Chapter 1
Meet the Carrot-Tops

    A long, long time ago, in the năm 1850, there was a man bởi the name of Sam Carrot-Top. He was a well educated man, slender in build and always wore a dusty old mũ lưỡi trai, cap that covered his trái cam, màu da cam hair and broken glasses. He was an honest and wealthy man, but bạn would never guess that he and his family were well off; he never showed his wealth hoặc bragged about it. He used his money to help the poor and needy.
    His wife, Jane, was oh so beautiful, with lush red hair, a petite figure, and smooth, creamy pale skin. She loved all the children in the neighborhood, always fixing a broken tim, trái tim hoặc a scraped knee. She was the perfect housewife, the kind any man could want.
    They lived in a small town in Georgia called Valdosta. Sam and Jane were the talk of the town; they grew the largest vegetables and fruits the eyes have ever seen. Their watermelons were the size of houses and carrots as long as 20 feet!
    All the neighbors began to whisper, and became jealous of the success of the Carrot-Tops; farmers came from near and far to see the great Carrot-Top plantation. Because of the popularity of their fruits and vegetables, they became a household name. Merchants came from all over the world to buy their fruits and vegetables.
    Some of the other farmers became extremely jealous of the success of the Carrot-Tops. They tried to sabotage their land, either bởi overflowing it with garbage hoặc water, but it never worked. The fruits and vegetables kept on growing and growing. Some were so tall that their leaves touched the clouds. Nevertheless, Sam and Jane ignored their rivals and continued to be good neighbors.
    Their pride and joy was their son and only child, Peter Carrot-Top, a 10-year-old boy who was as skinny as a Beanpole with bright trái cam, màu da cam hair and deep freckles on his face. He wore the same old clothing over and over again, brown kaki, khaki pants and a rainbow-colored áo sơ mi with two different colored áo sơ mi sleeves.
    Peter was teased bởi all the kids. Not only was his hair funny, but his name, Peter Carrot-Top, was as well. The kids teased him all day. Every ngày it was the same thing, kids singing, "Peter Carrot-Top, Peter Carrot-Top," in an annoying and devilish tone.
    Peter was sick of it. Unfortunately, every time he got upset, his head would swell up like a big trái cam, màu da cam balloon and his trái cam, màu da cam hair would gently stand up at attention. This made the kids laugh even harder.
    Peter was all alone in the world; he didn't understand hoặc fit in. There was nothing the principal hoặc the teachers could do. He was just a special boy. His mother and father were hurt the most; Peter got the trái cam, màu da cam hair from his father, and the freckles from his mother.
    His parents went to the school regularly to seek help for him. Just a poor farmer, Peter's father did not know what to do. He would pace the school hall as he talked to the Dean of the school asking for help for his son, but Mr. Snicker, the Dean, just walked around with his fat gut stuck out, and only made the Carrot-Tops feel worse bởi telling them their child needed to be placed in a special school.
    Peter's father slammed down his hat in frustration as the Dean sat back in his leather chair, and smoked his cigar with a smirk on his face.
Mr. Snicker shouted at Peter's father, "Boy, calm down before I have bạn thrown out on your ears!"
    Peter's father grabbed up his hat; took his wife bởi the hand and stormed into Peter's English class. "Peter, get your things. We're taking bạn out of this school!"
bởi the look on his father's face, Peter knew that his dad was very upset. All Peter's mother could do was cry and sob as they walked out the doors. The kids began to laugh, and once again, Peter felt distant and alone.
    Peter and his family jumped into their wagon, and off they went. He could see the concentration on his father's face, and the sadness in his mother's eyes. Peter began to tell his parents how very sorry he was, but a gentle touch on the hands from his mother let him know it was all right. Peter lay back in the ghế, chỗ ngồi of the wagon and didn't say another word.
    Suddenly the wagon began to lift until it started to fly. Peter jumped out of his ghế, chỗ ngồi and gazed in awe; he was speechless. He looked down and saw that they were above the world.
    He could see the cows and trees, and he even spotted his house. Peter was tickled to death; he began to laugh hysterically until his parents started laughing with him.
Peter said, "Father, what is going on?"
    Peter's dad didn't say anything, then his mother jumped in and told Peter that they were from a different kind of generation.
"What kind is that?" Peter asked, dumbfounded.
