WritersShowcase

Gibbon Keith

By

Derek Tait.

Chapter One

Deep in the woods, just outside of the city, in a village called Maybury On Sea, lives Gibbon Keith. In the tallest tree, you'll find his nest, made up of old newspapers, cardboard boxes and bin liners. If you're quiet, you might see him rummaging through the woods looking for trinkets to line his den. In his nest, there are old comics spread around. Gibbon Keith loves to read an old comic. He also has old watches and medals that he's found discarded in the woods.

On this particular day, Gibbon Keith woke up early. He looked at himself in the mirror.

There was something different about him today. He didn't look his usual self. He stuck his tongue out and said a loud 'aaaaahhhhh!'.

'Hmmm!' he thought. 'Nothing wrong there!'

He grabbed his arms and puffed out his chest to try and look like a he-man. He looked at himself straight on and then from the side.

'Who's a lovely boy?' he said to himself. 'I must get off to the gym to keep myself in shape!'

Gibbon Keith searched around his nest for an old kit bag that he'd found at the base of his tree one morning. He put on an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts and started the long journey down the side of his tree, eating a banana on the way.

Through the woods and to the gym, he walked briskly as if entering a speed walking competition, saying 'Ow do!' to people on the way.

Now, you might think it funny that a gibbon could walk down the street and go to the gym and no-one take any notice of him but in Maybury On Sea, everbody was use to his early morning jaunts and his antics around the village.

Gibbon Keith had counted that he'd said, 'Ow do, missus!' seventeen times on his way to the gym. You might also think it funny that no-one was surprised that Keith spoke but in Maybury On Sea, nobody was surprised by much.

Keith arrived at the gym and signed in, 'Gibbon Keith'. His personal trainer, Fierce Fred, came to meet him. Fierce Fred wasn't fierce at all.

'I'm more fierce than him!' thought Keith. 'Grahhhh!'

He was imagining being fierce but at the same time had raised his arms in the air and was growling at Fred.

'Yes, very good!' said Fierce Fred not batting an eyelid. 'Now let's do some training.'

Actually, Fierce Fred had made up his own nickname. He thought it made him sound more interesting. He told everyone he had been a champion wrestler but everyone knew he'd just been a greengrocer in the village selling tomatoes and cabbages. Even Keith knew.

'Got any aubergines?' asked Keith. Keith did this every time he saw Fierce Fred to see if he could get him annoyed and to see if he really could get him fierce.

Fierce Fred just shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

'No, Keith.' he said. 'I haven't got any aubergines, bananas or King Edward's!'

Keith's eyes lit up when Fierce Fred mentioned bananas.

'Hmmm!' he thought. 'I'd love a banana now!'

Very soon they were in the gym and Keith was lifting some weights.

'Graaaah!' he said as he lifted a particularly heavy one above his head.

'Take my picture, take my picture!' said Keith. 'While I'm looking burly. Graaah!'

Fierce Fred got the gym camera and pointed it at Keith.

'Smile!' he said.

Keith smiled showing all his gibbon teeth.

'Hold it, hold it!' said Fierce Fred as he lined up the photo.

Keith's arms were beginning to shake.

'It's no good.' said Fierce Fred. 'I can't get you all in. Your arms are too long!'

Keith kept up his false smile.

'Take it! Take it! he said.

Fierce Fred shrugged his shoulders, pointed the camera at Keith and pushed down the button. There was a loud bang as the flash went off and Keith fell backwards, his weights crashing to the floor behind him.

There was a loud 'whirr' noise and the photo popped out of the bottom of the camera.

As Keith lay in a pile on the floor, Fierce Fred shook the photo in the air to dry and then brought it over to show Keith.

Keith was feeling a bit dizzy and seeing stars but raised his head to look at the photo of himself with a big grin and arms in the air.

'Ain't I lovely?' he said.

Chapter Two

The funny thing about Gibbon Keith is that he didn't actually like lifting weights. He went to the gym twice a week to build up his muscles but what he really looked forward to was the swim afterwards. Fully recovered, he stood beside the pool in his stripy swimming trunks. There was a lot of people in the pool today. At the far end, Keith could see Fierce Fred drinking a cup of tea. Fierce Fred liked nothing better than a cup of tea.

