Taco McSoombrero and the Golden Salsa
Page 1
The sun rose over Crunchyville. It shone over Taco Avenue, Fillings Valley, Bean Forest, and the mountains.
In the middle of Taco Avenue lived a strange hero.
His name was Taco McSoombrero.
He was a taco with a large sombrero, a big appetite, and a habit of causing trouble.
Page 2
One morning, Taco was riding a taco-shaped skateboard down Taco Avenue.
“Make way!”
He passed the Production Point.
“Coming through!”
He jumped over three boxes of cheese.
“Easy!”
He landed in a pile of lettuce.
“Perfect.”
A worker looked at him.
“That was not perfect.”
Page 3
Suddenly, the bells of Assembly Hall rang.
DONG! DONG! DONG!
Everyone stopped.
The mayor ran into the street.
“Everyone! There is an emergency!”
“What happened?” asked the people.
The mayor pointed toward Assembly Hall.
“The Golden Salsa has been stolen!”
Page 4
Everyone became quiet.
The Golden Salsa was the most valuable treasure in Crunchyville.
Taco looked surprised.
“Who stole it?”
“We do not know.”
Taco fixed his sombrero.
“Then I know what I will do.”
“What?”
“Detective work!”
“You have never done detective work.”
“Exactly. Nobody will expect me.”
Taco began his first adventure.
Page 5
Taco entered Assembly Hall.
The Golden Salsa had been kept inside a special vault.
The vault door was still locked.
The guards stood outside.
“No one entered,” said the captain.
Taco looked around.
“Then how was it stolen?”
He looked at the floor.
There were footprints.
They were very small.
Page 6
Taco followed the footprints.
They led to a window.
The window was too small for a normal taco.
Taco smiled.
“Lucky for me, I am not normal.”
He squeezed through the window.
SQUISH!
He landed outside.
The footprints continued toward the forest.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind him.
“Looking for something?”
Page 7
Taco turned around.
A Spanish traveler stood there. He wore a red cape and carried a large wooden spoon.
“My name is Don Gazpacho.”
Taco looked at him.
“Are you the thief?”
Don Gazpacho looked surprised.
“Me? Steal salsa? No.”
“You have a spoon.”
“Yes.”
“And you look suspicious.”
“That is not proof.”
Page 8
Taco thought for a moment.
“Fair enough.”
Don Gazpacho pointed toward the forest.
“I saw someone running that way.”
Taco smiled.
“Then let us go.”
Taco and Don Gazpacho entered Bean Forest.
The trees were covered with beans.
There were black beans, red beans, and green beans.
Then the ground shook.
THUMP.
Page 9
Taco stopped.
THUMP.
Don Gazpacho raised his spoon.
“What was that?”
A giant creature jumped from behind the trees.
It was the Bean Monster.
“Who enters my forest?”
Taco raised his hands.
“Hello.”
“Leave!”
“We are looking for the Golden Salsa.”
The Bean Monster stopped.
“Golden Salsa?”
“Yes.”
Page 10
“I protect Guacamole Mountain,” said the Bean Monster. “I saw strangers going toward it.”
Taco looked at Don Gazpacho.
Don Gazpacho looked at Taco.
The Bean Monster pointed toward the mountains.
“But be careful.”
“Why?”
“The Jalapeno Fields are between the forest and the mountain.”
Taco smiled.
“Jalapenos? I can handle them.”
The Bean Monster laughed.
“You will not say that after meeting the Jalapeno Riders.”
Page 11
Between Bean Forest and Guacamole Mountain were large fields of jalapeno plants.
These were special jalapenos. They were used to make the famous guacamole of Crunchyville.
Taco walked carefully.
“This is a peaceful farm.”
A whistle sounded.
Suddenly, small riders appeared on giant jalapenos.
“Intruders!”
Taco stared at them.
“Why are the jalapenos riding?”
Page 12
The Jalapeno Riders charged.
Taco ran.
Don Gazpacho ran.
The jalapenos chased them.
“Faster!”
“I am a taco!”
“Then roll!”
Taco jumped onto his sombrero.
It rolled down the hill.
He crashed into the Jalapeno Riders.
They fell into a pile of leaves.
Taco stopped.
“See?”
Don Gazpacho looked at him.
“You planned that?”
“No.”
Page 13
They continued toward Guacamole Mountain.
At the entrance, the Bean Monster was waiting.
“You have returned.”
Taco pointed at the mountain.
“We need to enter.”
The Bean Monster crossed his arms.
“No one enters without proving that they are worthy.”
Taco sighed.
“What do I have to do?”
“Defeat me.”
Taco looked worried.
“Can we play rock-paper-scissors instead?”
“No.”
Page 14
The battle began.
The Bean Monster stomped.
BOOM!
Taco jumped.
The monster swung his giant bean club.
Taco moved out of the way.
Don Gazpacho threw his spoon.
CLANG!
The monster lost his balance.
Taco jumped onto his sombrero and used it as a spinning shield.
The Bean Monster laughed.
“You are very strange!”
“Thank you!”
Taco stopped fighting.
Instead, he gave the Bean Monster a taco.
Page 15
The monster took a bite.
“This is good.”
He stepped aside.
“You may enter.”
Inside Guacamole Mountain was a large underground cave.
In the middle was a glowing green chamber.
It was the Guacamole Core.
Taco looked at it.
“Wow.”
Don Gazpacho looked around.
“Someone has been here.”
There were footprints on the ground.
There was also a golden thread.
Page 16
Taco picked it up.
“This looks like part of a Spanish cape.”
Don Gazpacho looked at his cape.
Taco noticed a small piece was missing.