Then a stronger, sterner voice jumped in; it was Peter's father. He went on to tell Peter the story of the Carrot-Tops.
    Peter listened intently, and hung onto his father's every word. Peter's eyes began to di chuyển back and forth as every word spilled from his father's lips. He waited patiently to hear the story of the Carrot-Tops.
    Peter's father went on to tell him that they are not alive, at least not on earth, and that they were from a world the living call “Death”.
Peter stuttered and said, "Do bạn mean we're dead?"
    "Yes, we're dead," Peter's father replied. He went on to tell Peter that they had been dead for years. He đã đưa ý kiến they didn’t belong to this world. He told Peter the world they belonged to was called Baja, a place of mysticism and power, a place so beautiful, and yet so evil.
    "Welllll, why aren't we there?" Peter asked his father, but his father could not do hoặc say anything. He just hung his head down low and began to wipe the tears from his eyes.
Suddenly Peter's father parked the wagon on a hilltop way above the trees, where no one could see them; then he began to tell Peter why they were here on Earth.
    "Well, son, many years cách đây I was one of the chosen ones to protect Baja and make sure that the city was preserved for all our generation, but I failed at my job."
Peter's father told him of how he was in charge of leading an army of men to get the eighth key. This key opens the door to the eighth elder of the world. The elders were in hibernation. When they awoke, they protected not only Baja, but also Earth.
    He told Peter that he failed when he Mất tích the key. Because he Mất tích the key, the eighth elder was never awakened. The other seven went back into hibernation because they can only function with each other; all eight have to be awake at the same time.
    "Well, why did bạn lose the key?" Peter asked.
His father told him that the key was so powerful there was a rule to never touch it with your bare hands. He did anyway, and the key gave him so much power that he could not handle it. His hands began to burn and his skin began to rot and fall to the floor.
    When he woke up, the key was gone and Baja was at risk. The remaining elders were very angry, and before they fell back into hibernation, they exiled Peter's father and mother from Baja. Peter's mother jumped in and began to tell Peter that she loved his dad so much that she was willing to take banishment with him, and one ngày their names would be cleared.
    She also let Peter know that his father was being very modest and taking the entire blame. She đã đưa ý kiến what really happened was that Peter's dad, Sam, was forced to touch the key bởi his brother, Marcus. Instead of Sam turning his brother in to the elders, he took the blame for something that was not his fault alone.
    Jane told her son that Sam's brother was evil and mean; but Sam didn't like to admit the fact that his brother set him up. Suddenly the wagon was quiet. No one made a sound.
    Peter's dad began to look back at Peter in shame, but Peter jumped up and gave him a big hug.
    Sam was relieved. In a trembling voice, he looked into Peter's eyes and asked, "So bạn aren't ashamed of us?"
    "No!" Peter replied.
    Peter then asked his father about the wagon flying.
"Oooohh! Yes, son, I will tell bạn about the flying wagon."
They all began to laugh. Sam told Peter that in Baja everyone has some special ability, from making objects fly to growing large fruits, vegetables and plants.
    Peter suddenly looked at his mother and figured out that she was the one growing all the fruits and vegetables on their plantation.
She smiled with her quả anh đào, anh đào lips and said, "I was gifted with the green thumb."
    Peter laughed and told his parents he was finally free. His parents looked bewildered and asked him what he meant. He told them that he knew now why he was different from the other children at school. Peter also told his parents he had something to hiển thị them.
    "Up here?" Jane asked.
"Yes, come out of the wagon," Peter replied.
Peter's mom and dad looked at each other in amazement and shock as they jumped out of the wagon. Peter held his hand to the ground and began to shake. Suddenly a big hole appeared in the ground. The hole was so big that it swallowed up the trees. Peter looked at his parents with pride. They looked back at him in amazement.
    "Why didn't bạn tell us, Peter?" his parents asked.
"Well, I did not want bạn to be ashamed of me. The kids at school were already calling me 'weird' and 'strange’. I didn't want to disappoint you.”
    "Never," đã đưa ý kiến his father.
Jane asked Peter how long had he been keeping this secret from them, and Peter told them, for many years. He did it only because he was afraid of his own powers. That was a great power for a little boy to handle. Peter's parents knew that there must be something extra special about their son.