Keith dived into the water making a large splash. His long arms flew like aeroplane propellers until he was at the other end of the pool. He turned over and started to swim on his back.

'Look at me! Look at me, Fierce Fred!' said Keith. 'Take my picture! Take my picture!'

Fierce Fred sighed. He looked at Keith and then carried on drinking his cup of tea.

Keith carried on splashing about and showing off.

'Fierce Fred! Take my picture!' he cried.

Fierce Fred was having none of it. It would take a lot more than a gibbon acting silly to make him put down his cup of tea and to go and get his camera.

Keith realised he would have to do something special if he was going to get Fierce Fred's attention. He climbed out of the pool and headed towards the diving boards.

Fierce Fred jumped to his feet.

'Not the diving boards, Keith!' he shouted.

It was too late.

Keith knew if he was going to make an impression, he was going to have to jump off the top diving board.

Slowly, he climbed up the ladder to the top board. He wasn't frightened, the tree he lived in was much higher than this.

'Get the camera ready!' he shouted down to Fierce Fred.

By now, the gym's owner Dinky Dave had come out. Dinky Dave was anything but dinky and was probably the largest human Keith had ever seen.

'Get off those diving boards, gibbon!' shouted Dinky Dave. 'You'll break them!'

Keith wasn't listening. He walked to the end of the highest board and slowly started jumping up and down on it.

'Get that gibbon down!' said Dinky Dave to Fierce Fred.

Fierce Fred just shrugged his shoulders.

'I'm not his keeper!' he said as he got the camera lined up.

'Are you ready, Fred?' shouted Keith as he carried on springing on the board.

Fierce Fred put his thumb in the air.

'Ready when you are, Keith!' he said.

Dinky Dave scowled as Gibbon Keith walked to the back of the board so he could get a good run up. Quickly, he sped along the board until he got to the end and then he jumped excitedly in the air. Unfortunately, as Keith landed back on the board, it snapped. He lost his balance and fell quickly towards the pool. He had the skill to do a triple somersault though before he landed with a large 'thud' in a pile of open deck chairs.

Dazed he looked up.

'Did you get it, Fred!' said Keith. 'Did you get my picture?'

Suddenly, a large shadow fell over Keith. It was Dinky Dave. He wasn't happy.

'You're barred!' he said.

Chapter Three

The next day, Gibbon Keith was happy reading one of his favourite comics in his nest in the tallest tree in the woods.

He laughed to himself.

'I love the adventures of Monkey Man!' he thought. Monkey Man was his favourite comic book character ever.

'He swings through the trees, fighting criminals with ease!' said Keith to himself.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Now, this was an unusual occurance. Keith lived in the highest tree in the woods and nobody ever knocked at his door.

'I'll be there in a minute!' said Keith, still reading his comic.

There was another louder knock.

Keith sighed, put down his comic and opened the door. It was Fierce Fred.

'Are you going to let me in or not?' asked Fierce Fred.

Gibbon Keith had never really had a visitor before.

'How did you get all the way up here?' he asked. 'I thought only gibbons like me could get up this far!'

Fierce Fred puffed out his chest.

'Do you think as a world class wrestler that I wouldn't be able to climb up a tree?' asked Fred.

'Hmmm!' mused Keith deep in thought.

'But you never were a world class wrestler!' said Keith. 'You were a greengrocer!'

'Well, someone had to get the bananas!' said Fierce Fred.

They went inside and Keith put the kettle on.

'So what brings you to this neck of the woods?' asked Keith.

'Dinky Dave says he's sorry!' said Fred. 'He wants you to come back. Oh, and he gave me this to give to you!'

Fierce Fred produced a pass from his pocket.

Keith read it out loud:

'Free 12 months pass to Dinky Dave's Gym and Solarium.'

'You could get a tan!' said Fierce Fred.

'Who's ever seen a gibbon with a tan?' asked Keith.

The kettle boiled and Keith made fierce Fred a cup of tea. Neither knew how this was possible as Keith neither had electric or gas in his nest.

'Have you seen this one?' said Keith showing Fierce Fred his comic book.

