It all started on a camping trip, after a tall stack of blueberry pancakes. Boudewijn and Houdewijn began arguing by the crackling campfire about who should get the very last pancake. Soon they were rolling and wrestling over it, kicking up dust and leaves!
Clodhopper the Big Fat Muskrat stomped over. He was TIRED of all that racket! WHOOSH! Clodhopper threw Boudewijn right into the swamp with a giant SPLASH!
Drenched and dripping, the two friends shook paws. "We won't fight again," they promised.
They became inseparable and formed a two‑piece jug band, practicing silly songs and perfecting rhythm by the bubbling creek.
At the school fair they surprised everyone with a rousing, strange song that had the whole crowd cheering.
A tall Stork reporter filmed them. Mr. Acra grinned big and said, "Man, that was REALLY good. I mean, WOW!"
They wanted to celebrate their big success! So they ding-dong ditched a few houses and swiped a jar of fizzy berry juice.
The next day, Houdewijn stood on a soapbox in the school hallway, wearing a flowing robe like a king!
"Everything we do is a deep musical impulse!" he declared grandly, waving his arms.
"We need a vacation," said Boudewijn. "EUROPE!" shouted Houdewijn. So they packed their instruments and hopped on a plane!
In Belgium, they spotted upright police geese riding shiny Segways. "That looks like FUN!" they said. So they borrowed two Segways and ZOOMED off, laughing as the wind ruffled their fur!
The geese chased them all around a tall landmark, honking and flapping. The boys barely escaped! They laughed and high-fived in mid-ride. What an adventure!
In Amsterdam, the pair put on white lab coats and studied organic farming and water filters. They scribbled notes and learned all about growing healthy vegetables and clean water.
At night, they danced at a lily-pad disco under twinkling lights and made new friends from all over! They learned that a warm smile can open more doors than any mischief.
But in the morning they woke up and gasped, "Oh NO! Our exams are TODAY!"
They scrambled to pack and rushed back home, leaving a grateful raccoon their leftover brownies.
Back at school, they sat down for their exams and concentrated super hard. Later they CHEERED when their papers read 'A+!' All that studying in Amsterdam had worked!
Graduation day came! They wore gowns and caps and threw them high into the air while everyone cheered.
Summer called for a party on a friend’s houseboat, but Houdewijn had a terrible case of 'nutbelly' after eating seven pounds of pecans!
Beyond a wooden fence they spotted the largest patch of heirloom tomatoes they’d ever seen and a sleeping herd of bison glittering in moonlight.
They slipped inside, munched dozens of tomatoes, and, thrilled, leapt onto two tall bison for a wild, silly ride.
The herd thundered, smashed the fence, and then — with a loud splash of light — the bison reared and threw the boys into a crushed elderberry patch.
A spotlight found them and a small voice boomed, 'Good golly, you hooligans! My elderberry patch is ruined — you must help now!' — it belonged to Jeff Jones, a tiny determined mouse farmer.
Jeff Jones introduced them to Oswald, a gentle bison who behaved like a loyal puppy‑dog and immediately nuzzled the boys.
Farmer Jones said, 'You will help fix this patch. Start now.' Boudewijn and Houdewijn nodded and cheered, 'Team Boudewijn and Houdewijn!'
They learned to mend fences, tie ropes, and gently herd wandering bison back to the pasture with patience and care.
They found stray bison behind a houseboat, in a pumpkin patch, and peeking from a hayloft — each rescue made them more careful and clever.
In the elderberry clearing they dug in mud purple as jam and planted tiny shoots under Oswald’s watchful snout.
Farmer Jones taught them the rhythm of planting: steady hands, patience, and a tune to keep time — the boys hummed their jug‑band song as they worked.
One moon later tiny green shoots peeked from the soil and Farmer Jones offered them cold elder‑tonic to celebrate.
Then something surprising happened: when the bison wandered off again, the boys had an idea. They played a soft, gentle rhythm on their jugs and washboard — just like they'd practiced in Amsterdam. The music calmed the bison! The herd swayed and followed the music right back home.
Farmer Jones laughed with relief, the news stork returned to film, and even the flustered European Police Geese waddled by to cheer the rescue.
The small twist taught them something important: their music could help in surprising, practical ways when used kindly and carefully.
Houdewijn learned to pause and think before a wild idea, and Boudewijn learned to take a breath before he leapt.
Farmer Jones thanked them and asked, 'Would you like to come back?' They grinned and said, 'Yes,' hugging Oswald goodbye.
They drove away with elderberries sprouting behind them, feeling proud, tired, and wiser than the night they stole those berries.
Back home the Stork’s little news clip called them 'the boys who fixed a patch with music,' and their mothers smiled with relief.
They practiced music more carefully, helped neighbors, and thought twice before each wild scheme — but never stopped making each other laugh.
Mistakes had sent them on a messy, musical adventure, but fixing things together had taught them what true friendship really means.
And as they drove toward their next idea, Boudewijn grinned and Houdewijn whispered, 'Ready? But this time — we think first.'
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