    Their brains began to think of what all of this could mean; the wheels in their heads were turning so fast bạn could see smoke coming out of their ears. But nevertheless, Peter was happy that his conscious was clear, his face began to get some color and his eyes began to twinkle.
    The family decided it was time to go home, and as soon as the rooster crowed in the morning, it would be time to see the Oracle. Off the hilltop they went, swaying through trees and mountains. Everyone had had a rough day, but now it seemed to be a ngày of joy and happiness.
    Peter hung his head out of the wagon and began to feel the breeze on his face.
"Be careful,” đã đưa ý kiến Peter's mother.
    "I will," he replied.
    All that afternoon, they went flying over rivers, lakes and streams. They even passed a drunk sleeping under a tree. The man jumped up and began to scream, "The sky is falling!" He ran through the village telling the people, but no one believed him since he was the town drunk.
    Peter and his family continued to ride the high hills and mountains until it got dark so they could return trang chủ without being seen. He was so excited that he had finally figured out why he was so different than the other children.
    As for his parents, they were relieved that they were not hated bởi their son, but they were also worried about his tremendous gift. It was a gift that no child should have, but they did not ruin the moment bởi being sad. They remained happy and upbeat all the way home.
    As nightfall grew, Peter and his parents arrived home. Nothing was the same anymore; their house began to look old and rotten. They could see the tiniest imperfections, and they knew in their hearts that it was time to leave.
    Peter was so excited he could not sleep, but his parents forced him into giường with the hopes of seeing a land the living only dreamed about. Peter asked câu hỏi after câu hỏi as he drifted off to sleep. His parents only smiled as they rubbed his trái cam, màu da cam hair and tucked him tightly into bed.
But as midnight approached, his parents found themselves pacing the floor. They discussed how long they had been away from Baja and how they would be accepted after 10 years. It was very stressful for them; their faces became blank and sad. Finally, they went to giường anticipating a meeting with the Oracle, the only one who could get them back into Baja.
Chapter 2

Meeting the Oracle

    As the rooster sounded his alarm, Peter was the first one up and making breakfast for the entire family. He was so excited to meet with the Oracle, but his parents weren't. They never let Peter see the fear on their faces, and went about their morning as usual.
    Sam was out in the plantation talking to the workers, letting them know that they might be gone for a long time. He told them he would sign his will over to one of his trusted workers and his family. He and the worker he picked began to thảo luận back and forth about taking over his land. The worker told him that he was a poor Negro, and no colored man had ever owned anything this successful without being hung. Still, Sam insisted.
    He gave his worker, Mr. Jones, a bag of magical seeds and told him to spread them along the property line and he would be protected. Sam let Mr. Jones know that he chose him because he was one of the workers who was always truthful, fair and honest with everyone. Though Mr. Jones was afraid, he took the bag of seeds and hid them in his pocket.
    Sam patted Mr. Jones on the shoulder and let him know that everything would be all right, and that he would be watching. As Sam finished his business affairs, he went into the house where his wife and Peter were waiting on him to eat breakfast.
    No one đã đưa ý kiến a word. Reality was finally setting in on what they were about to do. Everyone took deep breaths and began to eat very slowly. Finally, Peter started a conversation and asked his parents what to say to the Oracle.
    Sam replied, "Don't say anything until you're asked."
As breakfast finished, Sam began moving things around the house telepathically. Socks were flying through the air, and even Jane's underwear got caught on the lamp shade! She was so embarrassed; she jumped up and snatched them off the shade with a smirky grin at her husband.
    Once Sam got everything packed, they walked around the house touching and feeling everything they would miss, but Peter didn’t. He was so excited that he could hardly wait to leave. He began to pull his parents bởi the hand urging them to leave, but they were filled with so much emotion, they had to take a seat.
    As they were saying their goodbyes, Peter was already in the wagon ready to go. After a long time of waiting, he yelled from the wagon, "Come on!"
Then the door slowly opened and his parents walked out. Peter could tell Jane had been crying. Her eyes were puffy and swollen; her nose was red and her face was disheveled.
    They jumped into the wagon and đã đưa ý kiến goodbye to their workers. Sam pulled Mr. Jones aside and told him to never let anyone know that he had gone, and if anyone asked, to tell them that he had some business in Paris he was taking care of. Mr. Jones nodded, and they were on their way.
