LEGO Legends of Chima: Attack of the Crocodiles (Chapter Book #1) Read online

  “Small Packages,” “A Simple Bet,” and “The Invisible Croc”

  written by Greg Farshtey

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  e-ISBN 978-0-545-75055-4

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  are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2013 The LEGO Group. Produced by Scholastic Inc. under

  license from the LEGO Group.

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  First Scholastic printing, March 2013

  WELCOME TO CHIMA™ ........................................6

  THE LIONS ........................................................8

  LAVAL ...............................................................10

  CRAGGER ........................................................12

  THE CROCODILES .........................................14

  SMALL PACKAGES .................................................18

  A SIMPLE BET ......................................................36

  THE INVISIBLE CROC ..........................................44

  am LaGravis, the King of the Lions. We are

  one of many animal tribes that live here, in the

  kingdom of Chima.

  For many centuries, Chima was a peaceful place.

  Animals existed side by side in harmony. Then,

  one day, a bolt of lightning struck the ground and

  created an earthquake. A giant floating rock called

  Mount Cavora rose into the sky. Magical waterfalls

  spilled from Mount Cavora and filled Chima’s

  rivers with a powerful life-force we call CHI. Our

  ancestors drank the CHI and evolved. They became

  smarter, more civilized. They built amazing forts

  and temples, and created advanced machines.

  Today, the inhabitants of Chima still rely on CHI,

  and everything we have created uses its energy.

  6

  A

  s the first animals to drink CHI, we Lions are its

  guardians. It is our greatest duty and highest

  honor to protect this powerful energy. The CHI is

  collected in the Lion Temple where it forms into powerful

  orbs because of special minerals in the Sacred Pool. Once

  a month we distribute the CHI Orbs fairly to all of Chima’s

  tribes, even those tribes we do not agree with.

  Sharing the CHI is necessary for peace and harmony.

  There can never be too much or too little CHI in the Sacred

  Pool, or else Chima would fall out of balance and untold

  catastrophe would befall the kingdom. That’s why we Lions

  must ensure it is regularly used, but never, ever overused.

  Each month, there is always one extra-powerful orb of CHI

  called the Golden CHI. This orb is not given away. Rather,

  each tribe’s finest warriors compete for it in a monthly

  tournament held in front of the Lion Temple. It is the Lions’

  responsibility to see that the rules of the competition are

  followed.

  We Lions always act fairly, believe in the rules, and

  strive to maintain order. For a thousand years no one ever

  questioned our guardianship of the CHI. Then, one day, a

  great misunderstanding shook our kingdom. Friends became

  enemies, and the land of Chima changed forever.

  9

  “For the tribes—and for

  Chima! C’mon . . . It’ll be

  fun!”

  aval is my son and the Lion Prince. One day,

  he will take my place as the leader of our

  tribe. Before that happens, though, Laval has a

  lot to learn about rules and responsibility. He is proud

  of being a Lion, but for now he is more interested in

  adventure, fun, and games. I believe in my son, and

  I know that he will learn it is sometimes necessary to

  sacrifice your own wants for the greater good.

  Laval is also a great warrior. He is skilled with his

  sword and is an undefeated Speedor racer. But Laval is

  always a team player, and he hates greed and dishonesty.

  Laval used to be best friends with Cragger, the Crocodile

  Prince. Unfortunately, their friendship ended when

  Cragger changed into a scheming and aggressive rival.

  Even though the boys are enemies now, Laval hopes

  that the old friendship can still be restored.

  Besides greed and lies,

  there are other things

  that Laval hates: water,

  too many rules, and

  animals who can’t take

  a joke. Which do you

  think worries me?

  LaGravis

  says:

  “No mercy. Ever.

  Really. I mean it.”

  C

  ragger is the Crocodile Prince, and the son of King

  Crominus and Queen Crunket. He has always

  been an aggressive competitor, living for the rush of

  victory. Laval actually liked that about him when they first

  met. Quite soon the two young princes became best friends,

  sharing countless adventures and the occasional prank. But

  everything changed when these “pranksters” snuck into

  the Lion Temple to see the most hallowed place in all of

  Chima—the Sacred Pool of CHI.

