Chapter 2

Reo and Jasper sat on the beach in the afterglow of their victory, basking in the excitement of winning Tuggy Day. As they chatted about their shared passion for making ice cream and candy, they couldn’t help but feel grateful for Fat Russell setting them up as confectioners inside the Barklaggio.

“You know, Jasper,” Reo mused, “I love winning, but nothing beats creating great ice cream and candy.”

“Yeah, me too, Reo,” Jasper agreed. “Spencerville is a wonderful place. It’s so cool that Fat Russell set us up as confectioners inside the Barklaggio. I love that place! Man, the excitement, our party tonight is going to be so much fun.”

The two of them were smiling ear to ear, having won the competition on Tuggy Day. They wandered along the beach without a care in the world, reveling in their victory. As they strolled, they accidentally bumped into one of the logs that the ropes from Tuggy Day had been tied to. The impact triggered a chain reaction, causing a rock to fall from the mountain above.

Reo, at the very last second, grabbed Jasper and pulled him out of harm’s way as the rock smashed onto the log. “Whew, that was a close one!” Jasper exclaimed, catching his breath. “Thanks buddy. I can always count on you.”

Reo grinned, “Like I always say, if I’m your pal, I’m your pal to the end. Now, if I don’t like you, it’s different, but I’m happy to help you out, buddy.”

“Oh god,” Jasper chuckled, “we were so caught up in the victory, we almost didn’t see a landslide. You know, rain and sun. Not for the good, not for the bad.”

They slumped against the giant log, which had taken quite a hit. Amazingly, it didn’t crack. You would think a giant boulder falling on top of a log from 100 feet above would have actually snapped it, but it didn’t. This occurred to Reo and Jasper as they sat there, relieved that they had survived.

As they inspected the damage, they noticed something peculiar about the log. Despite the impact, it hadn’t cracked. Upon closer examination, they spotted a clear, syrup-like substance leaking from where the boulder had hit. It wasn’t coming out fast, but it was enough that they could see it.

Jasper, cuReous as ever, reached out to touch it, but Reo quickly stopped him. “Don’t do it! Don’t do it. You have no idea what that is.”

But Jasper couldn’t resist. “You’ve got to trust me. You’ve got to trust me. I know that consistency.” He dipped his pinky paw into the substance and held it up, the glow of nearby fires illuminating the complex molecular structure.

Reo watched with a mixture of concern and cuReosity as Jasper licked the substance off his paw. To Reo’s surprise, Jasper immediately fell to the ground with a huge grin on his face.

“Oh my dog, holy cow!” Jasper exclaimed. “You’ve got to try this stuff!” Before Reo could protest, Jasper reached up and shoved his paw into Reo’s mouth.

Reo’s eyes widened as he tasted the substance. “That is the sweetest thing I have ever tasted in the history of ever plus ever times ever! Oh my dog!”

The two friends looked at each other, a spark of excitement in their eyes. They knew they had stumbled upon something extraordinary. “You got your kit with you?” Reo asked urgently.

Jasper nodded, “You know I always have my kit with me.” He went into his little fanny pack and pulled out where he kept all his confectionery supplies. He always had an emergency kit, should he need to whip something up in a jiffy.

Reo grabbed the cream container and emptied it out. The substance that was leaking out of the tree wasn’t much, so they knew they’d have to be patient and precise in their collection.

For the next hour, they meticulously collected the syrup-like substance, filling Jasper’s empty cream bottle spoon by spoon. It was exacting work, but as experienced Fenways, confectioners, and ice cream makers, they were used to it. This is what they did – they looked after things and loved them into the world.

As they neared the end of their collection, Jasper suddenly realized they were running late for their victory party at the Barklaggio. “Reo, Reo! The party is almost over. We’ve got to get to the Barklaggio!”

Reo, however, was reluctant to leave. “No, we’ve got to get as much of this as we can. We have to!”

But Jasper insisted, “No, no, we’ve got to go. We can’t miss our party. When’s the next time we’re going to win Tuggy Day? We may never win Tuggy Day again. This will be here tomorrow.”

Finally convinced, Reo agreed. They secured the jar of sticky syrup in Jasper’s pack, their faces beaming with excitement and anticipation. “Once the next time we’re going to win Tuggy Day, we may never win Tuggy Day again. This will be here tomorrow,” Jasper repeated, trying to convince himself as much as Reo.

Reo finally agreed, holding the little jar of sticky syrup in front of both of them, their eyes wide with wonder. Jasper carefully put the cap on, stuffed it into his pack, and off the two of them ran to make it to their party at the Barklaggio.

As they raced towards their celebration, both couldn’t help but wonder about the potential of this sweet, syrupy substance. What magical treats could they create with it? How would it enhance their already beloved confections at the Barklaggio? The possibilities seemed endless, and their minds raced with ideas as they hurried to their well-deserved celebration, the mysterious syrup safely tucked away in Jasper’s pack, a secret waiting to be unveiled.

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