    They made sure not to look back at the trang chủ and Những người bạn they were leaving behind to go to an uncertain place where they might no longer be welcome. The carriage ride was long and hot. Everyone was sweating.
"Are we there yet?" Peter asked.
"Soon, son," his father replied.
    As the Carrot-Tops left their plantation, they were hailed and greeted bởi all the people of the town. Sam was sad to leave his home, but what he was doing was for his family, not for himself. Suddenly the carriage turned off a dark road.
It was so pitch black Peter became afraid and yelled out for his father, "Father!"
"It's okay," Sam replied, letting his son know that he was right there with him.
    Then there was light again, a big burst of brightness. It was so bright they could hardly keep their eyes open. Then it went dim, and Sam told Peter and Jane to get out of the wagon, and to follow him closely, out of the bright light.
    There was a beautiful forest like nothing Peter had ever seen before -- the plants were moving and talking. Peter was startled for a một phút but then regained his composure.
"Good day!" yelled the plants.
    Peter stopped to inquire about the plants, but his mother pulled his hands away telling Peter that they had important work to do. Even the động vật in the forest were glad to see visitors.
Then a rabbit the size of a wagon came up to Sam and shouted, "Well, well, well! The traitor is back!" with a smirk on his face.
"You're gonna get it now!" a con sóc, sóc replied.
    Sam did not let it bother him. He kept walking to his destination, but Peter was amazed at the beauty and wonder of the forest.
"Pay them no mind, Peter. They all were once our friends," Jane said, but Peter was not listening. He was too in tune with the hát waterfall.
    He watched as the waterfall turned into different shapes, from a woman, to a dog, to a big roaring lion. This was all exciting to him.
"Where are we?" Peter asked his father.
"This is the portal to Baja" Sam replied.
"We're moving on,” đã đưa ý kiến Jane.
Peter replied, "I am so excited to see home, somewhere that I fit in."
    As they walked the long forest pathway, there was a cottage made of golden bricks and rubies, and birds flapped their wings vigorously when they saw Peter and his family coming. The tension in Sam's eyes showed fear as he came to the gate of the cottage. He hesitated to knock.
    His hands began to sweat and shake out of control, so Peter walked in front of him and knocked on the door. Suddenly, the door opened, but there was no one to greet them! They walked in quietly and stood in the middle of the hallway.
    "Oracle, it is I, Sam. I have brought my son to bạn with a gift so powerful; it must be a sign from the elders."
Suddenly a burst of ngọn lửa, chữa cháy came from the chimney, and swirled across the room knocking down Peter and his father. "Why have bạn come back? bạn have brought nothing but shame on our kind."
    As Sam began to answer, a woman appeared in the form of a snake with eight arms. Her fingers were covered with vàng and diamond rings that glistened in the light. She had a crown on her head that was 9 feet tall, and in that crown were souls crying to be free. They were in a wax-like bubble.
    The crown was made of vàng and silver with hieroglyphic writings on the hàng đầu, đầu trang and sides. The oracle was a 12-foot snake, dressed in the finest of linens. Her upper body was human, and the lower body a snake with a huge tail and a long rattler. Her fingernails were long and made of ivory like an elephant's tusk, but the most irritating thing was that she made this hissing noise that pierced their eardrums.
    But, oh, what a beautiful creature! Her skin was like white flour. Her lips were like rose petals, and she had the most adorable face they had ever seen.
    Sam quickly bowed down to the Oracle, asking her to hear him out. Jane did not bow down. She refused; telling the Oracle that she knew Sam was set up and did nothing to stop it, and now wanted to treat them like peasants.
    The Oracle quickly threw a small fireball at Jane. She quickly ducked her head and the fireball missed her face bởi an inch! Peter quickly defended his mother and created a massive hole in the center of the house where the Oracle was standing.
    Suddenly the Oracle fell down the hole, letting out a hideous scream as she fell.
"Peter, what have bạn done? That was the Oracle!" đã đưa ý kiến Peter's father.
"Served her right!" shouted Jane.
Suddenly a hand came out of the darkness and the Oracle crawled back to the hàng đầu, đầu trang of the hole.
    "What a powerful boy! I must speak with him," đã đưa ý kiến the Oracle.
"No! Only if bạn get us back into Baja," Jane replied.
