Little Kat was sleepy. She had spent a busy day on her Grandfather's farm and was quite tuckered out from her play. The night was warm and the summer wind was blowing softly through the open window. The door to her room was slightly ajar and she could faintly see the doorway to her Grandmother's bedroom at the far end of the darkened hallway.
The sky outside her window was a deep purple and she could count a million stars in the Heavens above. In the distance a lone whippoorwill was calling and frogs were singing out in the millpond. She loved the sounds of the country. All of God's creatures were happy. Even the cricket that chirped outside her window was filled with happiness.
As Little Kat counted the stars through her windows upper pane, the pleasant sounds began to fade. Her eyelids began to get heavy and the Sandman tippy-toed across the floor. Little Kat was falling asleep ...
... when suddenly! Something went:
"BUMP! BUMP!"
Little Kat became wide awake. "Oh dear me," said she." That sound was quite near to me." She looked about the room. It was very dark but all appeared as it should be. "It must have been my imagination," thought she. "Grandmother checked my room for Monsters and Goblins before she turned out the light. I am as safe as can be. And besides, Grandmother is just down the hallway and she will come if I call." Little Kat began to count the stars once more. Soon she was getting very ..... very ..... sleepy .....
... when that scary noise interrupted again:
"BUMP! BUMP!"
Little Kat became wide awake. "Oh dear me," said she. "There is that scary sound again." She searched carefully about the bedroom with her eyes. The room was dark but all appeared as it should be. Little Kat was frightened. She held her breath. "If I am quiet," thought she, "maybe the scary sound will go away." She pulled the covers up close to her chin. But she did not close her eyes. Even the frogs in the millpond and the cricket outside her window were frightened, for they had hushed to listen with her for that scary sound.
"THUMP! THUMP!"
There it went and it was coming from beneath her bed.
"Grandma!" Hollered Little Kat at the top of her lungs.
"Yes Dear," answered Grandma's sleepy voice.
"Grandma, there is a monster under my bed. I can hear it going THUMP THUMP."
"Don't be frightened, child," answered her Grandmother from her bedroom down the hallway. "There are no monsters in your room. You have only had a bad dream and it has frightened you. It is the sound of your heart that you hear going THUMP THUMP. There is no monster under the bed, I assure you."
"Perhaps Grandma is right," said Little Kat. She pointed her finger at her heart and said: "Shame on you for scaring me, you naughty, naughty heart." She began to count the stars. Soon she was getting sleepy once more.
"'THUMP! THUMP!" went a noise beneath the bed.
"I am not going to be scared this time," said Little Kat, " I know it is only my heart going THUMP THUMP."
"SCRITCH! SCRITCH!" went the noise beneath the bed.
"Oh My!" Said Little Kat. "My heart doesn't go SCRITCH SCRITCH!"
"Grandma!" She hollered at the top of her lungs.
"Yes child," answered her Grandmother from her bedroom down the hall.
"Grandma, I know there is a monster under my bed. "I can hear it going
THUMP THUMP ... SCRITCH SCRITCH!"
"It is just the sound of your heart going THUMP THUMP," answered her Grandmother. "The other sound is a nightmare trying to scratch it's way into your dreams. Pay it no notice and it will soon go away."
"Yes Grandma," said Little Kat. She pulled the blanket up to her chin and said: "Shame on you for trying to scare me you naughty, naughty nightmare. I am going back to sleep right now and I do not want to hear any more scratching ..."
"THUMP! THUMP! ... SCRITCH! SCRITCH! ... WAGGLE! WAGGLE!"
went the sounds beneath the bed.
"Grandma," hollered Little Kat.
"Yes child," answered Grandma.
"There is too a monster and it is going THUMP THUMP ... SCRITCH SCRITCH ... WAGGLE WAGGLE!"
"Oh dear me," said Grandma. This does sound serious. "Let me get my slippers and I will be there shortly."
At that moment, something beneath the bed went:
"THUMP! THUMP! ... SCRITCH! SCRITCH! ... TUG! TUG!"
"Grandma please hurry," hollered Little Kat. "The monster is tugging at my covers." Little Kat could hear her Grandmother stumbling about in her bedroom at the end of the hall. "I am coming dear," said her grandmother.
"Please hurry Grandma," yelled Kat. "The monster is climbing up the side of my bed. It is coming to get me, Grandma. Help! Help!" Little Kat pulled the covers up over her head. She heard the bedroom door swing open down the hallway.
"I am coming dear," shouted her grandmother. "Help is on the way."
However, it appeared the monster had now climbed on top of the bed.
"THUMP! THUMP! ... WAGGLE! WAGGLE!"
"SCRITCH! SCRITCH! ... TUG! TUG!"
"Help! Help!" Pleaded Little Kat. "The Monster has got me, Grandma. Hurry! It is pulling at the covers."
She could hear her grandmother running down the hallway. "I'm almost there sweet heart," called her grandmother.
The monster was now pulling the covers away from her head.
"THUMP! THUMP! ... WAGGLE! WAGGLE! ... SLOBBER! SLOBBER!"
She could feel it's hot breath against her face.
"HELP! HELP!" Screamed Little Kat. "THE MONSTER IS LICKING MY FACE WITH IT'S SLOBBERY TONGUE. PLEASE HURRY AND SAVE ME, GRANDMA. IT THINKS I AM A LOLLIPOP."
"THUMP! THUMP! ... WAGGLE! WAGGLE! ... SLOBBER! SLOBBER!"
Little Kats' Grandmother had just made it into the room and was searching for the light switch. "I AM HERE DEAR," said her grandma. "DO NOT BE AFRAID ANY LONGER. I WILL TURN ON THE LIGHT AND SCARE THE MONSTER AWAY."
"OH GRANDMA," cried Little Kat. "IT IS TOO LATE. THE MONSTER IS MELTING ME ALL AWAY WITH IT'S BIG SLOBBERY TONGUE ...."
At that moment her Grandmother flipped on the light switch and the bedroom was lit up like day. Little Kat's eyes got as big as saucers and a large smile spread across her face.
"WHY GRANDMA," she exclaimed. "IT'S A ...... PUPPY!"
"THUMP! THUMP! ... WAGGLE! WAGGLE! ... SLOBBER! SLOBBER!"
Her Grandmother was standing in the doorway holding a very big stick .............
"NOW HOW ON EARTH DID A PUPPY GET INTO THE HOUSE," asked her Grandmother? "I will have to put it outside where it belongs."
"OH NO YOU WON'T," protested Little Kat. "THIS LITTLE PUPPY LOVES ME AND I LOVE HIM. I AM GOING TO KEEP HIM RIGHT HERE WITH ME."
And that is just what she did .
"THUMP! THUMP! ... WAGGLE! WAGGLE! ... SLOBBER! SLOBBER!
"I Love You, Little Puppy," whispered Little Kat.
"YIP! YIP!" Answered the little puppy.
"THUMP! THUMP! WAGGLE! WAGGLE! SNUGGLE! SNUGGLE!"
and they both slept very peacefully the whole night through.
THE END