WebbliWorld

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CHAPTER ONE - THE FIRST DAY

‘Wow!’ said Matt.

‘Yes,’ smiled his mother.‘Impressive, isn’t it?’

The pale morning sun shone on the vast red and gold building that was the Beijing International Academy.

‘It looks like a temple or something!’ said Matt.

‘Traditional Chinese architecture, in the style of the Han Dynasty,’ his mother told him, slamming the car door shut behind her.‘But you’ll find it’s pretty modern inside.’

Matt hardly heard his mother’s words, his excitement growing as they climbed up the side, imposing steps.Wind-chimes tinkled as the doors parted before them.

They found themselves in a large entrance hall with a dizzyingly high ceiling. A fountain burbled. On the wall, a huge plasma screen read WELCOME TO THE BEIJING INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY, with a constantly changing visual display beneath. There were scores of boys and girls milling about, and Matt could see at a glance why this was called the International Academy – some looked European, some looked Asian, some American, some African . . . It reminded him of an embassy party he’d once been to with his mother, only this time with kids instead of grown-ups.

As he walked across the foyer, a few kids turned round and stared. Feeling self-conscious, Matt smiled. One boy, a stocky, dark-haired kid with glasses, about Matt’s age, smiled back. Matt’s mother approached the reception desk where a smartly dressed Chinese man with a tiny black beard stood, waiting politely. She said something in rapid Mandarin. The receptionist bowed and replied in perfect English: ‘Ah yes, Ambassador James, we have been expecting you – you were detained in London, I understand?’ This was true. Matt had been detained – by a surprise farewell party his friends had thrown for him. Fortunately, his mum had been in on the secret and had rearranged his flight.

‘Yes, I had some business to sort out before coming here – I told Mr Wu –’

‘Oh yes, that is fine. Matt has only missed a couple of days, just settling in, that is all. Welcome to the Beijing International Academy,
Matt.’

‘Thank you,’ said Matt, trying a bow. It must have been the right thing to do, because the receptionist bowed again in return.

‘I’ll leave you to settle in then,’ his mother said.‘Now you remember to work hard, you understand?’

‘Yeah, sure,’ said Matt.‘Hey, Mum, won’t it be great if I get into the martial arts squad?’

‘Don’t forget that your lessons are the most important thing.’

Matt didn’t quite see it this way, but he nodded and said,‘Uh huh.’

‘So glad we agree,’ said his mother dryly. ‘Well, I must go.’ She spread out her arms.‘How about a hug for your mum?’

‘Er – OK.’ Matt hugged her briefly, then stepped back. He would have liked to give her a proper hug, but it was embarrassing with all these kids watching. His mother smiled, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.

‘You’ve got my number if you want to call. I won’t be far away.’

‘Sure. Bye, Mum.’

She turned and waved when she reached the door. The wind-chimes tinkled again, and she was gone.

The receptionist checked a list.‘You will be rooming with Johnny Goldberg.’ He looked up and raised his voice.‘Johnny?’

The boy who’d smiled at Matt approached.‘Hi.’

‘This is Matt James, your new room-mate. Could you help him settle in?’

‘Glad to.’ Johnny stuck out his hand and Matt shook it.‘You want to come see the room?’

‘Sure,’ said Matt.

‘Oh, wow!’ said Matt for the second time that day.

‘Yup. Pretty cool, isn’t it?’

The room was large and modern. Two beds stood against opposite walls. There was an en suite bathroom and shower. The floor-to-ceiling window gave on to a superb view of Beijing, a vibrant jumble of ancient and modern buildings s far as Matt could see.

‘Some view, huh?’ said Johnny. He had an American accent.‘It’s an amazing place, this city. Full of history.’

‘You’d get on well with my mum,’ said Matt. ‘She’s crazy about Chinese history.’

‘Yeah? So’s Shawn Hung – he rooms just opposite, with Olivier.Wanna go and see if they’re there? They’re great guys – you’ll like them.’

‘Sure,’ said Matt.‘Let’s go!’

They crossed the passageway and Johnny tapped on the door facing them. It opened, and there stood a boy, who greeted them with a friendly smile.

‘Hi, Shawn. This is my new room-mate Matt – he’s just arrived. Thought I’d introduce you
guys.’

‘Hiya, Matt,’ said Shawn. Like Johnny, he had an American accent.‘Come on in!’

A tall, elegant-looking boy was lounging in an armchair. He got up and politely shook Matt’s hand.‘Pleased to meet you. I’m Olivier Girard.’ He had the lightest trace of a French accent.

The room was every bit as stylish and hi-tech as Matt’s own room, with a similar floor-to-ceiling view of Beijing. A laptop computer sat on a desk, displaying a screen-saver of two martial arts experts going through a sequence of moves: attacking, blocking, counter-attacking.

‘Hey,’ said Matt.‘I like the screen-saver!’

‘Yeah, I put that up myself,’ said Shawn.‘You into martial arts?’

'Big time.’

‘You any good?’

Matt hesitated. His instructor in London had told him that he was very talented for his age – but the standard at the Academy might be far higher than he was used to.‘I try my best,’ he said.‘I’ve a long way to go before I’d call myself good.’

Shawn nodded.‘I know what you mean. Judo’s my sport, by the way.’

That figured. Matt saw that he had just the right physique for judo: he had a low centre of gravity and looked stocky and well balanced. Matt, being taller with a longer reach, was better equipped for the ‘stand-up’ forms of combat.

‘Mine’s tae kwon-do.’

‘Cool! We could learn a lot from each other.’

Matt liked Shawn for seeing it like that.‘Yeah,’ he agreed.‘I bet we could.’

‘Maybe I could join the tutorial then,’ said Olivier with a grin.‘I do kung fu.’

‘Looks like we’ve almost got a squad right here!’ said Matt.‘How about you, Johnny? Do you do any martial arts?’

Johnny shook his head, grinning.‘Basketball’s my game.’

‘I thought – don’t you have to be tall to be good at basketball?’ asked Matt. For a moment he wished he hadn’t said it, thinking it might sound rude. But Johnny didn’t seem to mind.

‘You do need tall guys in the team, for sure,’ he said.‘But they don’t all have to be tall. I an pass and shoot and dribble – I can get right in under the guard of those tall players. I’m hoping to get into the team here.’

‘Hope you make it.’ said Matt.

Olivier lounged back into his armchair.‘How about you, Matt? Are you gonna try out for the martial arts squad?’

‘It’s the main reason I wanted to come here,’ said Matt.

‘Me too!’ laughed Olivier.

‘Well, good luck,’ said Matt.‘I hope you make the squad.’

‘Let’s hope we all do,’ said Shawn.‘Chang Sifu’s holding the try-outs tomorrow!’

‘What’s he like?’ asked Matt. He felt nervous and excited at the thought of being taught by the legendary Master Chang. Or Chang Sifu, according to the Chinese way of saying things. Matt knew that studying with Chang was the chance of a lifetime.

‘We haven’t been coached by him yet – but he’s supposed to be hot stuff, from what I’ve heard,’ Shawn replied.‘Mr Wu, the Principal, drafted him in – reckons he’s the only guy who can coach us up to the level to beat the Shanghai Academy.You know they’ve beaten us every time for the last six years? But if anyone can do it, Chang can. He’s got quite a reputation.’

Matt nodded. He knew all about Chang Sifu’s reputation. The promise of Chang Sifu as coach had made him decide to apply here. He'd looked Chang up on the Internet and found out all about his career. He was a kung fu master, a living martial arts legend – he’d won tournaments all over China. Unlike most kung fu fighters, Chang had studied and mastered other, foreign, forms of fighting. He was a judo black belt, eighth dan, and had even won an Olympic gold medal in the sport. He was a karate black belt too, and an expert in tae kwon-do, aikido, even Thai boxing. He’d won tournaments in all of them. Chang had given up fighting competitively now, but in his whole career, spanning over thirty years, he’d only ever been defeated twice – in any form of martial art.

The sound of an electronically amplified gong, rich and resonant, made Matt jump.

‘Hey, that means lunch,’ said Johnny.‘The food’s pretty good. Let’s go meet the others. They’re a friendly crowd – mostly.You’ll like it here.’

‘I like it here already,’ said Matt.

‘Good morning. My name is Chang Sifu.You may call me Master Chang.’

Matt gazed at him, fascinated. The master was of medium height, and slim. But Matt guessed that Chang would be deadly if he needed to be. His face was virtually unlined, despite his age, and his hair was flecked with grey. He wore a plain white kung fu suit, unadorned except for a black silk belt. He stood with a relaxed air, arms hanging by his sides – yet there was a suggestion of hidden readiness, as though at any moment he might explode into action.

