13. Ickli Ick

When the umbrella reaches the top of the mountain, the friends can hardly believe their eyes. At the end of the huge pipe is a gigantic tap. A torrent of water is pouring out of the tap into a huge machine which is making giant ice cubes and firing them into the sky. They are so astonished that, at first, they don't notice the strange creature who is talking to them.

"Greetings Earth folk. We seem to have got ourselves into a bit of a pickle here. Are you any good at fixing machines?"

Midge realises that a creature is standing by the machine. It looks so much like a snowman that it is hard to see it against the snowy ground. "Before we offer to lend you a hand," he says, "perhaps you would be good enough to explain what you are doing."

"Certainly, my friend. My name is Ickli Ick and I come from the planet Gogofog."

Midge, Curly and Boysie try to hide their surprise.
Ickli Ick continues: "My job is training young pilots. As space is rather empty, I have to find objects to make an obstacle course."

"Ah ha!" says Boysie. "You're making giant ice cubes for your spacecraft to fly around."

"That's right, but our ice-making machine has got stuck. I can't turn it off."

Curly looks at Midge. "Can you turn it off?" she asks him.

"I think so," he replies. "Let's try a spot of magic."

Midge closes his eyes, waves his arms about and, a second or two later, the machine stops firing ice cubes into the sky.

"Hooray!" everyone cries.

"Thank you very much," says Ickli Ick. "Now we can pack away our equipment and go home."

"Wait a moment," Midge tells Ickli Ick. "What about all the water that you've sent into space. Aren't you going to bring it back?"

Ickli Ick scratches her head. "Of course. Leave it to me."