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The toves are nice and brillig today, I thought. My window gave me quite the view of the forest, particularly the mimsy borogoves. A sudden urge came about me then, and I grabbed my cloak. Today was a great day for adventure. My father was sitting at the dining table in our humble cabin drinking tea made from the mome-rath weed. In my excitement, I almost bowled him over on my way out the door. Adventure awaited! But alas, old men do will do as old men do, and this one would take any chance he could to dispense wisdom, and so he did.

  “You’re going out, I see. The farm doesn’t need any work, and you’re wearing your cloak, so I’m guessing you to be of an adventurous mind today!” My father thought himself very clever in his deductive reasoning, but I thought it an awfully obvious conclusion. I didn’t say so, though. No need to remind someone you love that their mind is fading slowly. “Well, it’s a good day for it. The toves are nice and brillig.” I nodded in agreement, eager to be done with this. Adventure awaited!

  “Now, you just wait a second. Your father has some wisdom for you.” As was tradition in our family, I assumed a somber pose in preparation for this wisdom. With an air of formality, he spoke:

  “Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnatch!”

  He came out of his proclamation looking a bit dizzy. I knew the words to be wise, and took my vorpal sword in hand. No beast would bother me while the infamous vorpal sword hung at my hip!

  I left my father to finish his tea and started my adventure. No route was too dangerous for me, for I thought myself quite the woodsman. Plus, my father’s words had warned of beasts, not a slippery slope. Rivers were crossed, mountains were climbed, and cavern were delved, and my confidence grew. I caught sight of a hideous Bandersnatch whilst spelunking, and it did shy away at the sight of my wondrous blade, as did the Jubjub bird when it found me climbing a tree near its nest. It seemed that my foray would go without incident, so I decided to take a rest by the Tumtum tree- and what a tree it was! As I stood next to its ancient trunk, deep in thought, I realized that my entire cabin could fit inside if the trunk were to be hollowed out.

  I heard a burbling, and knew that it had come. The Jabberwock! Indeed, the Jabberwocky did come whiffling through the tuggly wood. As my eyes saw the great beast, so did his fiery eyes see me. Adrenaline filled my body, and my eyes took on a fiery quality all their own as I drew my vorpal sword. Oh, how it gleamed it the light!

  The sight of the blade only infuriated the beast. It puffed out its monstrous chest and gave a deafening roar, shaking the forest down to its very core. It charged in, lowering it head- and its deadly sharp horns- so as to pin me to the Tumtum tree. But its rage, fueled by the sight of the vorpal sword, its most hated enemy, was too hot, too wild. With a great leap- and Oh! How I imagined I looked then, cloak flapping behind me! –I dodged the Jabberwock’s charge. Now the beast’s horns had pinned only himself to the tree.

  Up its back I went, using my sword as a mountain climber would use a pickaxe. The fearsome Jabberwock struggled vehemently to release itself, howling in pain from the vorpal sword’s bite, but to no avail. The sword dug deep again and again, snicker-snack, and snack and snick, eating the beast whom it hated more than anything else. With a final plunge, the Jabberwock slumped and died, and the vorpal sword was satisfied. So joyous was the blade that it burned hotter than ever before, and the ichor of the beast did burn away, leaving the blade a shining silver yet again.

  So, too, did the beast’s body begin to crumble as if shying away from the light of the vorpal sword. I jumped away, rolling as I landed and coming up to my feet in a single flowing motion. The beast was gone, its evil forever sanctified.

  Contented, I sheathed my blade and continued my adventure.

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  About the Author

  Josh Thor is currently studying toward his BFA in Creative Writing for Entertainment at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. His work mostly focuses on the fantasy/adventure genre, and he is currently working on his first full novel.

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