Matt and the others stood in a respectful semi-circle at the edge of the mat. The kwoon – or training hall – was the centre of the Academy’s amazing gymnasium. Matt had felt excited when he read about it in the prospectus, but being here was something else. There was a weights room, a gym with vaults, bars and beams, a swimming pool, squash courts, basketball courts and even a five-a-side football pitch. The Beijing International Academy offered a full range of sports beside martial arts. But it was the kwoon that was the beating heart of the place. Today was the day of the try-outs. Matt’s own heart was beating fast.

Chang didn’t begin with the tryouts. First, he made the group do some stretching exercises. Then he said,‘Before the try-outs, let us practise a basic block technique.’ He spoke softly but clearly.

His English was fluent but slightly accented.‘To defend against strike, like so –’ he thrust out a and with blinding speed – ‘we employ two-handed block, like so.’ He changed stance and brought up his arms, wrists together. Matt knew similar moves from tae kwon-do, but he had never seen them executed with such speed and grace. ‘Equally effective against kicks, strikes and punches,’ said Chang.‘In pairs, please, find a space on mat. Take in turns to strike then block.’

Matt found himself paired with Catarina Ribeiro. He had met her at lunch with Johnny yesterday and they’d got on well. She was a Brazilian girl, taller than Matt, with long black hair – tied back today – and dark brown eyes. She moved with the fluid grace of a dancer, and had originally trained in the dance form of the South American martial art capoeira, before taking lessons in the combat form of the art – without telling her father.

‘But wouldn’t your dad be mad if he found out?’ Johnny had asked.

‘Yes,’ replied Catarina with a laugh.‘But he won’t find out!’ Matt and Johnny had joined in the laughter; Catarina’s giggle was infectious.

Master Chang clapped his hands.‘Bow to your partner – and begin.’

‘Do you want to go first?’ asked Matt.

‘Sure, why not?’ said Catarina – and immediately struck out at Matt. She was fast; he only just got the block up in time.

‘Hey, you’re good!’ he told her.

Catarina smiled.‘You too.You block fast.’

He and Catarina soon fell into a steady rhythm: attack, block; block, attack. Out of the corner of his eye Matt noticed Chang going around quietly watching each pair in turn, sometimes correcting a stance with a touch on the shoulder, sometimes demonstrating the strike or block again, but never saying a word.When he came to Matt and Catarina he watched for a while, then nodded and moved away. Matt felt a glow of pride, and so, to judge by her expression, did Catarina.

Master Chang returned to the centre of the tatami – a large square white mat, firm but springy. He clapped his hands. ‘Now it is time for try-outs. Let me first explain. The eleven most promising fighters will be selected for this year’s squad.’

Matt did a quick scan-count of all the kids in the room. There were just over fifty. He let out a slow breath, as he realized he only had around a one-in-five chance of making it.

‘The squad is to compete in the Divisional Championship,’ Chang went on.‘This Championship is mixed combat – that is, a variety of styles is permitted. Facing an opponent of unfamiliar style may cause problems.A fighter from tradition such as ju–jitsu or judo against stand-up kung fu or karate fighter finds he has to defend against strikes and kicks and cannot get to close quarters to perform a throw. Or a karate fighter drawn into close quarters cannot
use repertoire of strikes; once on the floor he is helpless. For this reason the complete martial artist should have working knowledge of both take-down and stand-up styles. For try-outs you will each fight two bouts: one against fighter of same or similar style to your own; one against fighter of contrasting tradition.

‘Before we begin, let us ready ourselves. Stand still, relax, drop shoulders. Breathe slowly in, out, in, out.You are sleeping tigers. Soon tiger will awake. Now, it rests.’

Matt let his shoulders drop. He felt his sinews relax as he breathed deeply in and out. He was a powerful tiger, the great muscles at rest beneath the striped fur . . .

‘What is this garbage?’ he heard a voice beside him mutter.‘Sleeping tigers – that’s kids’ stuff. Let’s get on with the fighting!’

The voice belonged to Carl Warrick, a big blonde Australian boy. Matt had heard him the day before, bragging about his prowess at karate. He’d spoken under his breath just now, but Master Chang’s eyes flicked towards him instantly. Chang said nothing, but slowly raised a finger to his lips. Carl looked down at the mat.

Calm descended once again. Master Chang waited. Then he clapped his hands.

‘First bout,’ he said softly.‘Carl Warrick against Stephane Krupps.’

The two boys faced each other on the mat and bowed. The fight began.

Stephane, like Carl, was a karateka. But it was clear from the word go that he was outclassed. Carl’s boasts about his skill had not been empty.He swept aside Stephane’s defence, bearing him backwards and raining down blows; then he swept his legs from under him and Stephane was down on the mat, gasping for breath.

Master Chang raised his hand to signal that the bout was over. But to Matt’s surprise, Carl took no notice. He grabbed Stephane by his tunic and hauled him to his feet.

‘That was too easy, kid. Let’s go again!’

‘No,’ said Chang, without raising his voice. He strode forward.‘Your father is famous karate champion,’ he said.‘Member of Australian Olympic team.’

‘That’s right,’ said Carl.

‘I have seen him compete. He has good technique and great spirit.’ There was a pause. ‘Your father would be ashamed of you today,’said Chang.

Carl flushed.

‘In martial arts you must respect your opponent. Today you were stronger, but one day you will meet an opponent stronger than yourself. Bow to Stephane, Carl.’

Carl bowed jerkily and went back to his place. ‘Next bout,’ said Chang serenely.‘Lars Pedder and Shawn Hung.’

Matt watched, hoping to see his friend do well. Shawn and Lars tussled, gripping each other’s jackets. Lars was bigger than Shawn and seemed to have the advantage – but suddenly Shawn bent his knees, wedged his hip against Lars and with one quick movement sent him crashing to the mat. Matt gave Shawn a quick thumbs-up as he returned to his place, grinning.

Soon it was Matt’s turn. He was matched against a boy called Bruno, another tae kwon-do practitioner. Bruno was big and looked strong. He started aggressively with a series of forward punches. Matt blocked them all. He began to feel confident – Bruno was strong, but he made it so obvious what he was going to do next, Matt had no problem in countering. Bruno twisted his body away from Matt and delivered a back kick. Clearly this was supposed to take Matt by surprise, but he blocked it easily. Then, as Bruno turned back towards him, Matt delivered a high crescent kick which broke Bruno’s guard, then followed it with two forward punches to Bruno’s chest. Bruno backed off and Matt followed in with a beautiful, high axe kick, again smashing through Bruno’s guard. Bruno gave ground, then tried to retaliate with a reverse turning kick. Matt blocked this one-handed, and hit Bruno in the ribs with a well-timed side-kick. Bruno staggered and sat down hard on the mat.

Chang clapped.‘Enough. Well fought.’ He signalled a win for Matt by gesturing towards him with an open hand.

Matt and Bruno bowed to each other and returned to their places.

'You fight good!’ Catarina said to him. Matt
felt pleased. He knew he’d fought well, but he also felt the harder test was still to come.Against a tae kwon-do opponent he was in his element. Fighting against unfamiliar techniques would be a different ball-game.

More bouts followed in quick succession. Matt was glad to see that Shawn won his second bout, and Olivier won both of his. Catarina won too. Before Matt knew it, his turn had come around again.

This time he was matched against a red-haired German boy, Wolfgang. Wolfgang was shorter than Matt, but very strongly built. With his barrel chest and small round head he looked like a miniature bull. He was a ju-jitsu specialist. Matt had watched him win his previous fight and knew he was an opponent to be reckoned with.

Matt had barely taken his stance after bowing before Wolfgang dropped his head low and charged at him. Matt got in a glancing punch on Wolfgang’s shoulder – but now Wolfgang was in close. He grabbed Matt’s jacket and pushed him backwards, trying to hook his leg round Matt’s. Matt fought as best he could, but it was all he could do to keep his balance. He wasn’t used to this kind of combat.

Suddenly he noticed that his hip was in contact with Wolfgang’s stomach. The throw Shawn had used earlier flashed into his mind. He bent his knees, twisted his hip and straightened up. Wolfgang was pulled off his feet and rolled over Matt’s back. He crashed to the floor.

Master Chang signalled the win.

‘You did well,’ he said quietly to Matt.‘You show flexibility. Adaptability. That is good.’

Glowing from the fight and Chang’s praise, Matt went and stood next to Shawn.‘That was thanks to you,’ he said.

‘I said we could learn from each other, didn’t I?’

‘You did,’ said Matt.‘Thanks! Maybe I’ll teach you some kicks!’

