The Loch Lomond Monster

Written by David Russell. Illustration by Frank Furlong

From "Words To Grow With" For Children6-8.

® and © 1998 - David Russell

With thanks to "Sir" Aaron Rennell & "Becky" Rebecca Smith

Across the ocean in the country of Scotland, what we call a Lake, they call a Loch. Most people who go to Scotland, go to see Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. Here, we would callhim, the Lake Ness Monster.

Our story, however, is about a different Loch and a different, well, we won’t call him a monster, let’s call him a Serpent, a Sea Serpent. And, because he lives in Loch named Lomond, we’ll call him Lommie.

Lommie’s very best friend was Rebecca Faye Russell Smith, known to all as Becky. It was Becky’s special job to take care of Lommie, so each day, wearing her special swim costume, she’d swim out into the loch to bring Lommie his favorite lunch, a Tuna Fish Sandwich with honey, which she got from friendly nearby bees. Becky brought Lommie his lunch in the summer when it was hot and sunny. And in the rainy, snowy winter, wearing her swimsuit heater, of course.

Whenever Lommie heard Becky’s call, he popped his head right out of the loch, smiling a big hello. Then, Lommie would flatten his back so Becky could climb on and he would swim to their favorite rock, the one with a flat surface so Becky could lay out their lunch in a proper fashion. Politely nibbling their sandwiches, they chatted about fishy goings-on and what was at Becky’s school. Lommie knew all her classmates names and loved to hear stories about them.

Very politely, Lommie would take small bites of his sandwich, patting his lips with his napkin just as Becky had taught him. After they finished their sandwiches, Becky would pour tea for herself while Lommie had a cool drink from the Loch. Finally, for dessert, they shared a banana, Lommie’s favorite.

Then, after a good rest, Becky, would swim with Lommie and his fish friends.. Lommie even let Becky climb up his long giraffe-like neck to do all sorts of funny dives that made Lommie and all his fish friends laugh.

But, when Becky left her friend to go home, what she didn’t know was that someone else had been watching them. That someone was the Scheming Scot, who had schemed a terrible scheme. He was planning to capture Lommie.

Next day, the Scheming Scot arrived before Becky with his own Tuna Fish Sandwich, but with supermarket honey because what the bees gave the Scot instead of honey, were some nasty stings.

Finally, with the sandwich ready, he chose his shortest gang member, the Fiddler, to swim into the Loch. Looking up from the bottom, all Lommie could see was a swimming shadow that looked about Becky’s size and Lommie smelled that Tuna Fish Sandwich with Honey, he headed straight up to the surface.

What Lommie could not see was a helicopter with a big net waiting just above the water. As soon as Lommie’s head popped out of the Loch, the helicopter dropped its net, while the Scheming Scot’s gang jumped into the water and pulled the net tight. Though Lommie put up a mighty struggle, thrashing his big tail and shaking his giraffe like neck, there were just too many of Scot’s bad guys. Soon they had the net attached to the helicopter’s hook which lifted Lommie right up out of the Loch and flew him to the Scheming Scot’s secret hideaway, lowering Lommie into a huge tank filled with water. From the outside, the tank looked like a pool with large glass windows, but inside it was actually a big cage. This was to be Lommie’s home as the new Star Performer in the “Scheming Scot’s Traveling Circus.”.

When children visiting the Scheming Scot’s Traveling Circus first saw Lommie, they were frightened. He was so big. But, after watching him swim gently back and forth in his pool-like cage, they were soon laughing and clapping their hands.

Though Lommie enjoyed seeing the children laughing, he was also sad, missing his Loch Lomond home and his friends, especially his very best friend, Becky.

The Scheming Scot also liked to see the children and their parents who came to see “The Loch Lomond Monster”, the name he gave Lommie because they bought lots of tickets, which made the Scot very rich.

Even though the performances were fun for Lommie, it was tiring traveling from town to town on the back of a large wagon pulled by a team of ten horses. Especially, going up and down bumpy mountain roads.

Lommie had heard the gang say that it was a full two-day journey to their next performance, which was to be in strange place with a strange-sounding name “The Valley Of Good and Plenty.” The gang also whispered about Sir Aaron, a brave knight who lived in the Valley watching over his people with love and care. Lommie wished, “ Oh, if only Sir Aaron would rescue and send me back to Loch Lomand."

At the same time Lommie was thinking about Sir Aaron, Becky, who was Sir Aaron’s cousin, was telephoning him. After their “Hello-s” and “How-Are-things?”, Becky told Sir Aaron what had happened to her friend, Lommie.

Strange, but earlier in the day, Sir Aaron had been reading an advertisement in the Valley of Good & Plenty News that said the Scheming Scot’s Traveling Circus, featuring The Loch Lomond Monster, would perform in the Valley later that week.

“That must be Lommie”, said Becky. “He’s not a monster at all, just a big friendly old Sea Serpent who wouldn’t hurt a fly. You have to help me rescue him.”, pleaded Miss Becky.

“Well, if it is your friend, Lommie, certainly I’ll help. But, I think you better come here to make sure it is Lommie.”.

“I will”, Miss Becky said, “on the next plane. I’ll get there as soon as I can”. .

