The Big Red Monster

Once upon a time,
there lived in a cave on a hill,
a Big Red Monster.

Now the Big Red Monster knew
that he was a big, red monster
and was always afraid that he would scare people away
just because he was a big, red monster.

So the Big Red Monster did the only thing he thought he should do:
stay in his cave on the hill
coming out only when he needed to do the things
that big, red monsters do.

Sometimes,
the people living at the foot of the hill,
the same hill that the Big Red Monster lives,
would wander to the hilltops,
close to the Big Red Monster's cave.

During these times
that people would come near his cave,
The Big Red Monster grew even more afraid.
"What would they think of me,
the Big Red Monster who lives in a cave?"

And so he hid,
making nary a sound,
in case the people grew curious and came looking for him,
and upon seeing him, would run away in fear,
leaving him with less friends than the none he already had.

But one day, as he came out from his cave,
the Big Red Monster saw a Straw Basket sitting outside of it.
Curious,
the Big Red Monster picked it up and looked inside.

It was full of food!
"Oh dear," thought the Big Red Monster,
"One of the people living at the foot of the hill
must have come up here,
and upon hearing my growls,
dropped her basket and fled in fear."

"i must return it!", thought the Big Red Monster.
"But i shall do so quickly and quietly
so that i do not cause anymore fear to anyone."
And so the Big Red Monster waited for night to fall.

And when it was, the Big Red Monster emerged from the hills
and walked towards the village in which the people stayed.
He was afraid.
"What if they misunderstand? What if they attack me?"

But the Big Red Monster looked at the Straw Basket
and thought of the owner who had lost it outside his cave.
"i did not mean to seperate you from your master.
She must miss you so."

Suddenly, there came a bright light
from among the houses of the village.
The Big Red Monster was caught off guard,
and in a flash he was surrounded by the people who lived there.

"Please," he quivered amongst them
the light of their torches flickering in his eyes,
"Don't hurt me. i mean you no harm.
i came only to return this Straw Basket
which was left outside my cave.
i imagine one of you came too close
and was frightened away by my growls."

The Big Red Monster lay the Straw Basket gently on the floor.
"Here it is, i took nothing from it.
i hope nothing was lost as i carried it from my cave on the hill.
i shall be going back there now.
i am sorry to have come in the dark and frightened you all."

Then a Little Girl came forward
and grabbed the Big Red Monster's hand as he turned to go.

"Thank you for bringing back my Straw Basket,"
the Little Girl began gently,
"But the food inside was for you."

The Big Red Monster stopped in his tracks.
He turned to the Little Girl,
but could only blink in disbelief.

"We were waiting for you to come down
from your cave on the hill."
Without missing a beat,
she squeezed his hand a little tighter and continued,
"What took you so long?"