Walking on the Wind - Leon Taylor - Bog

That is what they were doing all right. Most other folks couldn't believe it either. Those two and their pet cat, who had no name, looking for paradise? It was the wise old sea turtle who told Burt and Clancy that paradise was across the ocean. His friend, the king bullfrog, and his warrior frogs had sailed there on their lily pad raft with sails. It wasn't that easy for Burt and Clancy, however, they had no lily pad raft with sails.

Captain Jack told the three he could take them to paradise on his sailing vessel, Utopia. He had been there many times, he said, but he made them run the plank once they were out to sea after robbing them of what little they had. Their lives were in danger, to be sure, but the mighty current called "Swabbies' Revenge" swept the three ashore where they found a strange musician and his pet mongoose. The musician comforted them with his many songs of paradise but said he knew nothing of it when they questioned him as to paradise's whereabouts.

Prospector Pete knew nothing of paradise, and neither did his burro, Clem. They were in the desert looking for their lost city of gold. They had found it in this desert long ago, but it was gone when they returned to get its gold. Prospector Pete didn't know where paradise could be found, but he did point the three to the distant mountains that they could pass through to get to the ocean. From there, they decided, they would walk along the shoreline to the other side of the ocean where paradise could be found.

It was in those mountains that the Spirit of the Sacred Valleys found the three. She came to them as an old and humble woman in need. Paradise could only be found through transcending their ordinary state, and that would only be if they found favor with her. She was hungry and in need of something to eat, she told the two men. They offered her some beans and sourdough biscuits that old Prospector Pete had given them. She accepted the sourdough biscuits and told them to keep the beans.

It was after this that Burt, Clancy, and No-Name found themselves unexpectedly on an island. Clancy was afraid and wanted to get off. How were they going to find paradise if they were stuck on this island that was surrounded by more water than they could imagine, he questioned. Clancy persisted even though the king bullfrog Thor tried to convince him to stay. The giant old sea turtle did the same, as did Marcus, the lion. Burt and No-Name both wanted Clancy to stay with them, but he decided he wanted to leave and go back home if they couldn't find paradise, and took the pills that Dr. Tiger gave him. Dr. Tiger knew that only time could cure a sickness such as Clancy's.

Clancy was happy to be back home, but he began to wonder about Burt and No-Name, they had somehow gotten separated along the way. It was while wondering what had happened to Burt and No-Name that Clancy heard a voice within himself. It frightened Clancy a bit, a voice within himself, he questioned. It was then that he left his home once again. He didn't take anything with him, he was going to paradise and knew he wouldn't need it once he was there.