Templeton squinted his eyes. He'd overstuffed himself so dramatically that his eyes were watering and his vision was blurry. It was Fern, the little girl who was Wilbur's friend at the farm.
"Is this your rat, missy?" Hank asked.
"No, sir!" said Fern. "I mean, well, sort of. He lives on my uncle's farm."
"Do you mind getting him out of here before he eats me out of business?" Templeton snickered and set to work eating Hank's last hot dog. When he'd swallowed the last bite, he licked his lips and let out a truly colossal belch. When he'd finished expelling the air from his bloated belly, he settled into a series of woozy hiccups.
"Of course, sir. Sorry, sir!" She grabbed a boy who Templeton didn't recognize, and begged him for help getting Templeton back to Wilbur's pen. Templeton couldn't ask for a better deal- the humans stuffed him to the brim with food, and now the humans were going to carry him back to Wilbur's pen so he could nap. This was shaping up to be the best day of his life. Hic. Hic. Hiiiilp.
"Oh- and take your prize, too," Hank snapped, and he threw a piece of paper at Templeton. It smacked him right in the face, and he peeled it off before looking at it. A coupon for "Humble Hank's Hot Dog Stand." A slow, lazy grin spread across his fat face. He'd found some words for Charlotte, too.
Fern's friend came back to the hot dog stand pushing a wheelbarrow. Templeton giggled. Laying on his stomach as he was, he didn't have much idea yet of how bloated he'd become. Apparently he was so massive now, they were going to have to wheel him back to the pen. Won't the pig and spider be surprised to see how much he'd accomplished in less than twenty four hours! Hic!
Together, Fern and her friend rolled Templeton into the wheelbarrow. He ended up on his back with his belly bulging upwards, and oh my, was it huge. He was as big as a beach ball, and stretched just as tight. Every ounce of food in his belly was fighting for space. He patted his taut stomach and belched again, so deeply and loudly that the wheelbarrow rattled.
"Do you have anything you can cover him up with?" Fern's friend hissed. "People are going to ask questions." Fern quickly took off her sweater and put it over top of the wheelbarrow, shielding Templeton from prying eyes. He hiccuped and the sweater bounced.
"Let's just get this over with," Fern sighed. They crossed the fairgrounds as quickly as they could, punctuated by noisy hiccups. Whenever the wheelbarrow hit an obstacle and jostled Templeton's engorged stomach, he'd let out a throaty belch. Templeton patted his massive stomach affectionately with one paw. The other was still clutching his prize coupon.
Before long, Templeton heard the familiar creaking of the gate to Wilbur's pen being opened. Fern snatched her sweater back, and her friend tipped the wheelbarrow forward, sending Templeton rolling across the pen. The contents of his belly swirled around inside of him, massaging his overextended insides. He crashed into the corner of the pen, luckily propped upright, with his massive stomach groaning and bulging out in front of him. The two kids quickly took the wheelbarrow, closed the gate, and disappeared. Templeton peered around the pen through squinty, watery eyes. Wilbur was napping in his crate. At least, he was, until Templeton's massive gorge shifted, and he startled everyone awake with a raucous belch.
"Hiiiic. I'm back," he slurred, licking his lips.
"Templeton!? Is that you!?" Wilbur gasped. It wasn't a surprise that Templeton was unrecognizable in his current state.
"Hic. D'you mish me? Hic. Hilp." He'd eaten so much that his jaw and throat were exhausted, and he could barely speak properly. Charlotte peered over the edge of the rafters, and audibly gasped when she saw the sorry state that Templeton had gorged himself into.
"This is why you couldn't bring me back a word to save Wilbur's life?"
"Hic. Relaaax, mishy. Hic. Brought a word. Hic! Hiiiilp!" Templeton released his grip, and dropped the Humble Hank's coupon into the dirt. With both paws free, he set about contentedly patting his taut belly anywhere he could reach. His whole body quivered and bounced with every hiccup.
"What on earth did you eat?" Wilbur asked. Templeton sighed with pleasure as he remembered the roasted pig he'd devoured. Now that he had Wilbur in front of him to compare, it was decided- the one he'd eaten was definitely bigger.
"You- pig- dun' wanna know," he slurred. Charlotte wrinkled her nose.
"Humble- that should work. Thank you, Templeton." Templeton let out another nasty belch in reply. Wilbur wrinkled his nose.
"Not that it matters to you, but Charlotte made an egg sac last night." Templeton paused, considering this new information, then patted his stomach and let out an even nastier belch in reply. Charlotte looked at Wilbur and shrugged, as if to say, what did you expect?
"So Templeton," she said diplomatically. "What are your plans for this afternoon?"
"Nap," said Templeton, with a wide yawn. "Then- hic- gonna eat more. Hic. Hiiiiilp." Wilbur's eyes widened.
"You can't be serious. You're going to eat yourself to death." Templeton giggled at that, and gave his fat stomach some rough pats. Already, he could feel the soft gurgles and groans of digestion taking hold on his hot dog feast. He'd rest and digest, then awaken even fatter and be ready to gorge some more. The fair was three days long, after all. There had to be mountains of food he hadn't explored.
Templeton leaned back against the wall of the pen and passed into a deep, satisfied sleep.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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