'Just like you!' said Fred. 'Monkey man!'

'Actually, I'm not a monkey, I'm an ape!' said Keith. 'See, no tail!'

Fierce Fred looked at where Keith's tail might have been. Definitely no tail there.

'Maybe they should rename it 'Ape Man!' said Fred.

They both drank their tea imagining 'Ape Man' saving the world.

'He would need an enemy!' said Fierce Fred. 'How about Gorilla Man?'

Keith thought about it.

'Nope!' he said. 'Not scary enough!'

'Gorilla Stan?' suggested Fierce Fred.

'I know a Gorilla Stan!' said Keith. 'He's a pussycat, he wouldn't hurt a fly!'

They both drank their cups of tea and thought deeper and deeper.

'I know!' said Keith. 'We'll call him Dinky Dave!'

Fierce Fred wasn't so sure.

'He won't like it!' said Fred. 'He definitely won't like it!'

It was too late, Keith had already got his colouring pencils out and with some old pieces of paper, started to draw his own comic strip.

'Right!' said Keith. 'We've got Ape Man and he goes to the gym!'

Fierce Fred listened to him carefully.

'Draw it, draw it! Before we forget!' said Fred.

Keith was already drawing Ape Man who looked incredibly like himself.

'So he goes to the gym where he meets, let's say Touchy Ted, he goes for a swim, dives off the high board, does a triple somersault and comes up against his arch enemy, Dinky Dave!' said Keith.

'Hang about, hang about!' said Fierce Fred. 'That's just what happened yesterday!'

'Did it?' asked Keith.

'Yes, it did!' said Fred. 'And why did you change my name to Touchy Ted?'

'I didn't want you to recognise yourself!' answered Keith.

Fierce Fred put his cup down.

'I'm off back to the gym!' he said. ‘Are you coming?'

'Are you joking?' asked Keith. 'I've got to draw all this out yet!'

He drew a large circle on top of another large circle and drew an arrow pointing to it saying 'Dinky Dave'.

'Shall I tell Dave you'll be coming back then?' asked Fred.

'I'll be there as soon as I've finished this!' said Keith, his tongue in the corner of his mouth with concentration.

Fierce Fred shrugged his shoulders and turned to leave.

'Oh, I forgot to give you this!' said Fred pulling something out of his back pocket.

Keith looked at it and smiled. It was the photo of him doing a triple somersault from the top diving board.

'Handsome devil, ain't I?' said Keith.

Chapter Four

Gibbon Keith had been drawing all morning.

When he came to the part of him doing his triple somersault at the swimming pool, he had come to a standstill.

'What next for Ape Man?' he thought. 'What next?'

He put the tip of his pencil in his mouth and stared into space.

'Hmmm! Ape Man jumps up and throws Dinky Dave into the pool!' he thought.

He was just about to draw it.

'Nope!' he thought. 'It's just not exciting enough!'

He thought and thought but could think of nothing more exciting.

'Hmmm!' he thought. 'It's quite interesting so far.'

He looked at his drawings which took up several pages. There was Ape Man going to the gym, Touchy Ted taking his picture, Ape Man doing a somersault and Dinky Dave telling him off.

'Excellent!' said Keith out loud.

He got an old envelope and on the front he wrote:

'To:

The Comic Strip Editor,

Exciting Comics,

(Superhero section),

Maybury On Sea.'

He put all his drawings into the envelope and wrote a quick note that said:

'Dear Sir, 'Ow about these? Best wishes, Gibbon Keith.'

He licked the top of the envelope, sealed it, put it under his arm and set off to the village post office for a stamp.

Actually, you might be thinking that with Exciting Comics being in Maybury On Sea and Keith living in Maybury on Sea, why didn't Keith just deliver his drawings himself. This same thought occurred to Keith just after he'd queued up in the post office for half an hour and bought a second class stamp. He'd just stuck the stamp on and was about to put his letter in the post box.

'Ere, Gibbon!' said a voice from behind. It was Hungry Halford, the local postman.

Hungry was always hungry and usually had a Cornish pasty in his hand.

'Ere, Gibbon!' he said again. 'If that's just going to Exciting Comics, why don't you just walk there! It's only at the other end of the street. I'm fed up with you lazy gibbons filling up my letter boxes!'