“Don Gazpacho, why is your cape missing a piece?”
Don Gazpacho looked worried.
Before he could answer, the cave shook.
BOOM!
A secret door opened.
A masked person appeared.
“Too late!”
The person ran into the tunnel.
Taco chased him.
Page 17
The tunnel opened into a large underground fortress.
Above the entrance was a sign:
PAELLA FORTRESS
Taco looked around.
“Who are these people?”
Hundreds of warriors wearing paella-pan armor appeared.
Their leader walked forward.
His name was Captain Paellon.
“Welcome, Taco McSoombrero.”
Taco pointed at him.
“You stole the Golden Salsa!”
Captain Paellon laughed.
“Yes!”
Page 18
“Why?” asked Taco.
“Because the Golden Salsa is the key to controlling the greatest food treasure in the world.”
Taco looked confused.
“What treasure?”
Captain Paellon raised the Golden Salsa.
“The Cocada Crown.”
Taco was surprised.
“La Cocada Island?”
“Exactly.”
“With the Golden Salsa, we will control the Coco Sea.”
Taco fixed his sombrero.
“Not if I can stop you.”
Page 19
The Paella Raiders charged.
Taco ran.
Don Gazpacho held his spoon.
“Left!”
Taco turned left.
“Right!”
He turned right.
“Down!”
Taco jumped into a food cart.
CRASH!
The cart rolled down a ramp.
Taco shouted, “Why do all my plans involve rolling?”
The cart crashed through the fortress gate.
The gate broke.
Taco and Don Gazpacho escaped.
Page 20
Captain Paellon shouted, “Get them!”
They raced through the mountains.
A paella-pan cannon fired behind them.
BOOM!
The blast knocked Taco's sombrero into the air.
“No!”
Taco jumped and caught it.
He landed safely.
Don Gazpacho looked impressed.
“That was good.”
Taco smiled.
“I know.”
He then slipped on a bean.
SPLAT!
“Never mind.”
Page 21
Taco and Don Gazpacho reached the Coco Sea.
Across the water was La Cocada Island.
They needed to reach the island before Captain Paellon.
Taco found a coconut.
He looked at it.
Don Gazpacho looked at him.
“No.”
“I did not say anything.”
“You were thinking about using it as a boat.”
Taco smiled.
“Yes.”
They built a small coconut raft.
Page 22
The raft floated for a few seconds.
Then it sank.
Taco came back to the surface.
“I have another plan.”
Don Gazpacho sighed.
“What?”
“Swim.”
They swam across the Coco Sea.
After a long time, they reached La Cocada Island.
At the center of the island stood the Coconut Crown.
Captain Paellon was already there.
Page 23
Captain Paellon stood under the Coconut Crown.
He placed the Golden Salsa into a golden bowl.
The tree began to glow.
The Coco Sea started to move.
Taco shouted, “Stop!”
Captain Paellon laughed.
“You are too late!”
The Coconut Crown released a huge wave.
WASH!
Taco flew into a coconut tree.
Don Gazpacho fell into a bush.
Captain Paellon held the Golden Salsa.
Page 24
Taco looked at the spinning water.
Then he looked at his sombrero.
He had an idea.
He placed the sombrero on the ground.
The wind caught it.
The sombrero began to spin.
Taco jumped onto it.
“Let's go!”
He flew toward Captain Paellon.
BAM!
The Golden Salsa flew into the air.
Don Gazpacho caught it.
Captain Paellon slipped and fell into the Coco Sea.
Taco landed on the beach.
His sombrero landed on his head.
Perfectly.
Page 25
Back in Crunchyville, the Golden Salsa was returned to Assembly Hall.
The mayor thanked Taco.
“You saved the town.”
Everyone cheered.
But Taco noticed that Don Gazpacho was quiet.
“Something is wrong,” said Taco.
Don Gazpacho looked at him.
“I need to tell you the truth.”
Taco waited.
“I was not working with Captain Paellon.”
“I know.”
“But I knew about the Cocada Crown.”
“I know.”
Page 26
Don Gazpacho pulled a golden map from his cape.
“Someone else is looking for something even more powerful.”
Taco looked at the map.
“What?”
Don Gazpacho pointed to a place beyond the known lands.
“The Secret Food Kingdom.”
Taco looked surprised.
“That cannot be real.”
Don Gazpacho smiled.
“Maybe it is.”
Suddenly, the lights of Assembly Hall went out.
CLICK.
Everyone became quiet.
A shadow appeared on the wall.
Page 27
A mysterious voice spoke.
“The Golden Salsa was only the beginning.”
The lights came back on.
The shadow was gone.
Taco fixed his sombrero.
“Now this is getting interesting.”
That night, Crunchyville celebrated.
The Golden Salsa was safe.
The Paella Raiders had been defeated.
The Coco Sea was calm.
The Bean Monster returned to Guacamole Mountain.
The Churro Clan heard about Taco's adventure.
Tamale Village also celebrated with a large feast.
Page 28
But far away, beyond the mountains, a mysterious person watched Crunchyville through a telescope.
Captain Paellon stood beside him.
“You failed,” said the mysterious person.
Captain Paellon lowered his head.
“Yes, Master.”
The mysterious person looked toward Crunchyville.
“Do not worry. We now know who stands in our way.”
He turned around.
A strange pepper symbol was on his cloak.
Page 29
Back in Crunchyville, Taco McSoombrero was sleeping.
He was dreaming about tacos.
Suddenly, he woke up.
“I am hungry.”
He opened his cupboard.
There were no tacos.
Taco shouted, “WHO STOLE MY TACOS?”
A mysterious laugh came from far away.
The next adventure was about to begin.