite, her
magical flying horse. He had been sent out to look for flowers for
the party. Starlite was admiring himself in the reflection of the
pond. But when he heard Rainbow's call, he took off immediately for
the Color Castle.
In a flash, he was at Rainbow's side. "We've got to find Buddy
Blue," she said. He's in trouble. Quick, Starlite." With Rainbow
Brite on his back, Starlite flew over Rainbow Land toward the Blue
Zone.
It wasn't long before Rainbow and Starlite saw what they had
feared. The Grunge Buggy, with it's gray cloud of doom, was closing
in on Buddy Blue. Murky Dismal had his evil potion ready. Starlite
swept down close and Rainbow Brite cast out her magic color
crystals. As soon as they hit the potion, a beautiful haze of color
appeared.
"Oh,
no!" cried Murky Dismal. "Faster, Lurky, faster!"
But
Rainbow Brite's Star Sprinkles were already working their magic on
Lurky. "What's the hurry?" he said. "It's such a nice day for a
buggy ride."
"Faster, you dimwit!" yelled Murky. "Don't let that kid get away!"
But it was too late. Buddy Blue climbed onto Starlite's back behind
Rainbow Brite. "That was a close call," said Buddy. "Lets get out
of here!"
At the Color Castle, Patty O'Green was the first to see Rainbow,
Starlite, and Buddy Blue coming. "Hurry!" she called. "They're
almost here!" Everyone ran to hide.
"Gee," said Buddy when they landed. "It's awfully quiet..."
"Happy Birthday!' shouted all his friends as soon as Buddy opened
the castle door. Twink came out carrying a star-shaped birthday
cake. Buddy Blue made a birthday wish and blew out the candles.
"Thank you,everyone," he said.
Patty
O'Green handed Buddy the four-leaf clover. "Here's is a birthday
present, Buddy. I think it brought you luck today!"
Then Rainbow Brite took out a handful of Star Sprinkles she saved
for special occasions. When she tossed them at Buddy, the air all
around him lit up with every color of the rainbow. "Happy Birthday,
Buddy Blue!" said Rainbow Brite. And it was a birthday Buddy Blue
would never forget. |
