Chief Moonbeam stayed within the shadows when he checked up the Chimney. Afterall, the burglars may have already been making their way down its sooty length and he didn't want to reveal himself.
Looking up into the starry night he could see a dark outline peering back his direction. It was difficult to get a sense of scale. The brilliance of the stars flashing and twinkling in the background provided stark contrast to the sinister presence that had the wolf quaking in his slippers. All he could make out was a pair of pointy ears and, when the figure turned, a long pointy nose.
After a few moments the figure disappeared. The wolf then grabbed the black iron handle to the flue and pulled it firmly shut. Not a flea, not a monster from beyond, was going to come in through the chimney if Chief Moonbeam had anything to do about it.
Copyright © May 1996
Katherine Phelps
<muse@glasswings.com.au>.