Mystery Mountain Munchies

"Mystery Mountain Munchies" is a non-illustrated short story based on JumpStart Adventures 3rd Grade: Mystery Mountain. It was written by Allison Gladwell in 1998.

The story was first included in the JumpStart Summer Vacation Activity Book for 3rd or 4th Grade, where it was intended to be read at a pace of one chapter per week. In 1999, it appeared in JumpStart Summer Vacation Activity Book for 3rd Grade, again with a chapter-a-week format.

Characters

 * Botley
 * Polly Sparks
 * Professor Sparks (mentioned)

Chapter 1
Polly lives in a house with Mystery Mountain "practically right in her backyard." She is very familiar with the Mountain, but Botley has never been on it before. In an effort to escape from Botley, she runs off to the Mountain, specifically heading for the "Princess Path" hiking trail that Professor Sparks has been clearing for her. However, he didn't finish it before he had to leave for an inventors' convention. Botley hopes to catch Polly before she reaches the end of the trail.

Chapter 2
Botley pleads for Polly to come back, offering to bake her chocolate chip cookies for dinner. She refuses because she "had them for dinner last night." Instead, Polly suggests that they climb Mr. Twisty Oakie Doakie Tree together, after which they will return home and she will "make you the best tomato, orange, cauliflower and banana split you ever had." Figuring that climbing one tree couldn't possibly take that long, Botley accepts the deal.

Chapter 3
Botley and Polly begin heading up the Princess Path. Botley is surprised that it has chocolate pavement and that there are gummy bears who defend themselves by flinging jawbreakers with licorice slingshots. Polly explains that the trail becomes whatever she imagines it to be. She further explains that Mr. Twisty Oakie Doakie Tree "will reach the clouds and have leaves made of toffee and bark made of peanuts." Botley is alarmed to discover that climbing this tree will take much longer than he expected.

Chapter 4
As they continue up the Princess Path, Botley sees, "bushes made of cupcakes and cookies, and a tiny stream that looked like pink lemonade." Polly occasionally grabs off pieces of the trail to munch on. After Botley asks for some vegetables to eat, Polly conjures a pepper tree for him. Polly teases him for liking "icky vegetables," and Botley replies that junk food isn't healthy for her either. Polly says, "the candy I eat is what makes me so sweet."

Chapter 5
Further up the trail, Botley and Polly encounter a thick fog that smells like a cake baking. Polly explains that it's, "a cloud of vanilla." In the middle of the fog, they find Mr. Twisty Oakie Doakie Tree, which is indeed so tall that Botley can't see where it ends. He asks if it can be made a little shorter, and Polly chides him for trying to renege on their deal. The tree speaks, addressing Polly as "Miss Polly Princess" and warning that its peanut bark is slippery. Polly isn't worried, but Botley hopes she'll think to conjure a net if they fall.

Chapter 6
Polly begins climbing the tree, with Botley following her exact steps. Botley tells Polly that junk food won't give her enough energy to climb the tree, but she counters that it's not an issue because her supply of food is unlimited. Botley resolves to make it to the top of the tree because the tomato, orange, cauliflower and banana split sounds delicious to him.

Chapter 7
Botley makes the mistake of looking down. Terrified to find that he can't even see the ground at this point, he freezes. Meanwhile, Polly starts calling for him and without using one of her usual insulting nicknames. He knows something is wrong because, "she had never called him by his real name before." It turns out she feels sick from eating too much candy. Botley instructs her to take a break, and then they'll climb down when she's ready.

Chapter 8
Suddenly, a branch starts squeezing Polly and dangling her in midair. At the same time, "the peanut bark turned to slimy moss and the toffee leaves fell off and shattered on the chocolate pavement below." Botley demands to know what's happening. Polly explains that she can only think about disgusting things because she feels sick inside. Botley tells her that she has to try to think about something else. Polly says that she can't even think straight with the branch squeezing her.

Chapter 9
Botley climbs up to Polly and tells her to picture a trampoline to land on. It appears for a moment, but then quickly vanishes. Polly explains that she couldn't hold the thought.

Chapter 10
On the count of three, Botley cuts Polly loose. She manages to hold the thought of the trampoline long enough to achieve a safe landing.

Chapter 11
Unfortunately, the trampoline bounces Polly back up to where she started. The trampoline disappears, as she couldn't hold the thought any longer, and she grabs on to the branch below Botley. All Polly can think about now is water, due to all the peanuts she ate, "but if we fell from this height to a lake, we'd really be hurting from the impact of the fall."

Chapter 12
Polly conjures a waterslide, which they ride down to the ground. They then run back home, where Polly agrees to join Botley for a tomato, orange, cauliflower and banana split. "No more Mystery Mountain munchies for me," she says.

Trivia

 * The story's continuity appears to differ from that of JumpStart Adventures 3rd Grade: Mystery Mountain. For starters, Botley and Polly apparently live in a house outside of Mystery Mountain. It's possible the author mistook Ms. Winkle's schoolhouse for Botley and Polly's home. Additionally, Mystery Mountain is portrayed as a forested mountain with a hiking trail whereas it appears to be solid rock and too steep for hiking in the game. Another contradiction is the mention that, "robots can't eat sweets or else their circuits will short out."