LarryBoy and the Emperor of Envy is a book that was published in 2002. It features a lesson in dealing with envy.
Plot
"The city of Bumblyburg’s in danger and LarryBoy’s the only one who can save the day. Everyone is weak with jealousy after the diabolical Napoleon of Crime and Other Bad Stuff—a.k.a. the Emperor of Envy— tainted the Slushee supply with his envy formula during Mister Slushee’s Slushee Slurping Contest. The Emperor has set the ultimate envy trap, and he and his “army” of henchmen are taking over the city of Bumblyburg. The whole town has slurped some of the Slushees, including LarryBoy. What will LarryBoy do? Will he conquer his own envy? If he doesn’t stop the evil emperor, Bumblyburg will be destroyed forever."
Synopsis
At school, Junior, Laura, Percy, and all of the other classmates notice something strange about their teacher, Junior's dad, noticing that he doesn't move his mouth when he talks, and especially when he tells the classmates that they are playing "Hide-and-Seek", telling them to give him their milk money and for them to close their eyes and count to one million while he runs and hides. However, LarryBoy shows up and is able to reveal the teacher's true identity as the Milk Money Bandit, after removing his mask. After LarryBoy enters the classroom after revealing the Milk Money Bandit's identity (tripping over the windowsill when he enters the room), he asks the Milk Money Bandit where the real teacher is, threatening him to "talk now, unless you want the other ear!" The bandit, now panicked, reveals that the real teacher is in the closet. Junior opens the closet to reveal his dad, which Junior is happy to see, Dad Asparagus commenting that it was really dark in the closet, before telling the Milk Money Bandit that he needs to be content with the money he has, then thanks LarryBoy for saving the day once again. LarryBoy then has the bandit punished by forcing him to write on the blackboard that he'll never steal milk money. LarryBoy goes to leave again, but trips on the windowsill once again, before driving away in the Larrymobile once again.
LarryBoy gets a message from Archibald, who congratulates him for getting the job done, further stating that he monitored the whole thing from the Larry-Cave, while also reminding LarryBoy to be more careful when jumping through windows. LarryBoy claims that his mask throws off his depth perception, but Archibald tells him to never mind that, explaining that he called to remind him about tonight's Superhero Class, which LarryBoy is surprised to hear, saying that that night is a classic double feature night at the movies. Archibald asks LarryBoy which is more important, attending movies or school? LarryBoy further protests that the movies being shown are "Attack of the Rotten Tomato" and "Salad Wars: Frankencelery Strikes Back", but when Archibald glares at him, LarryBoy complies to head to school. After arriving at Superhero School, LarryBoy hopes that he is not late for class, but when he tries to sneak in without being noticed, he ends up tripping over the Norse Superhero's backpack and toppling over a chair, to which Bok Choy announces to interrupt class with a riddle: What do these three things have in common? An overdue library book, a school bus that is behind schedule, and LarryBoy. Bok Choy then answers that they are all late, with LarryBoy proclaiming that that's a good riddle, before he also gives his own riddle: What's black, white, and read all over? However, when Bok Choy stares at LarryBoy, LarryBoy apologizes while explaining that he was trying to slip in unnoticed, which Bok Choy thinks is ridiculous, stating that it's a wonder that LarryBoy was noticed at all, before telling LarryBoy to take his seat and to try not to be late again.
After LarryBoy takes his seat, Bok Choy resumes his lecture, explaining that envy is a dangerous thing, especially to a superhero. LarryBoy talks with another superhero sitting next to him, an apple who is dressed in red, white, and blue, asking this apple who he is, before the apple introduces himself as "American Pie, defender of truth, justice and Vitamin A". American Pie then asks LarryBoy what the answer is to his riddle, LarryBoy answering, "A LarryBoy chapter book", but American Pie doesn't get it. LarryBoy tells him to never mind, before he starts admiring the wings on American Pie's headdress, asking if he can fly, American Pie answering no but they do make him look cool, which LarryBoy finds to be nifty. Bok Choy tells all of the students to take out their Superhero Handbooks and turn to Section 20, Paragraph 14, Line 30. LarryBoy asks American Pie if he can look on with him because he left his Superhero Handbook in his glove compartment, which American Pie allows him to do. Bok Choy then reads in the book, saying, "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." Bok Choy explains further that envy, also known as jealousy, eats away at you from the inside and that it is an evil to avoid. However, LarryBoy isn't concentrating on what Bok Choy said because he is staring at American Pie's shield, thinking that it's a really nifty shield, before asking American Pie if he can hold it for a minute, which American Pie allows him to do but not without telling him to be very careful with it. LarryBoy holds the shield, though it is heavier than it looks, before Bok Choy explains that there is only one cure for envy, which is that you must learn to be happy with the things you already have instead of wishing that you had your neighbor's car, or your neighbor's cat, to be happy with your own car or your own dog.
