by Cu`gan-mhatthair MacMuircheartaigh
Once apon a time...
... there was a little baby boy, lying in his crib. It was a nice crib, but he didn't want to stay in it. So he pulled with his arms and kicked with his legs - and pulled with his arms and kicked with his legs - and pulled with his arms and kicked with his legs - and up, and up, and over he went.
Suddenly, he found himself hanging over the floor, and it was so far away. But he couldn't just stay there, so he let go and hit the floor. Ooh, did it hurt and hurt, but the baby boy didn't cry, because the kitties came over. "Don't cry baby boy - we love you." Oh, the kitties were so cute, and so soft, that the baby boy forgot to cry; and soon, he didn't hurt anymore.
As he looked about, he heard a "chrrrp - chrrrp - chrrrp!"
"What was that?" asked the baby boy.
"That's a Gothhopper!" Said the kitties.
"What's a Gothhopper?"
"Ooh," replied the kitties "Gothhoppers are bugs: with long antenna, and long legs, and round black heads on juicy black bodies. They're crunchy and juicy and oh-so-good!"
"Ick!" said the baby boy. "I don't think I want to eat bugs."
"Chrrrp - chrrrp - chrrrp!" went the gothhopper. The kitties moved closer and closer to it, but it ran to the baby boy. "Please baby boy: don't let them eat me!"
The kitties came closer, but the baby boy reached out at them. "You leave the gothhopper alone, or I'll call Daddy!" But the kitties didn't leave, so the baby boy cried out: "Daddy! DADDY!"
THUD - THUD - THUD. A bumping and a thumping came up from the stairs. Daddy was coming, and he was bigger than all of them. As the THUD - THUD - THUD came closer and closer, the kitties scurried under the bed, as not to get underfoot. "Well, baby boy: how did you get out of your crib, and why are you crying for me?"
"I pulled and I kicked, and I fell down, and the kitties were here, and there is the gothhopper, and he asked me not to let the kitties eat him, and he's my friend, and we can't let the kitties eat him now..."
Daddy smiled at the baby boy. "Of course we can't, but the gothhopper can't stay here. He has to go where the other gothhoppers are; where he can maybe find a lady gothhopper too."
The gothhopper was so relieved that, when Daddy came over with a piece of paper, he climbed right on it. Then Daddy carefully picked up the gothhopper and the baby boy, and he took them outside to a bush, where they could hear other gothhoppers calling to each other.
The baby boy was very happy, because now he had a new friend. And every night, through the rest of the summer and through the fall, the gothhopper would come by the baby boy's window and sing to him.
The End