Illustration by Cindy Chan

Too Many Monsters

by Jennafer Shaffer
copyright January 2000

Lauren Mackenzie had monsters under her bed. She noticed them the first night she slept in the new "big girl" bed. As soon as Mommy turned the light off, Lauren heard them moving around under her bed.

"Don't go to sleep!" said the first monster.

"Play with us!" said the second.

"No!" said Lauren. She clutched her blankie tight. She knew they did not want to play; they wanted to eat her up!

"Go away!" she said.

But the monsters did not go away. They kept her awake all night long, trying to get her to play instead of sleep. Finally, she went to Mommy and Daddy's room, and they let her sleep with them.

The next day, Lauren was very tired. She was grouchy to all of her friends at school because she was so tired. When she got home, Mommy and Daddy asked her about the monsters under her bed.

"How can I make them go away?" she asked her parents.

"Did you tell them 'no!'?" asked Daddy.

"Yes, but that didn't work!" said Lauren.

"Did you tell them to go away?" asked Mommy.

"Yes, but that didn't work either!"

"Why don't we try a brighter night light?" suggested Daddy.

So that night, Lauren got a brand new, bright night light. "This will keep the monsters away!" said Daddy.

But, as soon as Daddy kissed her good-night and closed the door, Lauren heard the monsters moving around under her bed again. The night light did not stop them. Again, they kept her awake, begging her to play with them. Lauren went to her Mommy and Daddy's room and told them that the night light was not working.

She slept in their bed again that night.

The next night, Mommy said, "Why don't we keep the door open tonight?" So that night, when Mommy kissed her good-night, she left the night light on and the door wide open. But as soon as she walked down the hall, the monsters started moving and talking just like before. They kept her awake again all night long. Now Lauren was mad. She wanted the monsters to go away. But how? The night light didn't work. Keeping the door open didn't work. So what would work? She talked to Mommy and Daddy again.

"Well," said Daddy, "These are very persistent monsters!"

"Yes," agreed Mommy. "And there's only one way to get rid of persistent monsters!"

"How?" asked Lauren.

"You have to tickle them!"

"Tickle them?" asked Lauren.

"Yes! Tickle them!" said Mommy.

"It's the only way," said Daddy.

"Well, okay," said Lauren. She was not sure it would work. But she decided to try because she really wanted them to go away.

That night, as soon as Mommy turned out the big light, the monsters were back.

"Play with us!"

"Stay awake!"

"No!" said Lauren, holding her blankie tighter.

"Please..." begged the monsters.

"Go away!" said Lauren.

The purple monster with the yellow tail and the blue monster with the orange eyes popped their heads out from underneath the bed. "We want you to play with us!" they said.

Lauren took a deep breath. "If you don't go away," she said in the bravest voice she could, "I'll tickle you!"

The monsters suddenly looked worried. The blue monster with the orange eyes said, "What did you say?"

"I said I'll tickle you!" she said loudly.

"No, not that!" said the purple monster with the yellow tail.

"Anything but that!" said the blue monster with the orange eyes. Suddenly, both monsters disappeared! Lauren couldn't feel them moving around under the bed any more. She turned on the big light and looked under the bed to check for herself. They were gone! It had worked!

Lauren was so happy, she ran and told Mommy and Daddy right away.

"I didn't even have to tickle them," said Lauren. "They just disappeared!"

"I'm proud of you, Lauren," said Daddy.

"So am I," said Mommy. "You stood up for yourself, and now you can sleep in your big girl bed without any worries."

That night, Lauren slept in the big girl bed all by herself. The monsters did not come back, and she got the best night of sleep ever.

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