name, the three boys looked suddenly excited.

            

“Chris?! How is he? Is he happy with his new family?” They all asked in unison.

 

“Why, yes, yes he is.” Simba replied gently. “He now has a loving mother and father, a devoted and protective brother, a little sister, a loving aunt and a good and loyal cousin.” 

 

“How is Chris?” asked Miss Applebarn, while the three boys celebrated Chris having a good and loving family.

 

Simba’s expression darkened. “He’s fine now, but he’s malnourished, underweight and skinny. The doctor said he had been living off gruel his whole life.”

 

Miss Applebarn gasped and clutched at her heart. “Oh, my!” and then she glared at Ursula. “YOU! You’ve been feeding the children gruel all this time, haven’t you?!” and then she launched herself at Ursula and begins strangling her, her hands on Ursula’s throat.

 

Simba didn’t even bother to call Miss Applebarn off as he walked around his desk toward the three boys and begin to examine them.

 

He felt their waist and then he lifted their sweaters up so to look at their flat, thin bellies.

 

“Have you three been eating gruel as well?” Simba asked.

 

“Yes, sir.” They nodded.

 

“Since the day you came here?

“Yes, sir.” They nodded again.

 

“Okay, you may go and inform the other children that they will no longer be eating gruel.” Simba told them

 

“YAY!” They cheered and then they dashed out of the office.

 

As they left, Simba called Miss Applebarn off of Ursula. “Miss Applebarn, that’s enough. I need to talk to Ursula.

 

“One more, please?” Miss Applebarn pleaded, holding Ursula up by the hair and holding a fist, ready to punch her. “For good luck?”

 

Simba smiled nastily. “Go ahead; get it out of your system.”

 

Miss Applebarn let Ursula have it alright. POW! She punched her right in the center of her face before letting go of her hair. Ursula swayed on the spot, her face was now purple and blue and she was sporting a black eye, a bloody nose and swollen cheeks and lips.  

 

“Thank you, Vanessa; you will get a pay raise tomorrow.” Simba said. “You may go.”

 

As Miss Applebarn left, Simba turned, glaring, to Ursula.

 

“Ursula, you were fired once before for your cruel punishment to Chris Cloudkicker…” Simba said. “And then, out of the goodness of my heart, I hired you back after you promised not to even touch Chris. Not that you would’ve been able to anyway, Miss Applebarn kept a real close watch on him after what you did to him, to ensure his safety.”

 

“I did nothing life-threatening to that stupid boy.” Ursula snarled.

 

“You locked him in a dark closet!” Simba roared, slamming his fist on his desk.  “He’s nyctophobic! Your unjust punishment traumatized him! And don’t you ever call him stupid again, he’s a bright kid.”       

 

“Whatever,” Ursula said carelessly; she knew what was coming and found that she didn’t care very much this time. “A kid who is afraid of the dark is a stupid one if you ask me.”

 

“I have only two last words for you,” Simba told her, he was shaking with suppressed rage. “YOU’RE FIRED! Now get out of my office! I fired you once for the way you treated Chris, and now I’m firing you again for half-starving all the children—GET OUT AND DON’T COME BACK!”

Ursula stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry, before she marched out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

 

Simba knew she was going back home to Thembria. He picked up his phone and called Colonel Spigot.

                

“Hello, Colonel Spigdart—” he began.

“THAT’S SPIGOT!” yelled an irritable voice from the receiver.

 

“Sorry, Spigot.” Simba said hastily. “I was wondering what the penalty is for the unjust punishment of children and making them live off of gruel daily? …Firing squad, eh?” a mischievous smirk was spreading across Simba’s face. “Well, I happen to know a certain Ursula Cole, who should be arriving in Thembria in a few days….”

 

Meanwhile, back in Cape Suzette, Baloo was carrying Chris into an ice cream parlor. Chris was whimpering; the arm that had been pricked by the needle three times was starting to feel sore.

     

“There, there, Lil Buddy.” Baloo said soothingly, cuddling Chris in his arms. “I know your arm’s sore, it would be for a few days, Baggie said. Now, how about that ice cream ya wanted?”