Gibbon Keith didn't know any other gibbons in the area. In fact, his nearest relative was Gibbon Stanley who lived in the Big Smoke. The Big Smoke was Keith's name for Murtle On Sea, the next village.

'Oakey Kokey!' said Keith. 'I'll take it there myself and perhaps meet the editor!'

He was expecting an answer from Hungry Halford but didn't get one because he had another Cornish pasty wedged firmly in his mouth.

As Keith walked away, Hungry said, 'Cheeky monkey!'

'I ain't a monkey, I'm an ape!' shouted back Keith. 'No tail, see?'

Hungry wasn't listening, he was making his way to the next bakery shop.

Chapter Five

Keith arrived at the offices of Exciting Comics several minutes later. Hungry Halford had been right, it wasn't too far. He took his envelope and drawings to the front desk.

'Gibbon Keith to see Comic Strip Editor with new story!' he said to the girl at the counter.

She didn't look up.

'Gibbon Keith to see...' repeated Keith.

'I heard you the first time!' the girl interrupted. 'He's out!'

'But I've got a new comic strip super hero for him!' said Keith. 'It's called Ape Man!'

The girl took off her glasses and looked Keith up and down.

'Sounds a lot like Monkey Man to me!' she said.

'Totally different!' said Keith. 'This one is about an ape, that one's about a monkey. No tail, see?'

The girl had put her glasses back on and continued to read something on her desk.

'Put it in the tray!' she said. 'I'll make sure he gets it!'

Keith put it carefully in the tray.

'It's very good!' he said. 'It's got action, adventure, romance. Well, maybe not romance.'

The girl didn't look up.

'Bye!' she said.

Keith left the building and walked out onto the street. Hungry Halford was coming towards him, he hadn't got very far.

'I heard about that incident at the gym yesterday!' said Hungry as he took another bite out of yet another pasty. 'Takes a clever man to get one over on Dinky Dave!'

Hungry produced a newspaper from his back pocket. It was a copy of today's Maybury on Sea Echo.

'Look at page five, you big monkey!' said Hungry.

Gibbon Keith never had found Hungry particularly friendly but he was just glad that he didn't eat him. He seemed to eat everything else.

'Well, I haven't got time to stand around all day chatting to you!' said Hungry. 'I've got to get something to eat!'

Hungry Halford walked off while Keith searched through the paper for page five. There in front of him in black and white, he saw the headline:

'Gibbon Keith does triple somersault at gym!'

Underneath, was the photo of Keith, jumping off the diving board, smiling with arms outstretched.

Underneath the photo the story continued:

'Hundreds flock to Dinky Dave's Gym to see spectacular performance. Shown again tonight and every night for the next week!'

'Hmmm!' thought Keith. 'That's why Dinky was so eager to get me back to the gym.'

He puffed his chest out and did some speed walking till he arrived at Dinky's gym 10 seconds later. At this point, I should point out that Dinky Dave's gym was at number 3 Waverley Terrace and Exciting Comics was at number 2.

Keith got to the door and walked in.

'Dinky! Dinky!' shouted Keith as he strutted up to the front desk.

'Where's Dinky?' he said to Tiresome Tess who took bookings for the gym.

'Shhh!' she said. 'He's in a press conference, you big monkey!'

Just then Fierce Fred came in. He shrugged his shoulders.

'Word has got around!' said Fred. 'You're famous! Worth your weight in bananas!'

'Famous!' thought Keith. His thoughts soon changed though.

'Hmmm! Bananas!' he thought.

He smiled at Fierce Fred.

'I'll do it!' he said.

'Do what?' asked Fred.

'Whatever I have to do for the bananas!' answered Keith.

Just then, Dinky Dave came out of his office with press men following him. There were flashes from cameras everywhere.'

Here he is, boys!' said Dinky Dave. 'Gibbon Keith, our star attraction!

The cameras turned away from Dinky and pointed at Keith. Flashbulbs went off and Keith did his best to keep up a false smile.

'Handsome devil, ain't I?' said Keith.

Dinky Dave lent over and whispered into Keith's ear.