That evening, the list of squad members was posted up on the notice-board outside the refectory.A huge crowd of students gathered around it. Matt, Catarina, Olivier and Shawn elbowed their way to the front.

‘Yes!’ said Matt. There was his name – MATT JAMES – in bold black type.

Catarina’s name was there too. So was Olivier’s. And, so was Shawn’s.

They all exchanged high fives.

‘Hey, what’s this – the list’s up?’ said a loud Australian voice.‘My name better be on t!’

It was Carl Warrick. He jostled his way to the front.‘Glad to see Chang’s got some sense,’ he said, peering at the notice-board.‘But why am I at the bottom of the list? I should be at the top!’

‘It’s alphabetical,’ said Matt. Everyone laughed.

Carl clenched his jaw.‘I knew that!’ he said.‘I was just kidding.’

Shawn turned to Matt.‘How about we go to the kwoon now and put in a bit of practice? You could teach me those kicks you were talking
about.’

‘Sure thing,’ said Matt.

‘Let’s all go!’ said Olivier.

‘How about you, Carl?’ said Matt. Carl wasn’t his favourite person, but they were all on the same team together.‘Want to come? We could teach each other a few moves.’

‘No, thanks,’ said Carl.‘There’s nothing you lot can teach me.’

‘Except manners, maybe?’ said Catarina, smiling sweetly.

That's the end of the first chapter, but it's just the start of their action-packed adventures!

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A STORY BY WEBBLICHEESY.

Bernie the Iceberg was having a grand old time talking to his good friend Jane the iceberg. Jane was a lot smaller than Bernie and was getting smaller by the minute.

"More tea?" asked Bernie as they just finished talking about Global Warming.

"Yes, please, Bernie".

Bernie turned around only for a second to get some tea and looked back and Jane was gone. ‘Oh no!’ cried Bernie, ‘I was afraid this would happen!’ He rushed over to the phone and called the WebbliWorld police!

‘Hello! Bernie the Iceberg here. I’m just calling you to tell you that my friend Jane has just disappeared! I turned around to get some more tea and she just disappeared!’
‘Ok just calm down,’ said the policeman calmly, ‘We’ll get someone over there as soon as possible!’
‘Wait! I know how it happened! It was all global warming!’ answered Bernie.
‘Ok we’ll come with a *GW professional! See you soon!’ and he hung up. (*GW = global warming).
10 minutes later a police boat pulled up alongside Bernie. Sitting in it was John, the police officer.
‘Hey, Bernie,’he said ecstatically, ‘You’re a lot smaller since I last saw you only a few days ago! What’s going on?’
‘Global Warming! That’s what! It’s melting me! It melted Jane already! She’s gone,’ cried Bernie.
‘Oh!’said John is disbelief, ‘I’m so sorry!’
‘Did you bring the GW professional?’
‘Bernie I am the GW professional! That’s why I was sent!
‘Oh well quickly! What do I do?’ asked Bernie.
‘Well you could move home! Or you could get the humans to stop burning fossil fuels! Apart from that there isn’t anything you can do!’
‘WHAT?!’ yelled Bernie, ‘YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT I’M JUST GONNA MELT AWAY! LIKE THAT!’
‘Geez, calm down Bernie! I was only joking,’laughed John.
‘Oh. Sorry for yelling! What can I do then?’

The next day Bernie woke up knowing that this was gonna be a better day than yesterday. John arrived at 6:00am with a truck-boat load of umbrellas and electric fans. He placed the umbrellas one by one on top of Bernie and turning on the battery powered fans. Bernie instantly felt a lot cooler and safer from the sun and global warming. Until this day Bernie is still one of the biggest icebergs in the area!

The End!

Read WebbliBooman's fantastic winning story, here.

Find out more about Global Warming, here.

Back to the WebbliZone Homepage.

A STORY BY WEBBLIBOOMAN

Webbli Booman wanted to go to the Caribbean and swim with Dolphins. But his old friend Webbli 4x4 thought it would be funny to swap his plane ticket so that he goes to Greenland instead. Webbli Booman soon realised what was happening - but it was too late to stop it. So, when he got there he decided to go for a walk so he could think up a way to get revenge on Webbli 4x4 but, as he was out shivering in the snow, he could hear someone calling for help. He put on his glasses and saw that it was an Iceberg ‘ Bernie The Iceberg’. He had heard about him on the news because he has been melting.

Bernie yelled ‘Please someone help! I thought melting was good because I could fit into my old trunks again - but if I carry on melting like this I won’t be here any longer and when I’m gone no one will be able to look after all the wildlife in the sea!’

Being a keen animal lover, Webbli Booman just had to do something.

‘I’ll make a deal with you,’ he called back. ‘If you help me to find Webbli 4x4 , then I’ll stop you from melting.’

‘Deal!’ shouted Bernie The Iceberg. ‘I know where he lives, down that track and to the right.’

So, off WebbliBooman went. He tricked Webbli 4x4 by saying that he had seen his car sinking in the sea. Webbli 4x4 rushed down the track to the ocean , but his car was not there.

‘Where is my beloved car?’ Webbli 4x4 exclaimed. ‘If I don’t have my car then I can’t get food, or go to work.’

‘And, if Bernie melts anymore you won’t need your car,’ said Webbli Booman. ‘You won’t even have your house because Greenland will melt too, unless people like you start taking responsibility. You don’t need to drive to work , it’s 1 mile away - you can walk or cycle. And you don’t need to have a 4x4, because they are worse for the environment. Bernie is dying and so are all the things that make your island. You better see sense or it’ll be too late!’

Webbli 4x4 looked around him and realised how beautiful his island was - and how lucky he was. He didn’t want that to be taken away forever.

‘From this day on, I promise to not use my car unless I really need to. I promise that the next car I get will be smaller. But you, Webbli Booman must stop flying to far off destinations unless you really need to. Aeroplanes are also bad for the environment.’

‘I promise,’ said Webbli Booman.

They also said they would make sure they always remember to turn lights off, turn off taps and recycle all packaging and unwanted food. It was a big promise to make, but they both swore to keep it - and did.

Bernie The Iceberg has not melted anymore, but if that’s to stay the same, we must all do our bit to help him and make this planet a greener and healthier one, like Webbli Booman And Webbli 4x4.

THE END

Back to WebbliCheesy's story.

KUL'S STORY

His name was Kul. He was a young man, about twenty years of age. The strongest in his tribe, Kul had long ragged hair entwining with his beard. His weather beaten clothes were made of animal furs, crudely strung together. Animals that he, Kul, had proudly slain, tigers, bears and even mammoths, all slain with his trusty spear, held at his side. Kul trudged inside the cave. Outside the weather was bitter. It was early morning and the dark clouds already kicking up a snowstorm. Kul and his wife, Ugg, huddled round the warmth of the fire. Kul put his arm round his shivering wife and looked out over the endless white of the snow, wondering if it would ever end.

Kul couldn’t sleep that night, for he knew that tomorrow he would start his quest; A quest to find the legendary fire God, in an effort to restore light and warmth to the bitter world he had known all his life.

The next day Kul set off, accompanied by his two loyal companions, Tug and Muka. The three trudged out across the icy snow carrying the last torch of the village, heading for the dreaded ice bridge, the one and only path towards the fire God’s home: the fiery summit of Mount Death.

Suddenly, out of nowhere came a ferocious bear. Kul took aim and threw his spear, piercing with deadly accuracy into the animal’s chest. But it would take more than one wound to stop the bear. The bear, enraged by the pain, struck out, hitting Tug and sending him flying back across the ice bridge and off the end, to be saved only by Muka’s strong grip. Kul drew his knife and threw himself at the bear, stabbing again and again in the heart. The bear fell to the ground, dead. The ice all around him cracked. A whole section of the bridge fell down, down, deeper and deeper to a watery grave in the chasm below. Muka pulled Tug up and the two turned to face the new threat, the large gap left by the bear. First Muka jumped, landing gracefully on the other side. Next, it was Tug’s turn. Tug leapt, but being younger than the other two he couldn’t jump as far as them. His jump was short of the far edge, but this time Muka’s hand wasn’t there to save him. Kul cried out in pain as he watched his friend falling to his death to lie with the bear at the bottom of the endless chasm. After losing Kul’s spear he and Muka were only armed with a knife and Muka’s Grandfather’s stone axe. With the burden of Tug’s death, the journey forward would be a lot harder than they had originally thought. Kul and Muka trudged on through the icy weather for days and days on end. With only a few measly kills of rabbits and one wolf, the fight for hunger was turning into a full-scale war. The nights were sleepless and the days bitter, but they battled on all in hope that one morning they would wake to see the faint but definite outline that was Mount Death.

