Professor Bumble's Bottomless Banana Bread
Professor Bumble's Bottomless Banana Bread — an illustrated stories story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Books.
Page 1
"Faster, Pip!" Professor Bumble puffed, his spectacles bouncing on his nose. Pip, a small, brown badger with a backpack almost as big as himself, scampered ahead. "Almost there, Professor! I can smell the bananas already!" They were on their way to the Great Banana Bread Bake-Off, and Professor Bumble was determined to win, or at least taste every entry.
Page 2
The Bake-Off buzzed with activity. Trestle tables groaned under the weight of banana bread in every conceivable form. "Look, Professor!" Pip squeaked, pointing a tiny paw at a peculiar-looking loaf. It shimmered slightly, and a small sign read: 'Grandma Grumbles' Bottomless Banana Bread'. Professor Bumble adjusted his spectacles, intrigued. "Bottomless, you say?"
Page 3
Grandma Grumbles, a wizened old woman with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, chuckled. "Indeed, dearie. It never runs out!" She winked. "But be warned, 'With great power comes great responsibility,' as that wise Spider-Man fellow once said... or maybe it was someone else. Either way, there's a catch!" Professor Bumble stroked his beard thoughtfully. "We must try it, Pip! For science!"
Page 4
Professor Bumble took a slice. It was delicious! So delicious, in fact, that he took another. And another. Soon, he'd eaten half the loaf! "Oh my!" cried Pip, watching in horror. "Professor, you're turning...yellow!" Indeed, Professor Bumble's face was taking on a distinctly banana-like hue.
Page 5
The yellowing spread down his neck. He was becoming a walking, talking banana! "This isn't good!" he exclaimed, his voice now strangely high-pitched. Pip remembered something he'd read in Professor Bumble's notebook: "The antidote to excessive banana-ification is... concentrated lemon juice!" But where would they find that?
Page 6
"The Lemonade Lady!" Pip shouted, remembering a stall on the far side of the square. He darted through the crowd, dodging ankles and picnic baskets. But the Lemonade Lady was all out of lemons! "Oh dear, oh dear!" she wailed. "I used them all for my special extra-sour lemonade!"
Page 7
Desperate, Pip grabbed a pitcher of the extra-sour lemonade. "It's better than nothing!" he reasoned. He raced back to Professor Bumble, who was now wobbling precariously. "Drink this, Professor! Quickly!" he urged, holding up the pitcher.
Page 8
Professor Bumble gulped down the lemonade. His face puckered. It was incredibly sour! But slowly, the yellow faded. He was himself again! "Pip, you clever badger!" he cried, hugging his friend. "That was close! I almost became a sentient banana!"
Page 9
"The Bottomless Banana Bread... it's gone!" Grandma Grumbles said as they looked. The table was gone! "It must have been an illusion to demonstrate... moderation." she said. Professor Bumble scratched his head. "Well, Pip, it seems sometimes less is more. And maybe, just maybe, I need to lay off the banana bread a bit. After all I might be 'the wisest one on Earth, that means that I have everything to learn,' like Socrates said."
Page 10
As they walked home, Pip munched on a regular banana. "Maybe next year, Professor," he said, "we can enter our own banana bread recipe!" Professor Bumble smiled. "Indeed, Pip. And this time, we'll make sure it doesn't turn anyone yellow!"
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)