  Only animals who have reached the Age of Becoming are

  allowed to use CHI. The orbs are too powerful for younger

  animals—it can overwhelm and hurt them. However, despite

  Laval’s desperate attempts to stop Cragger, the Crocodile

  Prince went against the rules and used CHI. Because of

  this, a great misunderstanding broke out between the Lions

  and Crocodiles. A battle ensued, and Cragger’s parents were

  accidently lost in the fight.

  Cragger was devastated. He blamed Laval for his parents’

  death. Now he is determined to lead the Crocodiles against

  the Lions in battle for control of the CHI.

  T

  he Crocodiles have always been a sneaky and slippery

  bunch. However, when they were ruled by King

  Crominus, they used to follow the rules of Chima and

  live in harmony with the other tribes. When King Crominus

  and Queen Crunket were lost, the young but very ambitious

  Prince Cragger took the throne.

  Incited by his twin sister, Crooler, the new king decided

  to attack the Lions for control of all the CHI. Little does

  Cragger know that he is being manipulated
by his cunning

  sister. Crooler is not a strong or skilled warrior, but she is an

  expert at deceiving others. She uses Cragger to achieve her

  own goals and enjoys making fun of him behind his back.

  Under Crooler’s bad influence, Cragger has become the

  fiercest of all the Crocodiles. Even his own tribe members

  fear him.

  The Crocodiles are tough fighters, and even if you’re

  friendly with them, you can never completely trust them.

  They have allied with the Wolves and the Ravens in the fight

  against the Lions. Equipped with powerful

  weapons and battle machines, the three

  tribes attacked the Lion Temple.

  With the help of our friends, the

  Eagles and the Gorillas, we managed

  to hold them off. But Cragger hates

  losing, so we can surely expect a new

  attack at any time. . . .

  “Listen to me, Brother.

  We’ll make the Lions pay.”

  15

  Turn the page

  for

  three

  exciting

  Legends of

  Chima

  stories!

  ™

  T

  here are many things in this world that can be measured—

  the length of a day, the number of lions in a pride, the

  distance from one end of a valley to the other. And then

  there are those things that cannot be measured, no matter how

  hard one tries . . . the courage in an animal’s heart, the cleverness

  of his brain, or the daring of his spirit. Only through experience can

  one learn the true amount of each of these in any living creature.

  – King LaGravis

  18

  “Muskrats?” exclaimed Laval, the Lion Prince, in

  disbelief. “Moles? Hedgehogs?”

  “Yes,” said LaGravis, king of the Lions, to his son.

  “And beavers and rabbits and mice, as well.”

  Laval shook his head. “You want me to go talk to all

  the small creatures in Chima and ask for their help in

  fighting the Crocodiles? You have to be joking, Dad!”

  19

  “I’m the king,” LaGravis reminded him. “Kings do not

  joke. Very rarely, we may laugh at something, but only

  very rarely.”

  “The Crocodiles and their allies attacked us!” Laval

  said angrily. “They want control of the CHI that it is our

  duty to guard and distribute. We need powerful friends

  among the tribes to help us in this fight, and you’re

  suggesting moles and mice?”

  “All of the tribes have their role to play,” LaGravis

  replied. “They may not all be as strong as the Gorillas or

  soar as high as the Eagles, but that does not mean they

  have no worth. Laval, as the future leader of the Lion

  Tribe, I am trusting you to talk with them. Ask if they will

  be our allies in this fight. Explain that we need their help

  to defend Chima.”

  Laval sighed. “Fine, Dad. I’ll go talk to them. For

  Chima.”

  But later, as Laval went to get his Speedor, he was

  still frustrated. “What matters now is strength and speed

  and power,” he muttered to himself. “That’s all the Crocs

  understand, and that’s what we need in allies.”

  Laval respected his father more than anyone. But

  sometimes his dad’s thinking was a little . . . old-fashioned.

  It was great to say that everyone had the same value, big

  20

  or small. But in a fight, Laval would vote for “big” friends

  every time.

  He climbed aboard his Speedor and raced off into

  the jungle. There were a lot of mice and moles to find.

  Speaking to all of them would take all day. Laval grumbled.

  He had made plans to practice fighting with Eris and

  Rogon that afternoon. Now he wouldn’t be back in time.