'Get your trunks on, you big monkey!' said Dinky. 'I'm going to make us both very rich!'

Keith looked over to Fierce Fred. Fred shrugged his shoulders.

'Okay, Dinky! I'll do it!' said Keith. 'But I ain't a monkey!'

Chapter Six

Keith soon had his stripy trunks on and was standing on the top diving board above the pool. He could see in front of him where Dinky Dave had nailed a piece of wood to fix the broken board. Fierce Fred was stood behind him.

Keith looked down to see crowds of people looking back up at him and the world's press waiting for him to jump. Actually, it wasn't the world's press but Dan Starkey from the Echo. To Keith, he was the world's press.

'Get your camera ready, Starkey!' shouted down Keith.

He saw Hungry Halford in the crowd stuffing his face with yet another pasty.

'Deliver some letters, you lazy article!' shouted Keith. 'And I ain't a monkey!'

Hungry looked back at him blankly.

'Cheeky monkey!' he said.

Fierce Fred moved in closer to Keith.

'I've no fear of heights at all!' said Fred. 'And do you know why?'

'Because you're stupid?' answered Keith.

'No!' replied Fred. 'Because I was a paratrooper in the second world war!'

Keith couldn't believe his gibbon ears.

'A paratrooper! A paratrooper?' said Keith. 'You were a greengrocer! Now stop making up stories and let me concentrate!

Fierce Fred shrugged his shoulders.

'Have it your way!' said Fred. 'But I was very fierce, hence Fierce Fred!'

'You made that name up!' said Keith. 'Now stop it. You're putting me off!'

Fred shrugged his shoulders.

'Go on, then!' said Fred. 'Make a monkey of yourself!'

Keith looked down at the crowds, he looked at Dan Starkey, Dinky Dave, Hungry Halford and all the people that had come to see him from around the village. He was starting to feel quite nervous. He ran back to get so he could get a clear run for his jump.

Before you jump,' said Fierce Fred. 'You didn't do anything with that comic strip we drew this morning, did you? You know Dinky Dave wouldn't like the way he's portrayed!'

Keith smiled.

'It's with the editor of Exciting Comics as we speak!' said Keith.

Fred shrugged his shoulders.

'On your head be it!' he said.

'Are you trying to put me off?' asked Keith who by now was getting very nervous.

Fred said nothing.

Keith took his run up along the board but as he got to the end, he tripped over the piece of wood that Dinky had nailed in. He flew in the air but still managed to do another triple somersault before he came crashing down in the same pile of deckchairs.

'Perhaps they haven't noticed!' thought Keith.

There was a deafening silence. Suddenly, from the top of the diving board, Fierce Fred shouted down, 'Bravo! Bravo!'

Soon the whole crowd was cheering.

'How does he do it?' asked Dinky Dave. 'I ask myself that all the time. How does he do it?'

Keith leapt to his feet and took a bow.

'I thank you!' he said, smiling all the time.

Chapter Seven

The next day, Gibbon Keith was woken early in his nest, in the tallest tree in the woods, by a knock at the door.

'Just a minute!' he shouted as he pulled an old dressing gown on that he'd found in a dustbin.

He opened the door. It was Hungry Halford.

'Letter for Gibbon Keith!' he said. 'Are you Gibbon Keith?'

'You only saw me yesterday!' said Keith.

'You've got to sign for this!' said Hungry. 'Can you prove you're Gibbon Keith?'

Keith tutted and searched around for a bill he'd once been sent for a crate of bananas.

He showed it to Hungry.

'There it says my name, 'Gibbon Keith' on the bill.'

Hungry looked the bill up and down.

‘This says, 'Gibbon Keit'!' said Hungry.

'It's a typing error!' said Keith.

'It doesn't say 'Gibbon Keith' though!’ said Hungry.

'Well, if you see Gibbon Keit, give him the letter!' replied Keith.

Hungry Halford turned to leave.

'I don't suppose you've got anything to eat, have you?' asked Hungry.

Keith looked around his nest and found an old Christmas pudding that he'd been saving. He gave it to Hungry.

'Right!' said Hungry. 'Here's your letter,we'll say no more!'

Before Hungry could leave, Keith had one question for him.