The Oracle hesitated and said, "Very well, but bạn are on your own once in Baja. bạn and your husband are hated bởi many. They blame both of bạn for the fall and destruction of Baja."
    Then the Oracle went to Peter and told him to rise up and say nothing. Suddenly he levitated off the ground and floated toward the Oracle. As she placed Peter in her oversized hands, she closed her eyes and saw into the future. In her vision, Peter had a crown on his head. His father and mother were old and gray, but they also had crowns on their heads. The Oracle saw a great battle were Peter defeated the evils that plagued Baja.
    Suddenly, she opened her eyes and told the Carrot-Tops that they must head straight to Baja right away.
"What is it?" Sam asked.
The Oracle told Sam that his child, Peter, was the savior of Baja. Sam and Jane were in disbelief and began to laugh and cry with joy.
    "Our son has saved us!" They cried, and threw Peter in the air and twirled him around in circles.
"Go now," đã đưa ý kiến the Oracle. “I will make a way for bạn to travel. Tell no one of this secret hoặc his life will be in danger.” The Oracle repeated it to Sam and Jane over and over, until they got it in their heads. "Trust no one until they have earned your trust!" shouted the Oracle and off they went.
    As they were leaving, the Oracle pointed the Carrot-Tops toward the kitchen, where hot thực phẩm was waiting for them to carry on their long journey. The Oracle let them know that they must walk on foot and only use the resources of the forest. "Hurry along, Baja awaits you," the Oracle replied over and over again until her voice slowly disappeared.
    Peter was very excited to go on an adventure. His feet began to lung lay, swing back and forth, and his eyes lit up with excitement. Peter asked his father why was he so special.
    Sam explained that after the eighth key was Mất tích and the elders could no longer stay awake, no child born would be blessed with a gift, and in Baja everyone had gifts. After the evil curse, no child born in Baja was blessed with a gift hoặc talent, and therefore Baja was at the mercy of the evil dwellers.
“But then bạn came along, Peter.” Sam looked loving in his son's eyes, “and all our fears and defeat seem to have dissolved away.”
    Sam went on to say that years had passed without a child developing powers in Baja, and therefore there was no one to fight the evil spirits that came upon the land. He explained that Baja needed a new generation of fighters.
"So, yes, son; bạn are special,” Peter's father said, as the Carrot-Tops walked through the forest.
    It was a magnificent experience. The birds began to fly overhead with their 10-foot wingspans and they sang, "The prince is coming, the prince is coming."
Peter was in awe of the birds’ beauty. Their wings were so long that he could see no end. Their tails curled up like the locks in a Southern belle’s hair. Their feathers were like a rainbow, every section of the birds were a different color. They flew in lines of five, giving shade to the Carrot-Tops.
    On the ground, the hoa protruded out of the Earth at least 20 feet tall. They dropped down big petals covering the Carrot-Tops. Peter and his family just laughed and indulged in all the attention. Sam looked at his wife and told her how good it felt to be adored again, and how great it felt to be going back home.
    The hoa danced in a synchronized routine. One bởi one they waltzed and turned. Their petals were so huge, they looked like ballroom gowns. The hoa were so tall that from way, way up above, they looked like humans dancing.
"What a wonderful sight to see!" Jane said.
    The forest động vật now were so much thêm welcoming of the Carrot-Tops than the first encounter, and they took great care of the Carrot-Tops. Suddenly a rùa, con rùa came bởi and asked the Carrot-Tops if they wanted a ride. Peter jumped up and đã đưa ý kiến yes, and they climbed in.
    The rùa, con rùa shell was so big it was the size of a wagon. The inside had carved-out windows; the seats were made of the finest vàng threads, and the floor was padded with the softest cushions. It was like heaven. On the tường of the shell was a picture of a young prince with bright trái cam, màu da cam hair. Peter and his parents stared at it.
    Rabbits came offering the family honey trà and crumpets. Oh! The rabbits were so excited that they could barely keep still to take the Carrot-Tops’ orders! Each one kept asking, "Could this really be the boy king?"
    They zipped back and forth, running with the highest speed, bringing the family everything that they could possibly cook. First were the trà and crumpets, then sweet honey rolls. tiếp theo came roasted pig. Then they brought pork chops, steak, shrimp, cá and so forth until Sam told them lovingly to stop.
