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THE GRIBBLY

Chapter 1

“Come and see the Gribbly” he said, calling to his grandchildren who were busily sailing off to Treasure Island in the sand boat he had helped them make earlier. Three pairs of feet clambered over the small rocks and splashed in the puddles that made up the rock pool as they hurried towards him.

He was crouching down by a big, flat rock with seaweed on the top. The rock was still wet because the tide had just gone out. He had always said that wet rocks were the best place to find Gribblies. As they drew nearer, their eyes became wider in wonder. Their anticipation was almost impossible to contain. They had never seen a real live Gribbly before. Of course Grandad had seen lots of Gribblies because he was very old. Much older than five. He had seen trillions of billions of Gribblies. Well, loads and loads. And he knew where to find them.

The children drew nearer. ”Where is it Grandad?” said Beth as she peered over the big flat rock. ”Let me see” said Ayla, who had almost thrown herself over the rock in excitement. ”Gribbblie, Grandad”, Ethan called as he struggled to get himself onto the rock to peer over. His sister, Ayla, and cousin Beth were older than him. They were five and he was only three. And they always left him behind when something exciting was happening. He had to run twice as fast just to keep up. But Grandad said he would grow bigger legs one day, ‘specially if he ate all of his dinners. They would have to run after him then!

Soon, all three children were lying on top of the big flat rock looking over at their Grandad crouching down on the other side. Looking first at his smiling face, their eyes followed his as he looked down. They followed the direction of his arm, from the shoulder to the elbow, from his elbow to his wrist, and then finally from his wrist to the end of his outstretched finger. There, at the end of his finger, was….. the Gribbly.

Chapter 2

 

Standing in the shallow pool, left behind when the tide went out, the children crouched down to get a closer look at their new found friend, the Gribbly.

“Whatever you do” said Grandad, “don’t touch him. If you touch him, he’ll be very scared”. “We won’t Grandad”, whispered Beth, keeping her voice low in case the noise frightened the Gribbly. “We won’t will we Ayla, we won’t touch him”. Ayla agreed, in the same whispered tone, while gently raising her hand. Her finger, sticking out in the prodding position, moved ever closer to the Gribbly. She had a flair for agreeing not to do something while, at the same time, actually doing it! Ethan, wide-eyed, stared his sister in the eye, almost afraid to blink.

“Do you know why he’s called a Gribbly?” said Grandad, gently taking hold of Ayla’s hand and moving it away from the little creature. ”I’ll tell you”.

Three pairs of ears pricked up, as three pairs of eyes stared in anticipation. Beth’s dark brown eyes widened with curiosity while, in contrast, Ayla’s steel blue eyes burned into the side of her grandfather’s head. Less intensely Ethan gazed at the Gribbly, aware he needed to pause and listen, but not at all too sure as to why.

“It all began many, many years ago….”

“Before you were born Grandad?” interrupted Beth. ”Oh yes, long before that” he replied. ”That was a long time ago then”, Beth concluded. ”A very, very long time ago Grandad”, agreed Ayla, and after a brief exchange between themselves, turned their gaze expectantly upon him. Confident he had their full attention, he began his story about how the Gribbly had come by his name.

 

Chapter 3

Grandad began his story.

“Many years ago…. people knew all about the animals that lived on the earth because they could see them. But there were some other animals that they didn’t know about because they couldn’t see them.

“Ayla you can see me can’t you?” interrupted Beth, looking for reassurance. ”Yes I can Bethany. And I can see Ethan and Grandad and the Gribbly” replied Ayla assertively. “I didn’t ask you all that Ayla and anyway we’re talking about the Gribblies now aren’t we Grandad, and how they got their name?” said Beth, cramming her thumb into her mouth and sucking on it as hard as she could.

“Well the reason the people couldn’t see the other animals was because they didn’t live on the land…..they lived in the water”. “In the water, Grandad” repeated Ethan nodding his head and pointing to the sea.

“The Gribblies Grandad!!!  It was the Gribblies!!! The Gribblies lived in the water!!” squealed Beth, delighted at herself for working it all out. ”Did you know I knew it was the Gribblies Ayla? I could have told you if you’d asked me you know”, lectured Beth.

“Grandad”, said Ayla, ignoring Beths comment, “How did the people find out about the Gribblies being in the water?” ”That’s a good question Ayla” he replied. “And I’ll tell you how”.

Chapter 4

One day, the Gribbly was happily going about his business in the water, when suddenly…..the water disappeared! The little Gribbly was so frightened that he dare not even open his eyes. If the water has gone, he thought, what am I to do, where am I to live?

But then, just as quickly as it had gone, the water came back and he found himself being thrown around in it; up and down and from left to right, until…..once again…….the water vanished. This time, however, the water didn’t come back. The little Gribbly clung to a rock and kept his eyes tightly closed, almost afraid to breathe.

After a while, he felt his little body begin to warm up in the sunshine and, as it did so, he began to relax a little. It was a pleasant feeling because the water had been so very cold, and the warmer he grew, the more relaxed he became. In fact, his little body became so relaxed he couldn’t keep his eyes closed anymore, and ve-ry slowly… they began to open.

