The sounds of waking forest filled the early morning air as Grog
skipped through the heavy undergrowth. The forest floor was rainbow speckled with a soft
misty beam of sunlight filtering through the dew coated plants. The hair on his feet had
become wet from the morning grass so he made a special effort to jump from one beam of
warm sunlight to the next. Grog looked ahead hoping to catch a glimpse of his friend, Bob.
He was unusually late so Grog skipped on a little further than normal.
After a few minutes of skipping and singing Grog began to notice how
strange the forest looked. He stopped for a moment and looked around, "I don't
remember ever being here before!" He wandered on a little further finding a large
hollow tree that formed a perfect tunnel. It was dark and smelled of dampness. Slowly, he
walked through the middle and out the other end. There, to his surprise, he found a large
red egg. It was too small to be a birds egg and to big to be a Warbles egg…
Hmmm…
Grog studied the object closely. His stubby little fingers slid
smoothly along its surface. Pressing a little harder caused his hand to make a squeaking
sound, he found this quit entertaining! He stood back a moment, arms folded, and stared at
the weird object from a distance. Just then an odd sound emerged from the forest. Quickly,
he jumped away from the object and hid in the bottom of a raggle berry bush. Yummy raggle
berries!
"Grog!", the voice
questioned. Grog slumped down further in the bush almost laying on his back. "Grog!
are you in there?" the voice asked in a congested tone. "Nobody here but us
raggle berries!" Grog exclaimed in an attempt to ward the visitor off. One little
eyeball peered over the edge of the bush, then another, "What are you doing in
there?" Grog stood up somewhat embarrassed, it was only his friend Bob!
"Greetings!" Bob shouted holding out one of his hands. Bob had three hands and
no legs, so he often showed off by standing on just two and occasionally even one.
Grog took the next few minutes to point out the large red object
behind them. He explained how it squeaked when you rubbed your hand on it. Bob didn't
believe him so Grog took his hand and squeaked it down the side. Bob found this most
amusing and the two of them began playing Shumly's fifth symphony (it sounded really bad
but this seldom bothered Bob or Grog.)
Soon the forest was quiet because their hands were becoming quite red
and soar. "I wonder what it is?", Bob asked plodding his antenna onto the warm
hard surface. "I don't know!" Grog shrugged. They stood for several moments in
silence, staring at the bright red colors in its shell. Bob licked his hand and stuck it
on the object then pulled himself up on top. Grog stepped back and folded his arms in
observation. "What do ya' see?" he asked, rubbing the top of his right eye.
"Just some funny markings!", Bob yelled down, in a somewhat distant tone.
The shell felt warm on his hands so he danced around on top a while.
"Looks like two humps glued together and then two more humps glued together."
Bob explained, in a most observant tone. "Do you think it's got some sort of creature
in it?", Grog asked in a nervous voice as if he expected it to open up and inhale his
little hairy body. "Na!, it seems pretty harmless!" Bob answered, squeaking down
the side then falling to the ground.
Grog and Bob stared some more but it still looked the same.
"Kinda, smells funny, don't it!" Grog said, breaking the silence. "Yah'
smells like the rear end of a Gunther after it's been sitt'n in the Walis patch for a
couple day's" Bob answered, picking up a stick off the ground. "No, I think it
smells kinda good. Like when the Rasslepops are just comin into bloom." They both
shook their heads in agreement.
Bob waved the stick around in the air a moment then smacked it down
hard against the outer shell. It echoed through the forest and hurt both their receptors.
"Owwwwwwwwwww!" Grog yelled,"Wha'd you go and do that for!" "Lets
bust inside and see what it is." Bob yelled excitedly, crashing the stick against its
side again. Grog ran way back into the woods and got a running start, "Watch
this!" His little legs pumped feverishly as he ran full speed toward the giant red
thing. Pow! The sound of his cracking skull echoed throughout the world as he bounced off
the thick shell. The force of his repelled body was barely halted by the soft leaves of a
nearby flower.
"Birds! I hear birds!" he
proclaimed stumbling out of the plants cavernous interior. Bob immediately fell to the
ground in laughter, holding his stomach with all three hands. Every creature in the forest
knew something humorous had happened. Bob never used all three hands to hold his stomach.
He'd only used them once before when little Elmor Podswapper got his head stuck in Mrs.
Trantuns vacuum cleaner. The others called him Elmer ant-eater for weeks after that
because the shape of his head never quite returned to normal.
Grog failing to the see the humor in the incident approached Bob in a
calm manner and proceeded to tie his eyes in a knot. After this act of unkindness he was
overcome by dizziness and fell down again, which only caused Bob to laugh harder. Blobs
formed in his eye lobs where the tears were unable to pass the newly tied knot. They lay
there on the cool ground for some time before either felt like talking. It was times like
these that Grog was glad to have his friend Bob. Bob sat up, eyes still tied in a knot,
"Whew!"
Grog and Bob lay on their backs for some time watching the giant
leaves blowing in the wind. "Maybe, it's from outer space!" Bob suggested,
through a few traces of laughter. "It could be..." Grog half heartedly answered,
captivated in his own thoughts. Grog folded his hands tighter behind his head, "You
know it's funny how many interesting thoughts are carried on the warm wind."
"Yaa.., Maybe, it's some type of new creature that hasn't fully developed yet?"
Bob imagined out loud, scratching his eye.
In their wondering and contemplating nether noticed the quiet rumbling
in the earth. A large shadow moved across the land and stopped over them. Suddenly, a huge
object came crashing down through the trees. "Get up!" Grog yelled, scrambling
under the nearest flower. A large hand picked the thing up and carried it away. They stood
in silence and looked out at each other. Slowly the rumbling faded away and they came out
into the open, again. Silently they starred at the empty spot in the grass where the thing
once sat.
Bob looked at Grog and Grog looked back. "I told you it was from
outer space." Bob commented quietly. "Yeah.." Grog answered back somewhat
disappointed. "We still don't know what it is!" they said simultaneously.
"Double whamy!" they yelled together, smacking fists. "See you tomorrow
Grog!" Bob proclaimed, waving goodbye. "Tomorrow!" Grog waved ,turning
toward his home. They both walked happily off reflecting on the events of the day.
Meanwhile… The small boy put the M&M in his mouth and chomped
it up, unaware of its
importance. He waddled across the backyard stumbling every now and then but never falling.
Chocolate was running from the corner of his mouth. "What have you eaten now!"
his mother exclaimed pulling him into the house. The backyard was quiet once again....