Kul awoke to the voice of his friend. ‘Look!’ Muka cried, ‘There!’ Kul looked out over the horizon and, sure enough, there it was, Mount Death.

Two more sleepless nights passed with nothing to eat. But each morning it was that little bit closer. Up the long winding path that led to the summit, and then, there he stood, in all his glory, the beast that was the Fire God. He stood there, almighty and strong, his muscles bulged. The lava that ran through his veins shone through his charred, thick, black skin. One long thin beam of fire crackled and flickered along his head, his only weapon a long whip made solely of fire. A sight of sheet terror to any man. But Kul was no ordinary man. Fearless and brave he stood proudly in front of the beast.

‘I am Kul. I ask of you but one thing.’

The Fire God turned to face him. ‘And what might that be?’

‘I ask of you, please bring warmth and light to the darkness of the bitter world we live in.’
‘I will,’ the Fire God bellowed, ‘But only if you can complete this one task. Make a fire.’
Kul’s torch had long since burned out and all he had to use was Muka’s stone axe and a small flint. Kul crumbled up the handle of the torch and proceeded to hit the stone and the blade of the axe together. A few sparks flew off and then more and more, until one finally hit the wood. Smoke rose in one long thin plume. Kul blew on it, the spark turned in to a flame and the thin plume in to a large cloud. The fire was lit! ‘Congratulations.’ Said the Fire God. ‘And now, let there be light.’

With that great geysers of steam rose from the ground, melting the ice and snow. The sun came out from behind the clouds. The ice age was over!

Read WebbliSteph's Story, here.

Read WebbliBooman's Story, here.

Read WebbliCheesy's Story, here.

I love this one from WebbliClover2:

Knock knock
Who's there?
Interrupting cow.
Interrupting cow w..MOO!

Here's a quacking one from Webbli20clarabella04:

Why was the duck unhappy?
His bill was in the mail!

Here's a great one from WebbliMialani:

What type of birds stick together?
Vel crows!

Here's a funny one from WebbliMacey12345:

Why did Tigger look in the toilet?
Because he was looking for Pooh!

Ha ha ha! These two from WebbliJusticekat made me chortle:

What did the dog say to his owner?
Nothing, silly! Dogs can't talk!

What did the cat say when it fell?
Me-OW!

This one from WebbliCrystal8 makes you think:

What's the strongest animal in the world?
A snail because it carries its home on its back!

Here are some great ones from WebbliAnna93256:

Why do giraffes have such long necks?
Because their feet smell!

Two birds sitting on a perch.
One says to the other - 'can you smell fish?'

Love this one from WebbliAnna93256:

One day a man walks into a bar with a giraffe. After lots of beer the giraffe falls on the fall with drunkness.
"You cant leave that lyin' there," said the bar man.
"It's not a lion, it's a giraffe!!!"

You need to use your brain for this one from WebbliPrincess567:

How do you make a goldfish age?
Remove the 'g'!

Here's a great one from WebbliGeorgeClark:

What did the sea say to the penguin?
Nothing, it just waved!

I like this one from WebbliBinwee:

What do you get from cows?
Moolk!

LOL at this one from WebbliKittikat:

When I was a lifeguard these two elephants turned up at the swimming pool. They said, can we go for a swim? I said, no. They said, why not? I said - because there's only one pair of trunks between you!

How about this one from WebbliFizza:

Why did the rooster cross the road?
Because it was the chicken's day off!

This one from WebbliShannah247 made me giggle:

When you're in the jungle, what do you get if you add 4 + 4?
You get ate!

I love this one from WebbliSandscotch:

What do you get when a kangeroo crosses a snake?
A jump rope!

Here's a funny one from WebbliWebboo1:

What do you get if you cross a skunk with a bear?
Winnie the Pooh!

This one from WebbliGreenFreak made me guffaw!

What do you get when you cross a pig with a chicken?
A weird-looking thing that goes snobadoodle-do!

Ha ha! Here's funny one from WebbliArmando321:

What do you get if you cross a kangaroo with a dinosaur?
Big holes in the ground!

Here's a great one from WebbliMarmaduke2:

What do you get from a pampered cow?
Spoiled meat!

I love this one from WebbliBlueberry9:

What do you do when a rhino charges you?
Give him your wallet!

Here's one from WebbliSuperWebbli101:

What do you call a bull that's mean and rude?
A bully.

Here's a funny one from WebbliGreenFreak:

Why did the wolf cross the road?
To eat the chicken!

This is a clever joke from WebbliPunkgirl321:

How do you turn a beagle into a bird?
Remove the 'b'!

This joke from WebbliX_me_me_me_x made me ROAR with laughter!:

What do you call a bad lion tamer?
Claude Bottom!

I love this joke from WebbliWobluel:

Which animal hates rollercoasters?
The antiloop!

Here's a funny one from WebbliZialla:

Why did the possum cross the road?
To visit his flat mates!

This one from WebbliErinpaw made me giggle:

Why did the owl get invited to lots of parties?
Because he was always such a hoot!

Love this one from WebbliCrissylo:

What was the snail doing on the highway?
About one mile a day!

This is funny one from WebbliCassandra1999:

Why did the bubblegum cross the road?
Because it was stuck to the chicken!

This one from WebbliKieren Neal made me grin:

What do you get if you give a crocodile a camera?
A snap shot!

Love this one from WebbliCorndog Man:

A pony went to the doctor's surgery because it couldn't speak.
'I know what's wrong,' said the doctor. 'You're a little horse.'

Here's a funny one from WebbliMitra99:

A guy goes to a hotel on Sunday. He stays two nights. He leaves on Sunday. How does he do it?
He has a horse named Sunday!
I nearly fell of my chair chortling at this one from WebbliJetthunder2112:

A guy walks into a bar with a duck on his head. The barman says, 'Hey, a monkey. Cool.' The guys says, 'It's not a monkey, it's a duck.' The barman says 'I was talking to the duck.'

Here's another one from WebbliJetthunder2112:

Why did the chicken cross the road?
If it hadn't, there wouldn't be a joke.

I like this one from WebbliZialla:

What was the blackbird doing in the school library?
Looking for bookworms!

How about this daft one from WebbliMillpondginger:

The local market has been robbed of 3 barrels of garlic and 1 clove of garlic. Police are on the lookout for bunnies with bad breath.

Here's a silly one from WebbliHelen:

Why did the rooster cross the road?
To prove he wasn't chicken.

And, on that theme, here's a funny joke from WebbliCassandra1999:

Why did bubblegum cross the road?
The bubblegum was stuck to the chicken!

This series of jokes from WebbliZialla scored very high on my Giggle-O-Meter!

How do you get a giraffe in a fridge?
Open the door, put the giraffe in, shut the door.

How do you put an elephant in a fridge?
Open the door, take the giraffe out, put in the elephant, shut the door.

The lion king held a conference and all the animals had to be there; which animal didn't show up?
The elephant 'cause it was stuck in the fridge.

You're exploring the jungle and you come across a river infested with crocodiles; how do you get across?
Just swim across, the crocodiles are at the conference.

I love this one from WebbliWambo:

What kind of music does a rabbit listen to?
Hip Hop

Here are four corkers from WebbliSteph1598:

How long do chickens work?
Around the cluck!

Why did the rooster run away?
He was a chicken!

Why do ducks have flat feet?
To stamp out forest fires

Why do elephants have flat feet?
To stamp out burning ducks!

Here's a great one from WebbliTata432:

Why did the chick go to the sale?
Because everything was cheep, cheep, cheep!

Here's a chicky one from WebbliCashal007:

Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get to the other side!

Here's a snappy one from WebbliAerobaby:

What do you call a crab who picks up money?
A penny pincher!

How about these giggly ones from WebbliFashionstyle?

Why does Tigger smell so bad?
Because he plays with pooh all day!

What do you get when you cross a bird, a car, and a dog?
A flying car-pet......

Here's a shark's tale from WebbliCleo:

What do you get if you cross a shark with a parrot?
An animal that talks your ear off!

This one smells a bit fishy to me! It's from WebbliCharla:

Which fish has a sword?
A swordsfish!

This one's a bit yukky - but it's funny, too and it's from WebbliSmart.

Why did the hedgehog cross the road?
He wanted to visit his flat-mate!

This one made me ROAR! It's from WebbliSmart:

What is a lion's favourite part of the newspaper?
The Headlions!

I loved this one from Webbli Goober-Doo:

Why don't people like sleeping with the daddy dinosaur?
Because he's a bronto-snoraus!!!

A Webbli sent this one in - and it registered 100 Giggle-bytes on the Giggle-O-Meter.

