Before there was "Pirates: The Ring of Hope", Daryl Cobb wrote the story "Monkey Troubles". A funny and engaging short story, it was written with a younger audience in mind. As Daryl came up with more and more ideas, the story began to grow. He would eventually add 150 pages filled with twists and turns in and around the original story. The extended version of the delightfully silly tale "Monkey Troubles" went on to become what older readers know now as "Pirates: The Ring of Hope". "Monkey Troubles" When Monk doesn't return promptly from his mission to find Captain Paul, Peter is sick with worry. And to make matters worse his dreams of a mysterious bottle with a note inside has a message that is deadly and more real than Peter could have imagined. The characters are rich and beautifully rendered, and the story is sprinkled with humor. Much of the dialogue - especially between Peter and Monk and Antonio and Marcus - is delightfully silly.