“Good. My horse Dasher and I meet you at the airport. And don’t worry, if it’s Lommie, we’ll think of a way to free him.”.

When Becky’s jet landed, Sir Aaron and his brave horse Dasher were waiting. After hugs for her big cousin, Becky offered Dasher a Tuna Fish Sandwich coated with Honey. But he only wrinkled his nose, whinnied and wandered off to nibble the cool grass instead. Becky re-wrapped the sandwich, saying she would save it for Lommie when they rescued him.

A short while later, in Sir Aaron’s castle, they were reading about the traveling circus. That’s when Sir Aaron noticed something he had missed the first time he saw the Circus ad. It said that the Scheming Scot was offering a reward to anyone who could beat him in a duel, which would take place at the circus that very night.

Sir Aaron thought, “With my Golden Sword, I can beat The Scheming Scot.”, also thinking a duel would keep people busy watching, which would make it easier to rescue Lommie.”. So, he called his helpers and Becky to tell them his plans.

A large crowd of boys, girls and their parents filled the Scheming Scot’s Traveling Circus big tent. Some came to see the clowns. Some, the lions and tigers. Others, to see the trapeze artists. But, everybody wanted to see The Loch Lomond Monster, because, the newspaper picture made Lommie look so big and terrifying. Everyone wanted to see the monster for themselves.

However, after the clowns, animals and trapeze artists were done, but before Lommie appeared, the Scheming Scot strode into the ring holding up a big sack.

“In this sack is all tonight’s ticket money.. I challenge anyone to come down here and duel with me. If you beat me, you win it all. If I win, and he laughingly added, ‘no one ever has ever beaten me’, then I keep it all. Now, isn’t that fair? Okay, who thinks they can beat me?”.

There was complete silence. No one seemed brave enough to challenge the Scheming Scot. He shouted, “Come on. Speak up. Speak before I count to three, or the duel is off. One …. Two….”.

But, before he could say, Three”, there was a stir of excitement. Riding into the circus ring was Sir Aaron, who while dismounting Dasher, said, “I’ll take your challenge, Scot. And if I win, you give all that money to the schools here in our Valley of Good and Plenty. Agreed?”

“Ha!. I don’t think we have to worry about that”, taunted the Scheming Scot.

As Sir Aaron’s helpers led Dasher from the ring, Sir Aaron gave them a nod, signaling that while he was dueling they were to rescue Lommie and start him on his journey back to his Loch Lomand home.

The crowd ooh-ed and aah-ed, as Sir Aaron and The Scheming Scot lunged and parried each other’s sword blows. Both were very good. So, everyone was watching, including the Scheming Scot’s men, who should have been watching Lommie instead.

As quietly as they could, Becky and Sir Aaron’s men hitched the ten horses to the wagon which held Lommie’s cage and started to move it away from the circus. Normally, you’d expect to hear the noise such a large horse and wagon made, but with the crowd loudly cheering the duelers, no one heard a thing while the wagon moved towards the nearby seaport where a boat was waiting.

Meanwhile, back at the circus, the battle was furious. First the Scheming Scot seemed to force Sir Aaron back with smashing sword thrusts. Then, Sir Aaron took control, as his magnificent Golden Sword, sparkling in the circus lights, swinging in large arcs forcing the Scot to retreat.

And so it went, back and forth, until Sir Aaron sensed that enough time had passed for Becky, Lommie and his men to be safely away.

Suddenly, Sir Aaron stopped attacking and stepped back. The Scheming Scot eyeing him suspiciously, calling, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m giving you the chance to surrender”, replied Sir Aaron.

“Surrender? Why should I do that?"

“Because”, said Sir Aaron, “Becky and my men have rescued Lommie, who isn’t a Sea Monster at all, but a nice friendly old sea serpent who is right now on his way back home to Loch Lomond.

“Drats!”. “Rats!”, said The Scheming Scot, as he lifted his sword to slash at Sir Aaron. But, Sir Aaron’s Golden Sword flashed out first, knocking the Scot’s sword out of his hands. No one had ever seen a sword move so swiftly. Especially, the now empty-handed Scheming Scot.

“Finish the circus performance, Scot.”, said Sir Aaron, “these people paid good money and I intend to see they get a good show.”.

Even though the people never did see Lommie, when the show ended everyone thought that they’d seen a good show.

Once again, Sir Aaron had proved what a neat Knight he was. It was the most memorable circuses anyone in the Valley of Good and Plenty could remember.

Early next morning, the telephone rang in Sir Aaron’s castle. It was his cousin Becky calling. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you, Sir Aaron. I wanted you to know that everything here is fine. When he got home, Lommie swam right back into the Loch. His fishy friends were so happy to see him, they’re giving a party for him this very afternoon.”. I wish you could be here for it.”

“I wish I could be there, too, Becky. Maybe I can come for a visit.”.

“Oh, Sir Aaron please come, then you can meet Lommie and take a swim with us in Loch Lomond.”.

“Okay, but if I come, Becky, you have to make me two promises. ‘First, would you please just call me just Aaron.” “And second, can I have one of your special Tuna Fish sandwiches with Honey.”.