Episode 485 (Story 17: The Wendigo)

Plot
A rich crab named Pronto decides to go hunting in the northern part of Bubbletucky. Not many people hunted there. He find a crab named Frank to go with him. Read to find out what happens...

Cast

 * Pronto as (The rich man)
 * Frank as (DeFago)

Information

 * Genres: Children's, Horror
 * Rating: Children. There is a possible scary scene.
 * Type of story: Horror

Plot
Narrator: A wealthy crab named Pronto wanted to go hunting in a part of northern Bubbletucky where few people had ever hunted. He traveled to a trading post and tried to find a guide to take him. But no one would do it. It was too dangerous, they said. Finally, he found an crab who needed money badly, and he agreed to take him. The crab's name was Frank. They made camp in the snow near a large frozen lake. For three days they hunted, but they had nothing to show for it. The third night a windstorm came up. They lay in their tent listening to the wind howling and the trees whipping back and forth. To see the storm better, Pronto opened the tent flap. What he saw startled him. There wasn’t a breath of air. stirring, and the trees were standing perfectly still. Yet he could hear the wind howling. And the more he listened, the more it sounded as if it were calling Frank’s name.

Wind: Frannnnnnnk! Frannnnnnnnnk!

Pronto: I must be losing my mind.

Narrator: But Frank had gotten out of his sleeping bag. He was huddled in a corner of the tent, his head buried in his arms.

Pronto: What’s this all about?

Frank: It's nothing.

Narrator: But the wind continued to call to him. And Frank became more tense and more restless.

Wind: Frannnnnnnnnnk! Frannnnnnnnnnnnnk!

Narrator: Suddenly, he jumped to his feet, and he began to run from the tent. But Pronto grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground.

Pronto: You can't leave me out here!

Narrator: Then the wind called again, and Frank broke loose and ran into the darkness. Pronto could hear him screaming as he went. Again and again he cried,

Frank: Oh, my fiery feet, my burning feet of fire!

Narrator: Then his voice faded away, and the wind died down. At daybreak, Pronto followed Frank’s tracks in the snow. They went through the woods, down toward the lake, then out onto the ice. But soon he noticed something strange. The steps Frank had taken got longer and longer. They were so long no human being could have taken them. It was as if something had helped him to hurry away. He followed the tracks out to the middle of the lake, but there they disappeared. At first, he thought that Frank had fallen through the ice, but there wasn’t any hole. Then he thought that something had pulled him off the ice into the sky. But that made no sense. As he stood wondering what had happened, the wind picked up again. Soon it was howling as it had the night before. Then he heard Frank’s voice. It was coming from up above, and again he heard Frank screaming,

Frank: My fiery feet, my burning feet!

Narrator: But there was nothing to be seen. Now Pronto wanted to leave that place as fast as he could. He went back to camp and packed. Then he left some food for Frank, and he started out. Weeks later he reached civilization. The following year he went back to hunt in that area again. He went to the same trading post to look for a guide. The people there could not explain what had happened to Frank that night. But they had not seen him since then.

Snail: Maybe it was the Wendigo. It’s supposed to come with the wind. It drags you along at great speed until your feet are burned away, and more of you than that. Then it carries you into the sky, and it drops you. It’s just a crazy story, but that’s what some of the crabs say.

Narrator: A few days later Pronto was at the trading post again. An crab came in and sat by the fire. He had a blanket wrapped around him, and he wore his hat so that you couldn’t see his face. Pronto thought there was something familiar about him. He walked over to the crab.

Pronto: Are you Frank?

Narrator: The crab didn't answer.

Pronto: Do you know anything about him?

Narrator: No answer. He began to wonder if something was wrong, if the crab needed help. But he couldn’t see his face.

Prono: Are you all right?

Narrator: No answer. To get a look at him, he lifted the crab's hat. Then he screamed. There was nothing under the hat but a pile of ashes.

Recap
A rich carb named Pronto decides to go hunting in the northern part of Bubbletucky. Not a lot of people have hunted there. He goes to a trading post. The people there don't want to be his guide because they claim it's dangerous. He finally find a crab named Frank who goes with him. They set up a camp by a frozen lake and haunt for 3 days. On the 3rd night, a windstorm starts. They hear the wind howling and the trees whipping back and forth. Pronto looks out to see that's actually very still out except for the howling wind. The wind seems to be caling Frank's name. It makes Frank feel tense and restless. Frank finally runs out into the snow crying about his feet burning. It eventually disappears and the windstorm ends. The next morning, he goes searching for Frank. He follows the footprints that appear to get longer and longer. He arrives at the lake where they stop. He believes that something picked him up and carried him away. Suddenly, the wind began to blow heavily as it did the night earlier. High in the sky, he heard Frank screaming about his burning feet again. He couldn't see Frank. Pronto wants to leave now. He goes to his camp, packs up, and leaves some food for Frank. After weeks, he finds his way back to civilzation. A year later, he goes back hunting. At the trading post, he looks for a guide. Nobody knows what happened to Frank. A snail tells him that it could be the Wendigo who comes with the wind, drags you with great speed until your feet are burned away, carries you away, and drops you. A few days later, a crab with a blanket and a hat sits by the fire. Pronto finds him familiar. He asks the crab if he's Frank, if he knows anything about Frank, and if he's all right. The crab doesn't answer to any questions. Pronto lifts the hat to get a better look at him and screams. Instead of a face there is a pile of ashes.