'How did you get all the way up here, up the tallest tree in the wood?' asked Keith.

'Airmail!' replied Hungry.

'Right!' said Keith as Hungry left. 'Bye,Hungry!'

'Bye, Keith!' answered Hungry as he shut the door behind him.

Keith found his old Swiss army penknife and carefully slit the top of the envelope so as not to tear it. He took the envelope, held it up and shook it.

Out fell a letter and a large cheque. He screwed up the envelope and threw it over his shoulder.

He picked up the letter and read it:

'Dear Gibbon Keith

Thanks for story and drawings. New comic (Ape Man) out on high street today. Liked Dinky Dave character, very stupid man. Want more!'

Best wishes,

Comic Strip Editor (Exciting Comics).'

Keith picked up the cheque and looked at it.

'Pay the artist fifty pounds.' it said.

It was made out to 'Gibbon Keit'.

'Grrrr!' said Keith.

Keith got out his colouring pencils and started to draw the next instalment of Ape Man.

'Let's see!' he said as he thought of what to draw next.

He drew Ape Man going back to the gym and being interviewed by the world's newspapers and being filmed by Maybury tv for the local news, as he did a stunning triple somersault from the highest diving board. Next he drew Dinky Dave trying to copy him and tripping over his feet, falling flat on his face and falling in a pile of deckchairs. All the crowds stood around laughing at him.It took him at least ten minutes to finish and when it was done, he held it up in the air and stared at it closely.

'Excellent!' he said to himself as he found another envelope to put his comic strip in.

Gibbon Keith left his nest in the highest tree in the woods and headed straight for the offices of Exciting Comics.

When he got to the front desk at Exciting Comics, he was greeted by the same receptionist he'd seen the day before. Her eyes lit up.

'Mr Keith!' she said. 'Come in, come in! Would you like a cup of coffee?'

Gibbon Keith had never been called Mr Keith before, neither had he drank coffee.

'They must have been really impressed with my comic strip!' he thought.

He sat down and the receptionist gave him a cup of coffee.

'There you are, Mr Keith!' said the receptionist. 'Can I get you anything else?'

Before Keith could say anything, the front door of the building opened. It was Fierce Fred.

'No, Gibbon!' shouted Fred. 'Don't drink the coffee!'

He snatched the coffee out of Keith's hand and gave it back to the receptionist.

'You should never give a gibbon coffee!' said Fred. 'Don't you know anything?'

The receptionist looked dismayed.

'He asked for it!' she said.

Even Keith didn't know he wasn't meant to drink coffee.

'What harm would it do?' he asked Fierce Fred.

Fierce Fred's eyes narrowed. It was almost the fiercest Keith had ever seen Firece Fred. Even then it wasn't particularly fierce.

'What harm would it do? What harm would it do?' repeated Fred. 'Don't you remember Gibbon Steve in Migley On Sea?'

Keith had to think. He definitely knew a Gibbon Steve but couldn't think what he looked like.

'He had a cup of coffee,' continued Fred. 'And we spent all day trying to get him down from the clock tower!'

Keith didn't even know that Fierce Fred had been to Migley On Sea.

'Trust me!' said Fred. 'Gibbons and coffee don't mix!'

Chapter Eight

As Gibbon Keith and Fierce Fred sat in the reception of Exciting Comics, they looked around the walls at all the pictures hanging there of all Keith's favourite superheroes.

'Look!' said Keith. 'There's Ant Man! The strongest ant in the whole of the Western hemisphere!'

Fierce Fred shrugged his shoulders.

'He can't be that strong!' he said. 'He's just an ant!'

'He can lift a four storey building with one arm!' said Keith.

'I bet he couldn't lift Hungry Halford!' said Fred.

'Or Dinky Dave!' replied Keith.

As Keith mentioned Dinky Dave, Fierce Fred suddenly remembered why he had been looking for Keith.

'About Dinky Dave,' started Fred.

Before Fred could finish what he was saying, a man suddenly came through one of the office doors. He was dressed like a cowboy in a white suit and large white cowboy hat.

'Mr Keith!' he said. 'So pleased to meet you!'