  21

  As Laval sped deeper into the jungle, he began to

  calm down. Driving fast always made it easier for him to

  think. Soon he was zipping through trees and bushes far

  from the Lion Compound.

  It’s very quiet out here,

  Laval

  thought to himself.

  Too quiet

  . . .

  Suddenly, four Crocodiles on Speedorz™ roared out at

  him from both sides!

  “Well, well, what do we have here?” one of the Crocs

  snarled. “A Lion Prince deep in the jungle with no allies.”

  Another Croc laughed. “How much CHI do you think a

  Lion Prince is worth?” he asked.

  The first one revved his engine. “Let’s take him to

  King Cragger and find out!”

  22

  Laval looked back and forth between the Crocodiles.

  Escaping was going to be tricky, but it was nothing he

  couldn’t handle. It looked like he would get some practice-

  fighting in today after all!

  “Sorry, mud-lovers,” he said as he shot forward. “I’ve

  already got plans!”

  The Crocs snarled and gunned their engines. “You

  can’t get away from us, Lion!” Soon they were hot on

  Laval’s trail.

  Laval raced his Speedor under a low branch, kicking

  up a cloud of dust as he flew.

  23

  “Take that, Swamp Boys!” he cried, shooting around

  a corner and out of sight.

  But the Crocs weren’t giving up that easily. The lead

  Croc motioned to his partners, and they split up to the left

  and right. When Laval looked back, all he could see was

  the cloud of dust he had made.

  “Now, where did those mud-lovers go?” he said. Just

  then, one of the Crocs tore out of the bushes and charged

  at him from the right. Laval whipped his Speedor around.

  But another Croc was already blocking that path, too. The

  two other Crocs closed in from the front and back. Laval

  was boxed in!

  “Looks like we’ve made a Lion-sized trap,” the lead

  Croc laughed.

  Laval quickly looked all around him. The Crocs had

  him cornered . . . but not captured just yet.

  24

  “Here’s a lesson for you,” Laval said with a grin. “When

  you make a trap, always check it for escape routes first.”

  Gunning his engine, Laval sped toward a flat, angled rock

  just in front of the lead Croc . . . and zoomed up it like a

  ramp, right over the Croc’s head!

  “Woo-hoo!”

  he cried, zooming off.

  The Crocs growled. Now they were really angry. “Get

  him!” their leader shouted.

  They chased Laval farther and farther into the jungle.

  Soon, the trees and plants began to thin out, and the

  ground grew dusty. Laval realized he had never taken

  his Speedor out this far before. And a moment later, he

  remembered why. Up ahead, stretching as far as they eye

  could see, was the border of the desert. It was nothing

  but sand and dust and rocks.

  Uh-oh,

  thought Laval, screeching his Speedor to a

  halt.

  This is very bad

  . If he turned back, he would have

  to fight the four Crocs. But if he went forward into the

  desert, his vehicle would stop working
. Like all Speedorz,

  the wheel was made from an ancient stone powered by

  nature. In the barren desert, where no green plants grew,

  the machine wouldn’t last long. Laval would be stranded.

  Laval looked behind him. The Crocs were gaining. He

  knew he was a good fighter, but four-to-one odds were

  25

  enough to make him think twice. So he revved his engine

  and headed into the desert.

  The vehicle managed to make it only a short distance

  before it sputtered and died. “I’m a sitting duck out here,”

  Laval said to himself. “I have to hide.”

  The Lion Prince quickly pushed his Speedor over a

  large sand dune and out of sight. Luckily, the wind behind

  him blew fresh sand over his tracks, covering them. Laval

  peeked over the mound to the edge of the desert.

  The Crocodiles had just stopped at the border. They

  couldn’t see Laval hidden behind the sand dune, and

  their leader was angry.

  “

  Gna!

  Where did that Lion go?” he asked.

  The others shook their heads. “Must have headed into

  the desert, boss.”

  All four Crocs gulped. They didn’t want their Speedorz

  to die out as well. But they also didn’t want the Lion

  Prince to slip from their claws.

  “Maybe we should wait him out,” one suggested. “In

  this heat, he won’t last long.”

  “Or maybe he went back into the jungle?” another

  said. “I don’t see any tracks.”

  Laval didn’t wait to hear any more. He quietly slipped

  26

  away, still out of view of the Crocs. His best bet was to