A guy was driving around with a truck full of penguins, a policeman went up to him and said, "What do you think you're doing? You can't just go around driving a truck load of penguins in this town! Take them to the zoo immediately!" "Ok," said the driver calmly.

The next day the policeman saw the guy again and he was like the day before, driving around with a truck load of penguins but today all of the penguins were wearing sunglasses. "I thought I told you to take these penguins to the zoo!" said the policeman. "Oh I did," said the driver,sounding a tad confused, "and today I'm taking them to the beach."

Here's a very silly joke from WebbliKitten:

What's orange and sounds like a parrot?
A carrot!

Love this one from WebbliPriatepink:

What do you get when you cross a wolf with your grandma?
I don't know but little red riding hood's not bringing her a picnic.:)

Here's a brill new joke from WebbliFeo:

Where do spiders play football?
Webbly stadium! Or is that Webbli Stadium?!

How about this bouncy joke from WebbliKitten?

What do you get if you cross a sheep with a kangeroo?
A woolly jumper!

Another purrfect joke from WebbliKitten.

Did you hear about the cat who swallowed a glove?
It had mittens!

Here are two bonkers jokes from WebbliWoozle:

What do you call a blind deer?
No eye deer!

Knock, Knock.
Who's there?/i]
Amos.
Amos who?/i]
A Mosquito!

Here's a grrrreat new joke from WebbliSmelly:

How do people eat lion?
Roar!

I tried this next joke out on Wez and he fell for it! Yay! It was sent in by WebbliKitten. We all think it's a classic!

There are two cows in a field, one called 'Daisy' and one called 'Say it again'. Daisy died - who was left?

Say it again. (Repeat until person gets sick!)

We love this joke sent in by WebbliEyepop567:

What do you get when you cross a cow with a camel?
Lumpy milkshakes!!!

Yay! to WebbliBogieMan who has sent in these choice chuckles:

Why is the letter 't' so important to a stick insect?
Without it,it would be a sick insect.

What did one stick insect say to another?
Stick around.

What car do insects drive?
A volkswagon beetle.

What do you call a nervouse insect?
Jitter bug.

What do you call an insect that has just flown by?
A flu bug.

How do we know vultures are religious?
Because they're birds of prey.

What did the baby owl's parents say when he wanted to go to a party?
Your not owld enough.

Why were the Mum and Dad owls worried about there son?
Because, he didn't seem to give a hoot any more.

What sits in a tree and says, "Hoots,mon.Hoots,mon?"
A scottish owl.

Why did the sparrow fly into the library?
It was looking for bookworms!

Here's a jurassic josh from WebbliKitten:

Why did the dinosaur cross the road?
Because they didn't have chickens back then.

MORE ANIMAL QUACKERS

Why do bears have fur coats?
Because they can’t get plastic macs in their size!

What’s orange and sounds like a parrot?
A carrot!

Why wouldn’t the leopard take a bath?
He didn’t want to get spotlessly clean.

How does an elephant carry its things when it goes on holiday?
In its trunk.

What do bees chew?
Bumble gum.

What animal is like a yogurt?
A moose.

What happens when a frog breaks down?
It gets toad away.

What did the sheep say to his girlfriend?
‘I love ewe!’

What do you do if you come face to face with an adder?
Subtract it!

What do bees do if they want to get public transport?
They wait at the buzz stop!

What type of dog can you eat?
A hot dog.

What do you call a sheep with a machine gun?
Lambo.

Where do ducks keep their money?
In a river bank.

What is the definition of a snail?
A slug with a crash helmet.

How do toads greet one another?
‘Warts up!’

What do you call a donkey with three legs?
A wonkey.

What sound do hedgehogs make when they kiss?
‘Ouch!’

Why do bears have fur coats?
Because they can’t get plastic macs in their size!

What do baby apes sleep in?
Apri-cots.

What do you get if you sit under a cow?
A pat on the head!

What did one bee say to the other in summer time?
‘Swarm here, isn’t it?’

What do you call a sheep with no legs?
A cloud.

Why was the glow-worm unhappy?
Because her children weren’t very bright.

Which birds steal soap from the bath?
Robber ducks.

Hee hee hee!

BACK TO THE WEBBLIGIGGLES HOMEPAGE.

This two from WebbliSweetSugar made me chuckle:

What's a ghost's favourite fruit?
Boo-berries!

What's a ghost's favourite dessert?
Boo-berry pie and I-scream!

Love this one from WebbliPrincess667:

What do you say when you start a meeting with ghosts?
Please be sheeted!

Spooky fun from WebbliDonjohndaniel:

What's a ghost's favourite fairground ride?
The roller ghoster!

LOL at this one from WebbliAlli1198:

Why was the zombie happy to be in court?
He was hoping the judge would give him a life sentence!

I like these spoooky ones from WebbliFashionstyle:

Why didn't the skeleton dance at the party?
Because he had no "body" to dance with!!

Why did the ghost try out for the cheerleading squad?
To add a little team spirit.

This one from WebbliHigenbotum tickled my funny bone!

Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?
Because he did not have the guts to do it!

Here's a great monster joke from WebbliKitten:

What's a vampire's favourite food?
Neck-tarines.

What do you call a monster with a pair of socks in his ears?
Anything you like – he can’t hear you.

What do you say when King Kong graduates from university?
‘Kong-gratulations!’

Why should you never upset a cannibal?
You might get into hot water.

What does a ghost use to go hunting?
A boo and arrow.

How do ghosts begin letters?
Tomb it may concern . . .

Why didn’t the ghost go to the dance?
He had no-body to go with.

How do you address Count Dracula?
Very politely.

What is Dracula’s favourite sport?
Casketball.

Did you hear about the ghostly boomerang?
It kept on coming back to haunt people.

How do vampires kiss?
Very carefully.

How did the vampire race end?
Neck and neck.

How do ghosts like their eggs?
Terri-fried.

What is the best way for a ghost hunter to keep fit?
Exorcise regularly.

How do ghosts predict their futures?
The read their horror-scopes.

What did one zombie say to the other?
‘Get a life!’

What do baby ghosts chew?
Booble gum.

What do you call a monster with no neck?
The Lost Neck Monster.

What’s the definition of a cannibal?
Someone who goes into a restaurant and orders the waiter.

On which day do cannibals eat people?
Chewsday.

How did the cannibal congratulate his friend?
By toasting him.

What’s a cannibal’s favourite game?
Swallow the leader.

What kind of monster loves to dance?
The boogieman.

How do ghouls dance?
Shriek-to-shriek.

BACK TO THE WEBBLIGIGGLES HOMEPAGE.

What do you get if you cross a parrot with a centipede?
A walkie-talkie.

What do you get if you cross a flower with a lion?
I don’t know, but I wouldn’t want to smell it.

What do you get if you cross a cat with a bottle of vinegar?
A sour-puss.

What do you get if you cross a sheepdog and a bunch of roses?
Collie-flowers.

What do you get if you cross a kitten with a ball of wool?
Mittens.

What do you get when you cross a werewolf with a cow?
A burger that bites back.

What’s stranger than seeing a catfish?
Seeing a goldfish bowl.

Why did the germ cross the microscope?
To get to the other slide.

What’s green, grows on trees and is scared of wolves?
The Three Little Figs.

What do you get if you cross a trout with an apartment?
A flat fish.

What do you get if you cross a ghost with a packet of crisps?
Snacks that go crunch in the night.

What do you want to say when you stop a boat?
‘Whoa, whoa, whoa the boat.’

What do you get if you cross a tiger with a snowman?
Frostbite.

What would you get if you crossed a cat with a shark?
A dog-less town.

What do you get when you cross a chicken with a cement mixer?
A brick layer.

What do you get if you cross a lion with a footballer?
I don’t know, but when it tries to go for goal, no one stops it!

What do you get if you cross a vampire with a mummy?
Something you wouldn’t want to unwrap.

What do you get if you cross loud music with an English lesson?
Punktuation.

What do you get if you cross a flying horse with a swine?
Pigasus.

What do you get if you cross a ghost with a chicken?
A poultry-geist.

What do you get if you cross a chicken with a bell?
An alarm cluck.

What do you get if you cross a worm with a young goat?
A dirty kid.

What do you get if you cross a chicken with a duck?
A bird that lays down.

What do you get if you cross a jellyfish and an aircraft?
A jelly copter.

What do you get if you cross a dinosaur with a pig?
Jurassic Pork.

What do you get if you cross a nun with a barn full of chickens?
A pecking order.

What do you get if you cross a footballer with a ghost?
A ghoulie.

What do you get if you cross a couple of bananas with a pair of shoes?
Slippers.

What do you get if you cross an insect and a dance?
A cricket ball.

What do you get if you cross a sheep and a vampire?
A were-wool.

