Larry Marder’s
Tales of the Beanworld
Publication date: 1988
Mr. Spook has a dream of his youth. In it he meets his teacher, Mr. Teach'm. He wakes with a memory of where he came from. It looks like the strange bulb that has come from Gran'Ma'Pa.
One of the Beans notices that the bulb has changed in the night. The top has peeled up, revealing something inside. Mr. Spook investigates, and suddenly remembers the name of this thing: Pod'l'pool. He asks the morning's Sprout-Butt if he's right.
Beanish is frustrated because his secret friend already told him what is in the Pod'l'pool, but he can't share this knowledge. He knows that what's in the Pod'l'pool are baby Beans.
The day's chow raid is exciting. A new tactic with experimental spears almost causes disaster, but Mr. Spook saves the day.
During Beanish's daily visit with his secret friend, she reveals that the bulb is a Pod'l'pool. Beanish asks what her name is. She promises to tell him the next day.
That evening in the Chowdown Pool, Mr. Spook deduces that the cuties will become Beans. Beanish can't get any sleep later on, anticipating his next visit with Dreamishness.
The next day's a Goof-Off day. Beanish finds out that Mr. Spook already knows what the Pod'l'pool is, leaving him even more frustrated, but all that is forgotten when he visits his secret friend. She formally presents herself to him. He learns several of her names, and that he is to think of her privately as "Dreamishness". She reveals that she is weak and incomplete, and gives him a question: will he help her become something more? She asks him to answer the next day.
Professor Garbanzo wonders if all the Beans started life in a Pod'l'pool. Mr. Spook replies that he found them full grown but half starved.
When he awakes the next morning, Beanish is still pondering Dreamishness' request. He decides to accept the challenge.
After entering his Secret Sketch at midday, Beanish is again transported to... wherever it is he is transported to. This time, though, something's very different! It's dark, and Dreamishness looks very strange and is surrounded by a bunch of strange things.
This story line is continued in the comic Total Eclipse.