At first, it was so, so bright, that he couldn’t see anything at all. But as his eyes became more used to the light, he began to make out a shape right in front of him. It was a funny, sort of purple shape, a bit like a jelly with hair on. The hair was all wet and drooped down almost covering the whole body.

Just then, between the droopy hair, two eyes ‘plinked’ open and looked straight into his own eyes. Quite simultaneously both the little creatures screamed out in fright.

“Aaaaaaaaahhhh”. “Who are YOU?” they both asked.

“I’m I’m a..a..Gr..Gr…..Gribbly” said the Gribbly. “I suppose that makes me a Gribbly too then?” replied the other. The silence was deafening.

As they stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, they realised for the very first time what they themselves must look like. They had both always known they were Gribblies, but had never known what a Gribbly looked like. It had never occurred to them. And now, as they looked at each other, they knew exactly. Two smiles crept over the little creatures faces.

“You’re quite handsome for a Gribbly” said she. ”And you’re pretty tasty yourself” said he. “Do you have a name?”

“Oh yes” she replied, “My name is Ann….Ann Emone. But you can call me Annie. And you, Mister Nosey….What do they call you?”

“Grim Billy……on account of my miserable face….but they do shorten it down” he said. ”To what?” said Annie. ”To Gribbly” he replied.

Their laughter was instant. It could have been heard for miles. He couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed. And for the first time in his life he was happy. For the first time in his life he didn’t feel grim. He liked Annie. As the laughter died down Annie looked at him and said “I think I’ll call you Derek”, and then pecked him on the cheek. The little friends sat quietly huddled together enjoying each others company as they basked in the warm sunshine.

Chapter 5

Basking in the sunshine, the little Gribblies dozed off into a slumber. Then, suddenly, there was a very loud rumbling noise. The water had returned and without any warning at all the little Gribblies found themselves swept into the sea beneath a very large wave.

(Nowadays we know that the sea comes in and goes out with the tide, but the little Gribblies didn’t know that then. All they knew was that it kept coming and then going away. And every time it came back they were thrown all over the place).

Underneath the water, Annie decided to cling on tightly to the rock as hard as she could until the water went away again. She didn’t like being thrown around it made her feel sick. Eventually, as before, the water subsided and went away, and Annie was delighted to find that she was still sitting on the rock. Once again, her hair was soaking wet and drooping in front of her eyes and so she had to wait for the sun to dry it. No doubt Derek had to wait too, she thought.

“I’m glad we found this rock Derek and were able to hang on to it” she said, “otherwise I don’t know where we’d be right now”. The sun was warm and had begun to dry her hair allowing her little eyes to slowly open.

“Oh I love that sun Derek” she said,    “and I love this warm rock too! Isn’t it wonderful…the sun, our rock, me, you…..isn’t it lovely Derek? Derek? Derek????? Derek WHERE ARE YOU…D..E..R..E..K!! 

But Derek was gone and little Annie broke down and cried her eyes out; Derek had been washed away by the fierce wave that had hit their little rock and she was inconsolable.

Just then, Annie heard the loud rumbling noise again…..and before she had the chance to prepare herself, the water came crashing down on her. Back in the water little Annie was thrown around in the waves, up-and-down, round-and-round…. backwards, forwards, until finally she felt herself sinking…..sinking, sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The further she sank, the colder she became, and as she looked up she saw the beautiful sunlight slowly disappear.

Plummeting ever downwards into the darkness, Annie braced herself for a painful landing on the sea bed. She knew it was covered in rocks, and stones and sharp coral that could cut her clean in half. With her eyes closed tightly and every muscle in her little body shaking with fear, she HIT the bottom. BANG!!!

 

As she came to her senses she realised that she hadn’t hit a rock, or a stone, or a sharp piece of coral…. And she wasn’t hurt at all. In fact she had been soooo lucky that she had landed on something very soft that had broken her fall; a plant or a sandy dune. In the darkness of the cold water, Annie began to feel very alone and very scared. And she had a feeling that something or somebody else was nearby.

“Hello Annie” a voice said.

“Derek?……is that you?….is that REALLY YOU?” “Yes, Annie, you’ve just landed on me”. Without hesitating Annie grabbed Derek with her little body and gave him an enormous hug. ”I’m never going to let go of you ever again Derek” she whispered. ”I love you Annie” said Derek. ”And I love you Derek” replied Annie “and I’m staying with you for ever and ever and ever”.

The two little Gribblies hugged and hugged and hugged until finally Derek said “Annie…every year on our anniversary, we’ll go back and sit on our little rock in the sunshine for the whole day”. “I’d like that said Annie”, and pecked Derek on the cheek.

“And that” said Grandad, “is the story of the Gribbly”.

“We’ll have to come back next year to see the Gribblies again won’t we Ayla?” said Beth. “Yes, we have to come and see Annie and Derek next year” said Ayla. “And Ethan, Bethany, he’ll have to come back too won’t he?” “Yes he will Ayla. And Alfie because he’ll be big enough by then, and I’ll show him the Gribbly because he’s my brother” replied Bethany.

Just then Katie, their big cousin arrived. “Come on Grandad, Grannie’s wondering where you are”.

(c) Alan Dixon 2005