BACK TO THE WEBBLIGIGGLES HOMEPAGE.

So, where do tigers live?
They hang out in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Nepal. But, most of them live in India. They live in both forest and grassland. And they need a lot of space. Each tiger has a home range of between 10-800 square kilometres. That's quite a bit bigger than my back garden!
How big do they get?
You wouldn't want to pick a fight with one. They can weigh more than 250kg and measure up to three metres from their head to the tip of their tail. And, don't forget the teeth!
Talking of teeth, what do they eat?
Even though tigers have a reputation for being man-eaters - they hardly ever attack people. They don't eat Webblis, either! Phew! They much prefer deer, buffalo and wild pigs. They'll also eat monkeys, birds and reptiles.
Why the stripes?
They help camouflage the tiger so they can creep up on their prey. Their stripe patterns are just like our fingerprints. No two are alike.
Splish, splash. I'm having a bath!
Unlike most cats - tigers love water as you can see from our pic. And, they're really good swimmers, too!
If they're so strong why are they in trouble?
Teeth and claws are no match for a poacher's gun. Tigers are being killed by the hundreds because people want to buy their skins, bones and organs.
Did you say bones and organs?
'Fraid so. They're used in traditional Chinese medicines. There's a thriving illegal trade out of India and Russia. And, I bet you didn't know that the biggest market for these medicines outside Asia is the United States.
How many are left?
Not many, is the sad truth. In the last 100 years, tigers have declined by a shocking 95%! There used to be around 100,000 in the wild. Now, there are less than 7000. I bet you didn't know that there are more tigers than that in captivity in the US!
You can make a difference, WebbliDudes!
Help the WWF in their work to save tigers by adopting a gorgeous Bengal Tiger called Malu Pothi (this means female from the Malumela area). Why not ask your Mum and Dad? You'll get a fab, cuddly Tiger toy, plus an adoption certificate and lots more! Find out all about adopting Malu Pothi, WWF.

GO BACK TO THE WWF WEBBLIZONE HOMEPAGE.

Photograph © WWF-Canon / Bernard DE WETTER

So, here are the furry facts:

Giant Pandas live in China.
They used to roam through the forests of Myanmar and North Vietnam, too. But now, they are confined to patches of forest across six mountain ranges in south-western China.

Giant Pandas never stop eating!
Yep, it's true. Well, almost! These cuddly vegetarians can munch their way through as much as 40kg of bamboo every day! Makes my jaw ache just to think of it! They need to eat tons of the stuff because it isn't very nutritious and it is very hard to digest. They've even got special broad, flat, back- teeth to help them crush the bamboo. And, unlike any other bear, their wrist bone is extra-big and works like our thumbs do to help them grip the bamboo. Amazing, eh?

Giant Pandas don't hibernate.
They do sleep a lot - but they don't sleep all winter. When it gets cold they often move down the mountain to a warmer spot. And, who can blame them? They can't put their thermals on like you and I!

Baby Giant Pandas aren't giant, at all!
They are tiny! They weigh between 90-130grams and are practically bald. I bet Wij was a funny little baby! Do you think he was born with his glasses on?

Giant Pandas are the rarest bears in the world.
It's true. Life for the panda isn't easy. China has a huge human population which is growing all the time. More and more people want to cut down the forests where pandas live to make way for homes and farming. And, lots of nasty poachers kill pandas and their cubs and sell their pelts (skin) illegally. Yuk!

But if the Giant Panda doesn't survive, the Chinese people won't survive.
Pandas live at the top of a vast river valley called the Yangtze Basin. It is home to millions of people, who have been using all the natural resources of the area for generations. It's a very special place that has many different habitats where all sorts of rare animals and plants live. The local people make their living from this region by fishing, farming, transport, hydropower (water-powered electricity) and tourism. If this amazing ecosystem is not protected, it won't just be the pandas who will struggle to survive.

You can help, WebbliDudes!
You really can adopt a real, wild panda called Zho Xiong (Ju-Shong). Her name means Bamboo Bear. Why not ask your Mum and Dad or an adult who looks after you? You'll get a cuddly panda toy, adoption certificate and lots more.

Find out all about adoptions.

BACK TO THE WWF WEBBLIZONE HOMEPAGE.

© WWF-Canon / Alain COMPOST

So, what's with the name?
Orang-utan means 'man of the forest' which just about sums them up. (Except that there are girl orang-utans too, of course!) They live up in the canopy of tropical forests on just two islands in Southeast Asia - Borneo and Sumatra. You won't find orang-utans anywhere else on the whole planet!

They look pretty big to be swinging from twigs.
They are! They're the largest tree-living mammal and can reach up to 90kg.

Are they clever?
Orang-utans are very intelligent. When it rains, they use large leaves as umbrellas! How sensible is that?! They also use leaves as drinking cups. And, by the way, they're not monkeys, they're apes. Apes don't have tails.

And, do they eat bananas?
They love fruit! But, their top favourite is the durian fruit, which happens to smell absolutely disgusting. Doesn't seem to bother them, though!

Do they live in family groups like gorillas?
No, orang-utans prefer to go it alone. The males keep tabs on each other by shouting across the forest. Their loud calls can be heard 1km away! At night, they make a 'nest' of branches and leaves to sleep in way up in the treetops.

How many babies do they have?
A female will only have a single baby every 8 years or so and will produce about four youngsters in her lifetime.

How many are there in the world?
Unfortunately, things aren't looking too good for them at the moment. Their numbers have almost halved in the last twenty years to about 48,000. The Sumatran orang-utan is now critically endangered.

But, why?
Their forest habitats are being cleared for commercial logging on a massive scale. Their forests are also being felled to make way for oil palm plantations and agriculture. Some horrible people catch wild orang-utans to keep or sell as pets. Out of every seven captured, six will die before they are even sold.

As usual, you can help WebbliDudes!
You can adopt a wild orang-utan called Koyah. Koyah is a river which runs through the Ulu Segama Forest Reserve where she lives. You'll get a brill cuddly orang-utan toy, an adoption certificate and lots more.

Find out about adopting Koyah.

BACK TO THE WWF WEBBLIZONE HOMEPAGE

So, let's break the ice with question number one!

Just how big are Polar Bears?
Adult males measure around 2-2.5 metres from the tip of their nose to the tip of their tail. And, they weigh around 400-600kg (880-1300 lbs). (That's a lot more than me even after I've scoffed my Christmas dinner!)

But, if they're that huge, how come they don't just crash through the ice?
Get this - they've got snowshoes! It's true. Their enormous paws work just like snowshoes, distributing their weight evenly, although they do still have to be careful. And, the pads of their feet are covered with soft, tiny growths called papillae (I must remember that one when I next play Scrabble with Wij and Wez!). These little bumps make their feet stick to the ice better, so they don't slip over. Could do with those on my ice skates!

What do they like to eat?
Their top favourite meal is ringed seal, because it's very high in fat. They need around 2kg of fat every day. (Don't get any ideas! We Webblis are better off with fruit and veg!)

When do they eat?
Polar bears do most of their hunting between late April and mid-July. They need sea ice because it is where the ringed seals come to have their pups. When the sea ice melts each year, polar bears fast (that means they stop eating).

Why don't they starve?
Before global warming really kicked in, the bears were fine. There was plenty of sea ice around during their hunting season so they could really fatten up before it melted each year. The trouble is, as the planet heats up, it freezes later in the year and thaws earlier. This means that the polar bears aren't able to get to their food during the hunting season. So, they can't fatten up. If they can't fatten up they have fewer reserves for the winter and are less able to produce milk for their young.

Arctic sea ice has shrunk by 14% since the 1970's. If it continues to do so, there'll be no Arctic sea ice during the summer months within our lifetime. And, that could mean no polar bears, either.

No polar bears? How terrible is that?! Is there anything we can do?
Of course there is! We Webblis need to make all our friends and family aware that we have to save energy. That means not leaving computers and TVs on stand-by, switching off lights, using low-energy bulbs, turning the central heating thermostat down, walking instead of getting in the car.
Lots of schools around the world are turning to green energy. They're fitting solar panels and installing wind turbines. Could your school be greener? Why not talk to your teachers? If we all pull together, we can save the polar bear! Wouldn't that be cool?

EXPLORE THE LAND OF THE POLAR BEARS

BACK TO THE WWF WEBBLIZONE HOMEPAGE

Love this fruity one from WebbliCeara123:

Why was the apple lonely?
Because the banana split!

Here are some funny ones from WebbliAnna93256:

Doctor, doctor, I feel like a pair of curtains!
Pull yourself together!

Doctor, doctor, I think i need glasses.
You sure do, sir, this is a restaurant!