Keith's jaw dropped. He recognised the man instantly. It was Stan Marvel, head of Exciting Comics.

'Come in, come in!' said Stan. 'We loved your comic strip!'

Fierce Fred got up to leave.

'I'll see you later, Keith!' he said. 'There's something we need to talk about!'

Keith waved over to Fred and walked into Stan's office.

'See you down the gym, Fred!' said Keith.

'No! Not the gym! shouted Fred. 'Not the gym!'

It was too late, Keith had already gone into Stan's office and could no longer hear him.

As Fred left the building, the receptionist looked up.

'First coffee then the gym!' she said. 'Isn't that gibbon allowed to do anything?'

Inside Stan Marvel's office, Gibbon Keith relaxed in a soft swivel chair reserved for Exciting Comics most famous artists.

'I'll tell it to you straight, Keith!' said Stan. 'We like your work very much!'

Keith smiled.

'We want to offer you a contract!' said Stan. 'How does 5,000 a year strike you!'

Keith thought about it for a while.

'Is that bananas or pounds?' asked Keith.

'Pounds!' replied Stan.

Five thousand pounds was a lot of money to Keith. He hadn't even seen five pounds before.

'Hmmm!' thought Keith. 'Five thousand pounds! That's a lot of bananas!'

'What do think then?' asked Stan.

Keith wished Fred was still there. He'd know what to do. The thought of bananas got the better of him though.

'I'll do it!' said Keith.

Stan Marvel smiled.

'Good! Good!' he said. 'I just need you to sign this contract!'

Stan produced a contract and pointed to the bottom of the page.

'Sign there!' he said.

Keith picked up Stan's gold plated pen and signed, 'Gibbon Keith'.

For good measure, he put a few kisses at the bottom.

'Excellent! Excellent!' said Stan examining the contract carefully. 'Now come back and see me later. We need to develop this Dinky Dave character. Make him more stupid!'

He showed Keith to the door. Keith waved to the receptionist as he left the building.

'Bye, Mr Keith!' she said.

Keith left Exciting comics and walked to Dinky Dave's gym to tell Fierce Fred what had happened.

Chapter Nine

Gibbon Keith got to Dinky Dave's Gym. He remembered he still had the free pass that Fierce Fred had given him.

'Hmmm!' thought Keith. 'Should I lift some weights to make me look burly for my adoring fans of should I go for a swim?'

He looked around for Fierce Fred but it was strangely quiet.

'Weights or swim?' thought Keith. 'Or perhaps a tan?'

He imagined himself with a tan, wearing sunglasses, sipping a cocktail, around a pool in America with all the other famous comic strip writers. Keith had never been to America. He'd never had a cocktail either. He didn't know what one was even. The fantasy soon fell apart in his head.

'Swim!' he said out loud and headed for the pool.

With his stripy trunks on, he got to the pool and looked down at the clear, cool water. Suddenly, he looked up.

'Aha!' he thought. 'Dinky Dave has repaired his diving board!'

He couldn't resist it. He climbed the long ladder to the top and walked along the diving board.

Suddenly, there was a loud voice from below. It was Dinky Dave and he didn't look happy.

'Oi, gibbon!' he shouted. 'Get off that diving board!'

Keith waved down to him.

'I've seen the comic strip!' he said. 'You've made me look a complete idiot!'

Keith waved again.

'Good, in'it?' said Keith.

Just then, Fierce Fred came in.

'Get that gibbon off there!' said Dinky Dave to Fred.

'Keith!' shouted Fred. 'Get down!'

It was too late though. Keith had taken a run up and had jumped off the end of the board. He flew gracefully through the air, did a double twist, a triple somersault and landed safely in the pool.

As he popped his head above the water, Dinky Dave and Fierce Fred were waiting for him.

'How about that?' asked Keith. 'I hope you had your camera.’

Dinky Dave scowled at him.

'You're barred!' he shouted.

'But I've got a 12 month pass!' said Keith.

'You've made me a laughing stock with your Ape Man comic strip!' shouted Dinky waving to one of his assistants. 'Get me the big net!'

Keith had seen the big net before. Dinky Dave had used it when Keith refused to get out of the pool before. Keith climbed quickly out of the other end of the pool and blew a quick raspberry back at Dinky.

