Gillian Kobiela Lyon

Monkford was helping Momma. They were unpacking the last of their things in their new home. Monkford did not like his new home. The walls were a horrible colour. The carpets were hard and bumpy. The rooms smelled yucky. Worst of all though, Monkford had been hearing lots of strange noises. They frightened him.

"Plop, plop, plop."

Monkford imagined green slimy bogies plopping out from a big hairy monster nose.

"Gurgle, squelch, gurgle."

Monkford imagined the big rumbling tummy of a hungry monster, looking for food.

"Plunk, plonk, plunk."

Monkford imagined the big smelly feet of a stinky monster, coming to find him.

He pointed all around the house and cupped his ears to show that he was listening to noises.

"What can you hear?" asked Momma. Monkford raised his paws above his head and stomped towards Momma like a monster.

"Don't be silly Monkford, there are no monsters here," she said.

Momma was busy unpacking a box. Monkford was sitting on the back of a kitchen chair, with his paw cupped to his ear. He was listening.

"What are you doing, Monkford?" asked Momma.

Monkford was sure that he could hear a gurgly wurgly whirly sound. He pulled at his ear and pointed to the wall, jumping up and down excitedly.

"Monkford, there is nothing there. Help me finish unpacking. Take this vase and fill it with water."

Monkford, took the vase. It was heavy. He carried it with both paws and climbed onto the kitchen sink where he heard a 'plop, plop, plop.' He jumped up and down and pointed to the noise. Momma didn't notice. She was too busy.

He looked suspiciously at the sink. He turned the tap on and quickly filled the vase with water. He was scared that he might hear more strange noises.

"Thank you Monkford. Lets put these yellow flowers in the vase. Now, take it to the livingroom please and put it on the windowsill."

Off he went, looking from side to side, wondering where the next strange noise would come from.

He put the vase of flowers on the windowsill. They were very pretty. He had done a great job and was excited to show Momma. He was about to bounce back to the kitchen when "plunk!" there was a noise in the wall! He got such a fright that he tumbled from the windowsill and landed on the floor. Rubbing his head, he bounced back to Momma and pointed frantically at the the livingroom.

Momma was so busy, she did not notice. Instead, she placed a fluffy blanket in Monkford's paws. "Put this blanket on your hammock Monkford, good monkey."

Monkford, took the blanket and began to bounce slowly and quietly to his bedroom. He was getting fed up of these noises coming out of nowhere and giving him a fright.

Passing the livingroom door, he heard it again. A plunky noise. 'Whatever can it be?' he thought to himself and became curious. He decided that he must be brave. He would investigate.

Creeping quietly into the livingroom, he listened carefully.

"plunk plunk," the noise was coming from the radiator. Monkford tiptoed closer.

"PLUNK!" came a loud noise from behind him. He jumped around and saw a tiny, funny looking man. He was the size of a ping pong ball, wore yellow welly boots, had a dark bristly moustache like a brush, a pirate hat and a pink spotty brolly. Monkford got such a fright, that he hid beneath his blanket.

"Hello! Did I frighten you? I am sorry!" said the little man.

Monkford shook his head up and down to say 'Yes!'

"I had to pop out of the pipes for a minute to find the water you see. It's always getting lost in this house. All fixed now though."

Monkford, peeked out from behind his blanket and looked at the little man. He didn't seem like a monster. He didn't sound like a monster. But what was he?

"Oh I do beg your pardon where are my manners? I am the Plunk! It is my job to show the water where to go. It can be a bit silly. It gets lost, and stuck. I have to plunk it out and send it on it's way. Were we very noisy?"

Monkford shook his head up and down again to say that - yes, they had been very noisy!

"Oh dear I am sorry! This house was very sad and empty before you came. There was nothing for me or the water to do. The pipes were very lonely. But now the toilet is flushing, the taps are running, the bath is filling and the hose is watering. We are having such a wonderful time! Perhaps, we were a little too excited. We will try to be quieter. I do hope we can be friends?"

Monkford was very pleased that the Plunk was a funny little man and not a monster with bogies and a hairy nose. He decided that he would like to be friends. He nodded his head up and down to say 'yes.'

"Marvellous! I better get back to work. Goodbye little monkey, lovely to meet you!" The Plunk held out one of his hands and Monkford shook it with his paw. Now, they were friends.

The Plunk disappeared into the radiator with a plinky plunk noise. Monkford was so tired after all of the excitement that he lay down on his blanket and fell asleep.

Momma wondered where he had got to and went to look for him. When she found him she woke him up gently. "Monkford, why are you sleeping on the floor?"

Monkford shook his head sleepily and looked at Momma and then remembered the Plunk. Excitedly, he jumped up and bounced to his bedroom. He pulled his paper and crayons from his box and bounced back to Momma. Then he drew a picture of the Plunk.

Momma looked at the picture. "I don't think I've seen one of those before. What is it?" Monkford cupped his ears and pointed to the radiator and the walls, jumping up and down. Momma looked confused. He stomped around like a monster and then shook his head from side to side to say - 'no monster!' Then he made a 'little' gesture with his paw, pointing to his picture.

"I think you have had a silly dream. It is all the excitement of living in a new house. Come on, time for bed," said Momma. Monkford thought that it was Momma who was silly. She had never seen a Plunk before. He wondered why grown ups got to be in charge, when they seemed to know very little.

Bouncing up to bed, he noticed that the walls were not such a horrible colour. In fact, they were lovely and green. The carpet didn't feel hard or bumpy any more. In fact, it was smooth and soft. The rooms didn't smell yucky anymore. In fact, they smelled like home.

Monkford climbed into his hammock and pulled his blanket over him. There were no more strange or frightening noises. Just the quiet plop, gurgle, squelch and plonk of his friend the Plunk, the silly water and the old pipes. Happily, he fell fast asleep.