 

“Okay…” Chris said, he stopped whimpering but still looked unhappy.

 

Baloo sat Chris down on a stool at the bar. Chris started whimpering again and he reached up for Baloo to take him back. Baloo sighed as he picked Chris up again. He sat down on the stool and set Chris on his lap. Chris leaned back, his head resting on Baloo’s chest. Baloo smiled sadly as he patted Chris on top of the head, he wished that Chris’ arm would stop hurting.

 

Baloo then ordered two bowls of peanut buttercup flavored ice cream and he and his Lil Buddy ate together. Chris, still on his lap, started shoveling his ice cream with the arm that wasn’t hurting him. 

After they’ve finished their ice cream, Chris was feeling considerably better; he smiled up at his Daddy Bear.

 

“That was good, Daddy Bear!” he said happily.

 

“I’m glad you like it.” Baloo said, and then he paid the man and walked out of the parlor, carrying Chris in his arms.

 

 Baloo took Chris to Melissa’s house, as Kit and Jeffery would be there in a few hours.

 

“Oh, Baloo dear,” Melissa said as she opened the door to let them in. “How did things go at the doctor’s?”

 

“It went okay, I guess.” Baloo said as he put Chris down. “Dr. Baggie prescribed some Malaid for Chris and I want you to be in charge of his medicine. Dr. Baggie said it would make him sick if he had more than one a day.”

“I know,” Melissa said, smiling. “Dr. Bagheera called to tell me just after you left. I’ll give it to him every evening after dinner.”

“Why after dinner?” Baloo asked as Chris climbed the stairs up to the upper floors.

 

“Because, to have it before dinner might upset his stomach while he eats.” Melissa explained.

 

Later, Baloo was lying on the sofa in the living room, taking a nap. Melissa went looking for Chris, she had a pretty good idea of where he might be and she turned out to be right. She found him on the fourth floor, trying to pull down the trap door in the ceiling which led to Jeffery’s attic bedroom.

 

He was having difficulties, he wasn’t very strong to begin with and trying to pull on the rope hanging down from the trap door was hurting his left arm even more.

 

“Ow…” Chris whined, clutching his left arm, a tear sliding down his cheek, and then he glared up at the trap door in the ceiling. “Stupid door!” he said, sounding thoroughly disgruntled.

 

Melissa walked up behind Chris, bent down and hugged him. Chris jumped on contact, but quickly relaxed.

 

“Need help, Chris dear?” she asked kindly.

 

Chris nodded, unsmiling. He was starting to get cranky but he restrained himself from lashing out at Melissa.

Melissa kissed him on the cheek in an attempt to make him feel better. It worked somewhat, he did smiled at her, but the smile did not stay long, as it become a grimace of pain and he clutched his left arm again.

 

Melissa then reached up and pulled down the trap door in the ceiling. She then helped Chris up the steps to Jeffery’s bedroom.  

 

They entered Jeffery’s bedroom, Snowy who was sitting on the floor, looked up as they came into the room.

 

“Hey Snowy,” Chris said, glancing at the rabbit as he made his way over to the bottom bunk bed, wanting nothing more just now than to take a good long nap and sleep off his crankiness.

 

Melissa pulled the covers over him as he lie down and kissed him on the forehead.

“You have a good nap, dear,” she said gently. “And if you need anything, just call me over the intercom.”

 

“Okay, Aunt Melissa.” Chris said, before turning over to his right side and drifting off to sleep. 

          

Melissa left the room, but as she was backing out of the room, she saw Snowy hopped onto the bed and settled herself on top of Chris’s legs that were under the covers.  

 

“Aww…” Melissa cooed softly, before closing the door and heading downstairs.

 

Later that day, Kit and Jeffery came home from school. They went straight for kitchen.

“Mom, we’re home!” Jeffery shouted happily, he dashed over to his mother and kissed her on the cheek.

Melissa, who was sitting at the table, fixing their snack, smiled, her eyes twinkling as she hugged her son and kissed him back.

“Oh, hello dears,” she said, now hugging Kit. “Did you two have a

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