The Horrible Green Hairy Monster

Once upon a time there was a three and a half year old boy whose parents called him Alexander. However his friends at the play group knew him as Alex.

His daddy told him he was named after a very famous old General and sometimes took him to London to see the guards march by playing their marching song. Daddy taught Alex the words:-

“Some talk of Alexander and some of Hercules, of Hector and Lysander and such great names as these.”

Alex was very pleased to know that his name was in a song. But he was a modern little boy and watched a great number of stories on television. He was particularly interested in a series where there were Horrible Green Hairy Monsters. He was quite sure if he had those adventures he wouldn’t be frightened.

Then one day daddy said Alex was going to have a little sister coming to play with him.

Now usually every Wednesday his mummy took him to the local park and would play games with him, but now she had to look after his little sister she would just sit on a big rug and let him go off to play by himself.

At first Alex was quite pleased to wander off, but one day he was exploring round some bushes when a voice boomed out at him.

“I AM A HORRIBLE GREEN HAIRY MONSTER AND I’M GOING TO CATCH YOU AND EAT YOU!”

Alex began screaming and ran as quickly as he could back to his mummy.

“I’m being chased by a horrible green hairy monster!” he said.

His mummy just laughed and looked over to the bushes that he’d run from.

“I don’t think your monster is very big really,” she said, “those bushes aren’t big enough to hide in are they?”

Alex calmed down and saw how small the bushes were for himself. ‘Mummy’s right,’ he thought to himself. ‘My name is Alexander and I’ve got to be brave.’

So he walked back to the bushes and waited for the voice again.

“I’M A HORRIBLE GREEN HAIRY MONSTER...” said the voice but Alex interrupted.

“The bushes aren’t big enough to hide behind so you can’t be a monster can you?” he said.

A small voice the other side of a bush said “No” in a very quiet voice.

Alex walked round to the other side of the bush and there was a strange little man with a worried look on his face. “You’re not green either are you?” said Alex looking at the little man.

“No.”

“You aren’t hairy and you’re not really very horrible either are you?” said Alex.

“No,” said the little man beginning to shake in his boots.

“Right then,” said Alex, “now I’m going to chase you.”

He chased the little man around the bushes for a while and then stopped. It hadn’t been very nice when he was the person being chased and he suddenly thought that the little man might not like it either. Besides which he was getting out of breath.

“Stop for a moment and talk to me,” he panted. My name is Alex what is yours?

“I haven’t got a name,” said the little man miserably.

“If I give you a name will you be my friend,” asked Alex.

The little man nodded in agreement because he was out of breath too.

Alex thought of all the names he knew. Daddy’s song came into his head.

“I shall call you Hercules,” he decided, and hand in hand Alexander and Hercules walked back into the bushes in search of adventure.