    The poor rabbits were so out of breath that they collapsed on the floor. The Carrot-Tops laughed hysterically, until sữa came out of their noses. Then the rabbits joined in on the fun.
"Oh, yes! This is our royal family," one rabbit đã đưa ý kiến to another.
    Peter looked out of the window and saw little elves waving and getting their first sneak peek at the boy prince.
"I see the word has spread," Jane đã đưa ý kiến to Sam.
"Yes, indeed, my dear. The word has spread," Sam said.
    One of the elves came to the window and took out a mirror device that glistened in the sun and captured a picture of the family, and then he ran off. The device mystified Peter. The handle was made of pure gold. It lit up with secret codes and had nghề viết văn Peter had never seen before.
    Peter could see himself in the image, but it was of something hoặc someone he did not know. The image showed a young boy with a crown on his head, clothed in the finest attire. Then it was gone.
"Oh, don't worry, Peter. bạn will get to see them again," his mother said.
    Peter was so mystified bởi the elves that he kept looking for them out of the window, but they were gone. Sam told his son that the forest of Baja was so mystical there wasn't enough time in death to discover it all.
    "Why are we dead?" Peter asked his parents.
His parents đã đưa ý kiến that everyone dies, and moves on to other worlds, according to their deeds on Earth. They đã đưa ý kiến no one knows how many levels there are to death, but to be on a good aura, bạn must do good things before bạn di chuyển on. Sam went on to tell Peter that sometimes worlds collide causing a clash of auras; sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad.
    "Is that what happened to you, Father?"
"Yes," replied Sam, "I got caught up in the power of self and all the finer things that came with it. Because of this, I was sent back to the living, never to see Baja again."
Sam began to get teary-eyed, and Jane held his hand tightly and rubbed his shoulders, letting him know it was okay and they were on their way back home.
    "Whatever bạn do, Peter, be a good person," đã đưa ý kiến his mother.
"I will," Peter replied.
    Suddenly the rùa, con rùa made an announcement that he would be stopping for a rest, and Peter and his family could have a stretch. When the ride came to a complete stop, Peter jumped off, and his parents quickly followed.
    There was a river made of dark Sô cô la tiếp theo to them. Peter began to drink and drink until he saw a cây that produced dâu, dâu tây cupcakes. He ran and plucked a few off, until the cây began to talk and it startled Peter.
"Wellllllll hello," đã đưa ý kiến the cây in a deep voice.
Peter was too afraid to talk. He clutched his bánh nướng nhỏ and crawled back.
"Ha, ha, ha!" đã đưa ý kiến the tree.
"Who are you?" Peter asked.
The cây told Peter he was just a tree, and it was his pleasure to serve him. Suddenly the branches on the cây turned into a face, one that was happy and jolly.
"I am so happy to be the first to serve the prince," the cây đã đưa ý kiến in his husky voice.
    Peter was amazed of all the wonders of the land great and small, from the tiny ants that lined the dirt path wearing their golden shoes on each leg, to the gigantic pelicans in the sky that flew people from destination to destination. It was such a wonderful sight to see a land of sữa and honey that dripped from the leaves of the trees. Peter started to appreciate the world he was in. He really felt like he belonged, there were no regrets in him going there.
"Mother, Father! Come quick!" he called out.
Hs parents came running. Peter showed them the talking cây and the ants with golden shoes.
    They cracked wide grins. "Yes, son, we know all about them. They are your family. Baja is your family," they both đã đưa ý kiến together.
The cây just let out a big laugh, "Ha! Ha! Ha! Welcome to Baja, my Prince!"
    Suddenly a horn sounded and the rùa, con rùa let the Carrot-Tops know that he was almost ready to get back on the road again. Peter and his parents watched as the rùa, con rùa got his shell washed bởi two octopuses, and then polished and shined bởi a herd of small con nhện, nhện monkeys.
"Oh, that feels good!" laughed the turtle, as the monkeys polished under his belly.
    Rats and rabbits brought fresh food. One bởi one, the động vật catered to the Carrot-Tops. Clean clothing and sheets for the long trip were hauled back and forth. There were five old lady rabbits taking the measurements of Peter and his family. They measured the Carrot-Tops from head to toe, back and forth. They went on, not saying a word; they were busy in their duties.