Knock knock
Who's there?
Sadie.
Sadie who?
Sadie magic words!

What's an ig?
An eskimo's house without a loo!

Why did the mushroom go to the party?
Because he was a fun guy! (Fungi - geddit?!)

Here's a great one from WebbliPrincess72:

It was a beautiful sunny day. Brain was sitting in the toilet for hours(Brain was Mad's wife). Somebody and Nobody were quarreling. And Mad was happily chomping on a carrot and reading a newspaper.(Strange names, huh?!) Suddenly, Mad heard Nobody's scream. He rushed to the window and stared in horror. Somebody had a knife in his hand, and Nobody lay beneath him, lifeless, blood pouring out his chest. "OH NO!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, SOMEBODY!!!!" he cried. He rushed towards the phone and called the police. "Hello? Hello? Yes, Mr. Andrews, this is very serious. SOMEBODY KILLED NOBODY!!!". The police rolled his eyes on hearing this. He asked,"Are you Mad?" "Yes, I am Mad!!!" "Then where's your brain?" "Where else? Brain is in the toilet!!!"

Love this one from WebbliSarahbeth687:

Why did the broom miss work today?
Because he overswept!

Here's a funny one from WebbliCasey12:

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Doctor.
Doctor who?
You said it - Doctor Who!

This one from WebbliPek09 made me chortle:

What's the difference between a teacher and a train?
One says 'spit out your gum' and the other says 'Chew, chew, chew!'

Here's a great one from WebbliGamerguy1:

What's black and white and red all over?
A newspaper! (Read all over - geddit?!)

Here's a good one from WebbliAiyanna:

A plane crashes exactly half way between Indiana and Kentucky. Where do you bury the survivors?
You don't bury them! They're still alive!

Here's a great Webbli joke from WebbliSugarsweet:

Why did the Webbli cross the park?
To get to the other slide!

Here's a cool riddle from WebbliMacky33:

What's black and white and read all over?
A newspaper!

This on from WebbliDJSpin make me chortle:

What colour is a burp?
Burple!

I like this riddle from WebbliNeilster360:

What state has 4 As and 1 B?
Alabama!

Here's a very pongy one from WebbliGreenFreak:

What's smelly and white?
My brother's socks!

I nearly laughed my head off at these crackers from WebbliFizza:

Knock, knock!
Who's there?
Boo.
Boo who?
There's no need to cry. It's just a joke!

A man walks into a bar.
Ouch..

Why is Cinderella no good at football?
Because she has a pumpkin for a coach!

How funny is this one from WebbliFuzzyshadow:

What does an astronaut eat?
MEATeorites!

Here's a really funny one from WebbliRed4x4:

Why did the money cross the road?
I don't know, because it lost its cents on the other side!

Here's a mad one from Webbli707:

Why did the boy not get paid?
Because he didn't pay attention!

This one from WebbliLily Violet made me chortle!:

Why are pirates pirates?
Because they arrrrrrr!

I like this mad one from WebbliGothGlitz:

Knock, knock!
Who's there?
Eve.
Eve who?
Eve-il babysitter here to ruin your day!

Here's a good one from WebbliMz.fabulous Girl:

[b}Why did the egg laugh?
Because it cracked up!

What did one toilet say to the other toilet?
You look a little flushed!

I love this one from WebbliChocobluejeans:

What's the tallest building in the world?
The library, because it has loads of stories!

Here's one from WebbliEllieloo:

What do you get when there's ten sausages in a frying pan?
Burnt fingers!

This one from WebbliLaura0001 made me chortle:

Why did a child eat his homework?
Because his teacher said it was a piece of cake!

I LOVE this one from WebbliStarry Night!:

So, a snobbish man walks into an art gallery. He walks up to a certain piece and says,"I suppose this painting of a hideous monster is what you call modern art."
The assistant showing him around says, "No sir,that is what we call a mirror!"

Here's a brainy one from WebbliBrainyAngels:

Why was 6 afraid of 7?
Because 7 8 9 and 10! (7 ATE 9 and 10 - geddit?!)

This one from WebbliRenshi made me laff:

Why did the child bring a ladder to school?
Because he wanted to be in high school!

Here's a brain teaser from WebbliOliviaplaut:

A cowboy rode into town on Friday. He stayed three days and left on Friday. How did he do it?
His horse was called 'Friday'!

This one from WebbliDandelion made me giggle:

What did one eye say to the other eye?
Between you and me, something smells.

This one from WebbliKitkatgomez123 is weeelly funny!:

Knock, knock!
Who's there?
Wayne.
Wayne who?
Wayne, wayne, go away, I only want sunny days on my holiday!

I chortled at these from WebbliLillan:

Why was Cinderella no good at playing hockey?
Because she was always running away from the ball!

Why couldn't Cinders use horses to pull the Pumpkin Coach?
Because they were too busy playing stable tennis!

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Sam.
Sam who?
Sam Francisco, here I come!

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Sacha.
Sacha who?
Sacha lot of questions!

Here's a very silly one from WebbliClap01:

Who said you had a big nose?
Nosebody did!

Here's a bonkers one from WebbliMegzy172!:

There were two men on a palne that were too heavy. So, the pilot told them to hop off but instead one threw a pie out of the plane and the other threw a bomb. But, they were still too heavy so they got off the plane. When they got off, they saw a boy crying and they asked him what was wrong and he said a pie fell on his head. Then they walked up a bit further and a boy was laughing. They asked him why and he said that he farted and the house blew up behind him!
(The boy thought he blew up the house by farting but it was actually the bomb that dropped out of the plane)...

I like this one from WebbliMoonio:

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Axel.
Axel who?
Axeldental tourist!

This joke from WebbliEme made me cry with laughter:

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Boo.
Boo who?
There's no need to cry, it's just a joke!

This one from WebbliBlackatv fits my Jokes' Page to a tee(!):

Why did the golfer wear 2 pairs of pants?
In case he got a hole in one!

WebbliQueen125dog made this up and I love it!:

What are orange and fall out of planes?
Carrot-troopers!

I love this one from WebbliGem Gem01:

What did the traffic light say to the car?
Don't look, I'm changing!

This one from Webbli Rachie made me snort with laughter:

Why can't a nose be 12 inches long?
Because then it would be a foot!

Here's a silly joke from WebbliHiman:

What colour's a burp?
Burple!

'Ello, 'ello, 'ello, what's this funny joke, then, from WebbliBinarybard:

What did the policeman say to his belly button?
You're under a vest!

A great giggle from Danielle1761:

What cures a sick lemon?
Lemonade! (Lemon-aid geddit?!)

This one from WebbliBailey9999 is good for a giggle:

Did you hear the one about the jump rope and the lollypop?
Skip it, it sucks!

Here's a cool one from WebbliPinkypie5567:

What kind of message do people send on Twitter?
Short and tweet!

This will make you cry with laughter! From WebbliSethseth6:

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Boo.
Boo who?
Why are you crying?

Is this next one silly or what?! From WebbliPurple_writer:

Knock knock!
Who's there?
Soda lady!
Soda lady who?
Stop yodeling and get to work!

I love this joke from WebbliMagicmichael66:

Teacher: Maria please point to America on the map.
Maria: This is it.
Teacher: Well done. Now class, who found America?
Class: Maria did.

More great jokes from WebbliZialla! Thanks for sending in so many.:

What is easy to get into, but difficult to get out of?
Trouble.

How many apples can you fit into an empty 1m by 59cm box?
One, 'cause then it's not empty any more.

Teacher: Please don't talk while you're doing your exam!
Student: It's alright miss, we're not doing the exam, just talking!
This one from WebbliFungirl made me laugh my socks off:

Why did the man put his money in the freezer?
Because he wanted cold, hard cash.

Some clowning around from WebbliRavegirl88:

Why don't monsters eat clowns?
Because they taste funny.

I like this one from WebbliZialla:

What's a barbecue?
A line of people waiting for Barbie dolls!

Another hilarious one from WebbliZialla. LOL!

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Banana.
Banana who?

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Banana.
Banana who?

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Banana.
Banana who?

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

This joke from WebbliKenzieP123 made me giggle:

What goes bonk, honk, bonk, honk, bonk, honk?
A clown falling down 10 flights of stairs.

Here's one from WebbliMaddmoo123 for all you number crunchers:

Why was six scared of seven?
Because seven eight nine!

What about this one from WebbliJazzco:

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Dwain.
Dwain, who?
Dwain the bath, I'm drowning!

Here's a silly one from WebbliRadGirl:

Why did the pilgrims' trousers fall down?
Because their belts were always on their hats!