The Scarlet Tomato then asks "What if I don't have a dog?", Bok Choy answering that he was just using that as an example, before the Scarlet Tomato adds that his neighbor has a dog but he doesn't. Bok Choy is a bit frustrated before asking the Scarlet Tomato what he does have, the Scarlet Tomato answering that he has a goldfish. Bok Choy asks the Scarlet Tomato if he can be content with a goldfish, with the Scarlet Tomato replying that he can because it is a pretty good goldfish. Bok Choy then reminds all of the students that "A content heart is a healthy heart", which he has all of the students repeat, but LarryBoy is too busy playing with American Pie's shield to actually hear what Bok Choy said. LarryBoy then bets American Pie that he can throw the shield a mile, which American Pie agrees with but not in the classroom. LarryBoy adds that it would make a great Frisbee while pretending to throw the shield like a Frisbee, with American Pie telling him to be careful. LarryBoy proclaims that he's always careful, but ends up accidentally throwing the shield as it ricochets all over the classroom and straight at Bok Choy, who ends up getting part of his hair cut off by the shield despite his best attempts to block off the shield, while everyone stares at him. Bok Choy then proclaims that LarryBoy is more interested in a different lesson, saying that he would rather practice being a barber, which LarryBoy is embarrassed about.
In a secret hideout on the edge of Bumblyburg, there is an evil plan being cooked up by LarryBoy's nemesis, a cherry tomato by the name of the Emperor Napoleon of Crime and Other Bad Stuff, who then calls out for his soldiers, two sweet potatoes named Frank and Jessie, before Jessie proclaims to the readers that they really aren't that sweet, much to Frank's confusion. The Emperor then proceeds to explain to Frank and Jessie his plan on how to conquer Bumblyburg, explaining that he managed to acquire a special formula, this formula that he calls the Envy Formula. Jessie comments that he wishes that he had an Envy Formula while Frank comments that he wishes for Jessie to be quiet, before the Emperor further explains that anyone who drinks the formula will be filled with envy, saying that everyone knows that envy makes people weak, but with the formula that he has, they will become super weak, planning to see to it that everyone in Bumblyburg gets a taste. Jessie thinks it's nice of the Emperor to share what he has, while Frank is confused that drinking the formula makes a person jealous and that they get super weak when they're jealous, which the Emperor confirms, saying that the more envious they are, the weaker they become and that they will feel tired and sluggish, hardly being able to move and only able to lie down and rest. Jessie admits that he's tired himself, Frank asking him if he took a nap this afternoon, Jessie answering that he did but only a little one.
The Emperor then asks if they can get back to the point, before asking if they are any other questions. Jessie then asks the Emperor if he's really a tomato, which the Emperor angrily confirms, before Jessie asks him if he's too small to be a tomato, angering the Emperor, who says that he explained it a million times that he's a cherry tomato and that they're supposed to be small. Jessie then asks the Emperor if that makes him more of a fruit than a vegetable, before Frank adds that "from a strictly scientific standpoint", tomatoes are fruits, not vegetables, which Jessie is amazed to hear because he didn't know that. The Emperor then demands for Frank and Jessie to be quiet before asking if there are any more questions about the formula. Frank is able to ask a sensible question, asking how the formula is supposed to help them take over Bumblyburg. The Emperor answers that once everyone has taken the formula, they will become envious and when they become envious, they will become weak, and that they will have no strength left to fight them when they take over Bumblyburg. After making this explanation, the Emperor lets out an evil laugh, Frank and Jessie also laughing with him, though Jessie later admits that he didn't really get the joke.
The next day at the Daily Bumble, Bob tells Vicki that he's fuming mad, while Junior listens in. Vicki asks Bob what he's mad about, Bob explaining that Mr. Slushee is having a Slushy-Slurping Contest and that they're giving out free slushies to the whole town. Vicki comments that it sounds good to her, then asks Bob what his beef is, before Bob answers that he doesn't have an available reporter to cover the story so he'll have to go himself then wishes that he had a reporter available. Vicki doesn't think that that's so bad because she'll be there to take the photographs, before Bob complains that he doesn't like slushies, but Vicki asks him what's not to like about slushies, Bob answering that he gets brain freeze headaches. Junior offers to report on the contest, and while Bob compliments Junior for being the cub reporter covering stories at Veggie Valley Grade School, he tells him that he's just a kid and that he can't cover important stories like the Mr. Slushee Slurping Contest. Bob then asks Junior what he's doing at the Bumble, Junior answering that he's turning in his front-page story on LarryBoy's capture of the Milk Money Bandit.
Fun Facts
Trivia
- This book contains a lot of fourth wall jokes.
References
- American Pie is an obvious parody of Captain America, complete with his red, white, and blue-colored outfit.
- Frank and Jessie appear to be obvious references to Horace and Jasper from Disney's "One Hundred and One Dalmatians".