Confusion in the Market Place
- Milo and Tock emerge into the word market, which is in full swing. Vendors are selling words as if they were fruits and vegetables.
- There are all kinds of different words available, and Milo is totally overwhelmed.
- At first, he thinks he should buy some words and picks out three really fancy ones. But they're way too expensive, so he puts 'em back.
- Actually, Milo can't really buy any words, because he doesn't have any cash. He does have a small "coin," but that's for the tollbooth when he goes home. He should probably hang on to that one.
- Milo and Tock still enjoy browsing, though, and they stop at a stand where you buy individual letters and create your own words.
- Each letter has its own flavor. A's are really popular, like vanilla, but Z's aren't. (Just like in Scrabble!)
- Milo would like to make words, but he just doesn't know how to start.
- Cue the guy who does know how to make word: sure enough, the Spelling Bee shows up.
- The Spelling Bee is, surprise surprise, an enormous bee that likes to spell. He can't go through a whole sentence without spelling at least one word.
- Milo's kind of freaked out by him, because he doesn't really like bees, but the Spelling Bee calms him down and tries to demonstrate his knowledge.
- Milo makes him spell "vegetable," which the Bee does. Nailed it.
- The Bee has just started to tell his life story when he's interrupted by the Humbug, a giant bug.
- It's immediately clear that the Bee and the Humbug do NOT get along.
- The Bee says the Humbug is a big fat liar, and the Humbug strikes back by telling a puffed up story of his own family history.
- The two yell at each other and then bust out fighting.
- During the fight, all the word stands get knocked over. Milo falls on the Bee, and Tock gets squished in a big stack of letters. Oh my.