This one from WebbliAlly2cool made me giggle:

Knock, knock!
Who's there?
Lettuce.
Lettuce who?
Let us in!

I love this one from WebbliInkypinky97:

What did one plate say to the other?
Lunch is on me!!

Here'a a daft one from WebbliLovely1234:

What did the frame say to the picture?
Get in me, you're supposed to be in me!

Knock,knock. Whos' there? A funny joke from WebbliWebbligirl14:

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Jess.
Jess, who?
Jess me, open the door.

There's nothing rubbish about this one from WebbliNash1nash:

One day my mom said to take out the trash.
So, then, i said Do you think i should take the trash out to the movies or to dinner?

Try this tricky tongue twister from WebbliFashionstyle:

Betty Botter Bought some butter then she put it in her batter
then she said the butters bitter so she bought some better butter better then her other butter then she put it in her batter and it blurted out be better.
So twas' that Betty Botter bought some better butter.

And some more silliness from WebbliFashionstyle:

Why did the stadium flood?
Because everyone was doing the wave!

What happened to the lady who slept with her head under the pillow?
When she woke up she found the fairies had taken all her teeth out!

What did the paper say to the pencil?
Scratch my back and I'll erase yours

This one from WebbliTelli123 made me chortle:

what did the traffic light say to the people?
Don't look i'm changing!

Here's a daft one from WebbliMc70:

Mrs Abe: My daughter is on a boat to another
country.
Mrs County: Jamaica?
Mrs Abe: No, she went of her own accord.

This joke from WebbliBlebbli made the Giggle-O-Meter go bananas:

Why did the banana go to the hospital?
Because he wasn't peeling well!

Here's a bonkers 'Knock Knock' joke from WebbliPingu112:

Knock Knock...
Who's there?
You.
You who?
What are you 'yoo-hooing' me for?

This one made the Giggle-O-Meter go crazy! It's from WebbliberrySoda{/b]:

KNOCK, KNOCK.....
WHO'S THERE?
THATS.
THATS, WHO?
Thats the way uh hu uh hu i like it uh hu uh hu
thats the way uh hu uh hu i like it....

There's nothing rubbish about this one from WebbliCaroline211:

What has four wheels and flies?
A garbage can.

Here's a daft one from WebbliSmart:

There was once an idiot with such a bad itch that he went to the newsagents and brought a scratch card!

This pirate joke from WebbliBurp shivered me timbers:

What's a pirate's favourite shop?
Arrrgos.

This cheeky one from WebbliMayMay made me chuckle!

Have you heard of the movie 'Constipated'?
It never came out! hahahahaha....

We're sticking to the toilet theme with this one from WebbliBerrysoda. It's funnier if you say it out loud.

If you're American in the living room what are you in the bathroom?

European! (Geddit? It sounds like 'you're a peeing'....teeheee...)

Here's a great one from WebbliHayHay. It's funnier if you say it out loud:

What's a buck an ear?
Expensive corn.

Here's a couple to make you giggle from WebbliFritz.

What's the difference between a cabbage and a booger?
Kids don't like eating cabbage!

When I have 5 oranges in my left hand and 10 apples in the other one, what do I have?
Big hands!

Here's a daft one from WebbliTrainpower:

Repeat fell off the bridge. Who fell of the bridge?
Repeat.
Repeat fell off the bridge. Who fell off the bridge?
Repeat.
Repeat fell off the bridge. Who fell off the bridge?
Repeat, but I'm tired of that joke!

WebbliKitten sent us these great jokes:

What did the traffic light say to the car?
Don't look now I'm changing.

What lies in a pram and wobbles?
A jelly baby.

What flies and wobbles?
A jellicopter.

BACK TO THE WEBBLIGIGGLES HOMEPAGE

CHOCOLATE

I’ve been whizzing about in my hydrogen-powered WebbliCopter, as usual, and guess where my latest adventure has led me?! To the amazing, incredible chocolate beans! Well, actually they’re called cocoa beans or cocoa seeds or just cocoa. But the super cool part is that these beans are the very beginning of the process of making chocolate yet they look nothing like a Mars Bar or a Cadbury’s flake. You can see the beans inside a cocoa pod here. Apparently, the first cocoa beans were found in South America.
Why don’t you leave me a message telling me your favourite kind of chocolate: white, milk, plain or maybe there’s a special chocolate bar that you like? Then you can read about what your Webbli friends like, too! It’ll be sweet! Teehee!
Find out more about the history of chocolate.

HORSES

This week I’ve been researching some animals with lucky shoes! I’m talking about horses! Teehee!
Riding horses is super fun! It’s a popular hobby but of course there are many people who do it professionally. Whether racing or doing gymkhana working with horses is a tricky business even for the pros.
Owning a horse is a big responsibility whether you have a tiny falabella or a huge shire horse. They need care and attention and of course all the love you can give them. If you’d like to know more click here and then click on ‘Perfect Pony Tips’ for cool info about horse care or click here to play loads of fun horse games!

ORIGAMI

I’ve found out some seriously arty crafty stuff this week. Origami, which is basically folding paper into really cool and pretty shapes, has been my thing this week! Little is known about the history of this amazing craft but paper was invented in China in the first century. Therefore, it is likely that origami is a very very old tradition. Over the years people have managed to make amazing shapes out of paper: swans, cranes, flowers and even dragons. Some origami patterns are quite simple and others like these dragons are incredibly complicated. To make a basic swan click here or to chose your own origami pattern select from the huge list here.

Have a go and then email me. Tell me how it worked out for you and maybe even send me a photo of your origami creations? Get folding Webblis!

COOKIE RECIPE

This week, after a tiring search in my hydrogen-powered WebbliCopter, I’ve been cookie-ing in the kitchen! Teehee! That’s right, Webblis, I’ve managed to find a wonderful recipe and so I’ve been baking cookies. I used the recipe from here. It’s on the BBC’s website which has lots of other great recipes although this one is my favourite. It says to use dark chocolate but I’ve used milk chocolate, white chocolate and I even tried raisins! They were all delicious and I had lots of fun making them! Even Wij enjoyed them! Oh, I almost forgot! Be safe - remember to ask your parents or guardians for help before you try any cooking in your kitchen at home.

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE

Ok Webblis, brace yourselves for excitement! I am going to tell you about someone who is just like me! Well, he was actually a man, he used a boat instead of a WebbliCopter and he helped defeat the Spanish Armada (which I definitely haven’t done)…and he’s dead. Ok, so maybe there is more of a difference between us than I first led you to believe but what he did and what I do are similar: travelling, exploring, reporting back to the people of Earth or Webbliworld. In fact, I would say that Sir Francis Drake was the roving reporter of his day - his days being roughly from 1540-1596. He was the second person to circumnavigate the globe and the first Englishman to do it. Anyway, he is one of my favourite historical figures and you can find more info on him
here. Also, the book ‘Sir Francis Drake and His Daring Deeds’ by Andrew Donkin, which is probably available at your local library, has loads of cool facts about him too. I hope you find this buccaneer-explorer-sailor as amazing as I do!

Image by Bernard Landgraf.

Where do they live?

Snow leopards prefer dry and semi-dry shrubland and grassland. They’re found right across central and southern Asia including Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
In Russia and parts of the Tian Shan in China they live in open coniferous forest. Generally, however, they avoid dense forest, preferring steep terrain broken by cliffs, ridges, gullies and rocky outcrops.

What do they eat?

Snow leopards are seriously strong. They can kill prey three times their own weight which is pretty impressive! They eat ibex, deer, boars, marmots and other small rodents. They use ambush tactics to pounce on their prey and can leap an amazing 14 metres.
Unusually for cats, they also eat a small amount of vegetation such as grass and twigs. When they can’t find anything to hunt, they sometimes take domestic livestock which puts them in conflict with farmers. Sometimes farmers kill leopards. Our fave conservation boffins, WWF, have been working with farmers to construct leopard-proof fencing so they can keep their livestock safe.

When do they have cubs?

Snow leopard cubs are usually born between April and June. The mother makes a den lined with her own soft fur and gives birth to between one and five cubs. The baby cubs are born with thick fur but they are blind and helpless and can’t walk until they’re around 5 weeks old. They leave the den at around two to four months old but stay with their mother until they’re about 20 months old.

Are they endangered?

Snow leopards are endangered. They are solitary animals that need large territories and their habitat is under threat from over-grazing. They are also hunted for their beautiful pelt and also to use their bones in Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine is responsible for the destruction of many other endangered creatures including tigers and rhinos.

What can I do to help the snow leopard?

You can join WWF and help support the amazing work they do to help save this beautiful creature. There may be fewer than 2,500 breeding snow leopards left in the wild. We all need to help before it’s too late.