Larry Marder’s
Tales of the Beanworld


Issue 3
Big Fish Story

a.k.a A mythological explanation of Mr. Spook's fork.

Cover of issue 3 Publication date: 1985


Synopsis

Big Fish Story takes place during the prehistory of the Beanworld. Back in those days, getting chow was difficult. Mr. Spook had to catch Sprout-Butts by hand. They became crabbier and more sour the more they bounced, and protested being taken to the Hoi-Polloi. The chow that the Chow Sol'jer Army stole from the Hoi-Polloi was foul tasting and smelling. As the beans said "Chow tastes rotten but - it keeps us alive.".

Then one day everything changed. Mr. Spook came running to Professor Garbanzo with a strange new instrument. It was bright and shiny. Mr. Spook explained how he got it:

He was walking down by the proverbial sandy beach when he heard a stranger calling for help. It was the Big Fish who had a fork stuck in its tongue. Mr. Spook removed the fork and the Big Fish explained how he got mixed up with it. He had been chasing some worms, and caught them just as passed through a circle of clouds. Suddenly he hurt! Dazed and confused, he wandered until he was rescued by Mr. Spook. Mr. Spook didn't want the fork, but the Big Fish said he didn't have any choice. Then the Big Fish flew off into the sky.
When he finshed the tale, the beans were rolling on the ground laughing. Proffy was intrigued by the fork. Suddenly a Sprout-Butt popped and landed with a SPLAT on the fork. It laughed and expressed its happiness! This Sprout-Butt wanted to go the Hoi-Polloi! And when the Hoi-Polloi saw it, it was love at first sight.

Now the chow tasted great! Long lines formed at the tub where beans dunked in chow. So Proffy came up with an idea: The Chowdown Pool. Everyone pitched in and built it, and the beans feasted on the delicious chow. A new era began.


Back-up story: Proffy, the Snoopy Anthropologist, part 1

Proffy descends to the Bone Zone to observe how the Hoi-Polloi live. She is soon discovered, and reveals that she wants to learn more about the Hoi-Polloi's role in the Beanworld's food chain. This sets most of the Hoi-Polloi off in laughter, but one tells her in no uncertain terms to BEAT IT!.

The tale concludes in Issue 5.


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