Bob the Monster

The faintest streaks of daylight stretched over Farm City. From the nearby hilltop, tucked away in his cozy cave, Bob awakened to a scream. A “cock-a-doodle-do,” to be specific. Bob the Monster sprang into action and ran as fast as his noodle-like legs could carry him, straight to Farm City. Today Bob was determined to become a hero.

As he ran, Bob the Monster gently brushed his soft, warm hair from his puffy, fluffy body and spun it into the skein of purple yarn. He then tucked the hairbrush into the back pocket of his tiny monster overalls and slipped out 2 knitting needles with the greatest of ease. In a moment’s time Bob the Monster knitted a sweater just the perfect size for a rooster. He was certain that rooster was crying out for help because it was such a cold morning. You see, Bob the Monster possessed a gentle spirit and a warrior’s heart. Nobody would freeze, not on his watch!   

A sudden growl of angry dogs brought Bob to an unexpected stop. He focused his saucer sized monster eyes and tuned his furry, foxlike ears to better assess the situation. Tears welled up in his big, gentle eyes. Two ferocious pit bulls tugged at chains tied to a newly erected chain link fence surrounding the rooster he came to save. The fur on their shoulders stood on end. Drool dripped from their sharp, pointed fangs. They pulled at the rope around their necks with no regard for their own well-being. These dogs were thirsty for blood. Bob the Monster looked an awful lot like a doggy chew toy. He also smelled like bacon, all monsters did. He didn’t stand a chance against these two. At three feet tall could never climb the fence either. If he got past the dogs, he needed to find a way to walk in.

He heard another “cock-a-doodle-do.”

“I’m coming lil’ rooster, don’t you fret!” and Bob the Monster found the courage to continue his trek. A hero should not waste his courage, Bob thought.

Feeling brave, Bob the Monster hoped that the dogs may let him pass if he patted their heads and rubbed their tummies. There are heads attached to their crushing jaws after all, all he had to do was reach past their razor-sharp teeth and give a good couple pats, right? Maybe scratch behind their ears a little. Naturally they would want to roll over for tummy rubs next? By Bob the Monster’s calculations those dogs would love him in five minutes flat.

“Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy,” he said cheerfully. Bob reached out his little monster hand to pat the would-be killer’s head. Barks and fangs and snapping jaws lunged his way. He really should have seen that coming. Briefly, he considered trying again. Very briefly. Bob’s loving plan to befriend the beasts had failed. Defeated, he slumped back to the tree.

Bob sat there and thought and thought. He hatched a new plan as his monster hands went to work brushing and then knitting sweaters and blankets and scarves, crafting his life’s best work. Knitting while deep in thought always helped calm his anxiety. What was his master plan? Bob the Monster decided he would just wait it out. The dogs only needed to be out at night to protect the chickens, the owners would certainly bring them in soon. That would give him time to get past the fence.

Mid afternoon the farm kids untied the dogs for a walk to the park. The children disappeared down the road with dogs in tow. The perfect opportunity had arrived. Well, almost perfect, monsters were not supposed to be out during the day. Someone could see him. Bob walked the perimeter of the fence until he found a pad-locked gate. He pulled out his knitting needles and twirled and twisted and picked but that lock was so strong and he found no luck. He hung his head low and walked back to the tree. There he sulked and slept and cried.

Nighttime swallowed the sun and Bob gave a mighty stretch. He saw raindrops start to fall and decided he was done. He stood up hunched over and slowly walked towards his home. Not far past the tree Bob the Monster stopped dead in his tracks. Just ahead a young mom and baby curled up in her arms lying on the ground shivering, snuggling each other for warmth. They tried their best to ignore the cold freezing rain. Humans were scary but he had to be brave. Bob leapt into action, he knew just what to do: he tip-toed up to the pair and said, “Hi,” trying not to give them a scare.

Scared as she was, she couldn’t scream or run, her muscles were too stiff from the cold. Her teeth chattered and goose bumps covered her arms. She stared in disbelief. A fluffy, purple monster in overalls stood in her gaze. Monsters moved much quicker than humans and were almost immune to the cold on account of their super warm, waterproof hair.  Bob pulled one of the rooster sized sweaters from his newly knitted bag and put it on the baby using super-fast monster speed. It wasn’t enough, they were still freezing. He pulled out a giant purple blanket, big enough to wrap them both and tucked it tight around them to give them some warmth. He put an oversized purple monster beanie over the mom’s head. After a moment the mom whispered, “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“Glad I could help,” he said and plopped down on a stump, clearly oblivious to the fact that she was terrified of him. Bob was lonely and wanted to talk. He rambled on about today’s failings, the dogs who tried to eat him and a lock he could not pick. He lamented all the brushing and spinning and knitting, he had made so much!

She looked in his big monster-eyes and assured him that today he had indeed saved those in need, without him they would have died. The night was cold and they had nowhere to go and surely would have frozen to death if he had not cared enough to stop. He smiled and thought, “yeah, I did, didn’t I? And really, humans are not so bad.”

 Today, Bob the Monster had indeed become a hero.