Rumble Stein's: The Rug- Crawler Vegetable Eater
Old Rumple Stein sat in the
rocking chair, his eyes
gleaming like hot coals. The
children huddled beneath
their blankets as his raspy
voice filled the dark bedroom.
"Listen close, little ones,"
Rumple Stein whispered,
leaning forward with a
crooked smile. "Do you hear
that strange, hollow scraping
sound downstairs?
It is the Rug-Crawler, a flat,
bony thing with long, spindly
fingers.
It slides silently across the
floor, looking for children who
refuse to eat their vegetables.
Its skin is cold like winter
mud, and it breathes with a
sickening, wet wheeze.
Right now, it is creeping up
the creaking wooden stairs,
inch by terrible inch.
It stretches its rubbery neck,
sniffing the air for the scent of
wide- awake children who
hadn't ate their veggies for
dinner.
If it finds you staring into the
dark, it will slide under your
bed.
Then, a chilly, numbing wind
will blow through the cracks
in your floorboards.
You will feel a sudden, icy tug
at the edge of your heavy
blankets.
Its yellow teeth will flash in
the moonlight as it opens its
wide, mouth of vegetables.
It does not want your toys,
and it does not want your
tasty snacks.
The Rug- Crawler only wants
to steal the bright, warm
sunlight right out of you
for refusing to eat your
vegetables.
Once it takes your cheer, you
will stay trapped in a slimy
cloy gloomy vegetable stick
for all twilight forever.
Your eyes will turn to green
stone, and you will never see
the morning sun again.
So pull the covers tightly over
your chin and block out the
terrible noise.
Do not look at the door, and
do not dare to peek through
your fingers.
Close your eyes tightly this
very second, or the Rug-Crawler
will know you hadn't eat your
vegetables for dinner."
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