The creature paused in its scratching, its nose twitched, its head swiveled atop its long neck, and its eyes - very large and shaped like Brazil nuts with purple pupils - looked directly at Toliver.

"Well at least I'm not lost alone,' said the creature who, while its head remained fixed in place staring at Toliver's very wide eyes, twisted the rest of its body beneath until the whole of itself was facing that way, and its nose twitched again and one whisker reached up and brushed its eyebrow.

"Come, come," it continued in a voice that sounded like a melodious French horn. "Don't just look there standing. Come out and we'll make a glass of shrinking violet tea with camomile flower froth. . .You do have folding glasses, don't you?. . .and a shrinking teapot?. . . like any civilized. . ." - it paused, staring even harder at Toliver, then added questioningly - ". . .person?"

Toliver let go of the branch which snapped up and clipped his nose making him tumble backward in surprise. He fell into Toonie who still had Whizlet attached so they all tumbled over and landed in a heap with Boogie on top and Hobnail fluttering above saying: "Strange bedfellows. . .strange bedfellows. . . "

Before they could untangle themselves, the head of the creature appeared in the very same place where Toliver's had been the moment before and surveyed the heap of furry and skinny limbs, until one eye swiveled out and looked up at Hobnail who cocked his head and stared back quite at a loss for words.

"a pandemonium of persons," said the creature. "posing as a pile of perplexity. 'Twon't do. 'Twon't do at all. Up. . .up! All of you. It's tea time, you know. . .or it should be, or it must be, or it is, or it isn't. . ."

Toonie poked her head up with the cat clinging on top. "What are you talking about?" she aked, somewhat peevishly, since she was otherwise still under the pile of Whizlet's and Toliver's arms and legs and bodies and heads, and that would make anyone peevish when meeting someone new for the first time.

"I'm talking about tea. I'm talking about me. I'm talking about you. I'm talking me blue. . .Talking. . .talking. . .talking! It's one of the things I do when I'm not thinking"

Toliver rolled out and sat up. "You talk a great deal," he said, "so you must not think very much. . . "

"I only talk when I have nothing to say," said the creature cutting him short. he then pulled his head back smartly and disappeared the way he had come'

© David Anirman 1995 excerpted from'The Itofit"