'Run! Run!' shouted Fierce Fred.

'What are you telling him that for?' asked Dinky Dave.

Fred just shrugged his shoulders, reached for his camera and took a quick photo of Keith running from the building with two men chasing him with a large net.

Keith ran all the way home, back to his nest.

Chapter Ten.

The next day, in the highest tree in the woods, Keith was swinging in his nest in a hammock made from a very large hanky he'd found.

'What to do today?' he thought. 'Shall I draw some more comic strips for Exciting Comics or shall I go and see if Dinky Dave has calmed down?'

Keith really fancied a swim. He couldn't remember a day since he was born that he hadn't had a swim. Suddenly, he thought of Dinky Dave's big net.

'Maybe I'll give it a few days!' he thought. 'Just till he calms down!'

There was a knock at the door.

'Just a minute!' said Keith as he got out of his large hammock-like hanky.

He opened the door, it was Fierce Fred.

'They're not out there with the net, are they?' asked Keith.

'Calm down! Calm down!' said Fred. 'Everything's sorted.'

Keith put the kettle on.

'Dinky Dave wants you back at the gym!' continued Fred. 'He says you can swim free every day!'

'Oh, no!' said Keith. 'I'm not coming back! He'll throw that big net over me!'

Fierce Fred produced a photo from his back pocket.

'He's not going to do anything while I've got this!' said Fred.

Keith looked at the photo. It was of him running away from the gym being chased by two men with a large net.

'How's this going to stop him?' asked Keith.

'I told him that if he doesn't let you back in the gym,I'd take this to the Echo!' said Fred.

The kettle boiled. Keith looked confused.

'Dinky doesn't want his photo in the paper scaring off Maybury on Sea's number one comic strip writer!' said Fred.

Keith smiled.

'Hmm! I see!' said Keith. 'Fancy a cup of coffee?'

Fred looked worried.

'Only joking said Keith. 'I've only got tea!'

Sometime later, after Gibbon Keith and Fierce Fred had drunk their tea, they made their way back to Dinky Dave's Gym.

As they walked through the entrance, Gibbon Keith was amazed to see a huge sign saying, 'Dinky Dave's Gym Welcomes Gibbon Keith!'.

'That's a turn up for the books!' said Keith.

Fred smiled.

'You've put this place on the map!' he said.

Just then, Dinky Dave stepped out of the shadows with a couple of photographers.

'Not the net!' said Keith. 'Not the net!'

Dinky laughed.

'What are you going on about, Keith, my old friend?' he said turning to the photographers. 'I don't know what he's talking about, boys!'

'What are all the photographers for?' asked Keith.

'They want to see your double twist, triple somersault dive from the high board!' said Dinky Dave, winking. 'There's a big banana in it for you!'

'Hmmm! Banana!' thought Keith.

He went into the changing rooms and got his stripy trunks on. When he got to the pool everyone was waiting for him. Quickly, he climbed to the top board and bowed to his adoring public. Everyone was there. Fierce Fred was shrugging his shoulders, Dan Starkey from the Echo was there with paper and pen, Hungry Halford was eating a pasty and reading someone else's postcard, Stan Marvel waved Keith's contract up at him and Dinky Dave stood proud showing off his latest attraction. Crowds of people from the village had turned up.

Keith took a run up and jumped gracefully off the end of the board. While in the air, he did a double twist, a triple somersault and a back flip before landing safely in the pool. He touched the bottom then swam to the top and poked his head out of the water.

Everyone cheered and shouted, ‘Gibbon Keith! Gibbon Keith!’

Fierce Fred shrugged his shoulders.

Keith got out of the pool. Stan Marvel's assistant handed him a robe with 'Ape Man' written on the back.

Keith sat in a sun lounger as he signed autographs and drank tea.

'This is the life!' he said to Fierce Fred as Stan Marvel’s assistant delivered a crate of bananas.

Fierce Fred smiled.

'And somehow,' he said. 'I think it's all just beginning!'

They drank tea and ate bananas till the sun went down. They even gave Hungry Halford one. Everyone was happy, even Dinky Dave.

'A perfect end to a perfect week!' said Keith.