“I’m going to try,” said Daddy Gruff. “Maybe I’ll think of something when I see him.”
So Daddy Gruff cautiously stepped out of the living room and onto the staircase.
Rumpus Boy had been waiting. Having a rumpus all alone on a staircase can be somewhat satisfying. But it is much more satisfying to have a rumpus in front of another person, who can feel the force of your frustration and anger. So Rumpus Boy’s rumpus picked up strength again as Daddy Gruff approached. He screamed and kicked the wall.
“Isn’t it time to finish your rumpus?” asked Daddy Gruff. “You must be tired by now.”
Rumpus Boy growled like a dog. He hissed like a snake. In between the growling and hissing, a few human words could be heard. “But, but, but!” he said.
“This is no good,” thought Daddy Gruff. “I’ll have to try something else.”
“Don’t have your rumpus on me,” said Daddy Gruff. “I’m big, and your rumpus doesn’t bother me as much as it would a smaller victim. Pretty soon Mummy Gruff will come along to use this staircase. And she is smaller than me. So if you let me past, you can enjoy your rumpus more by bothering her instead.”
Rumpus Boy stamped his foot and glared at Daddy Gruff. But then he looked past him, down the staircase, trying to see if the smaller Mummy Gruff were coming. Daddy Gruff took his chance and quickly slipped past Rumpus Boy on the staircase, and went to bed.
A short time later, Mummy Gruff emerged
from the living room and stepped onto the staircase. Rumpus Boy’s rumpus picked up fresh energy as
he saw a new and smaller victim. He
shouted. He screamed.
Mummy Gruff spoke soothingly. “Calm down, Rumpus Boy. Isn’t it time to finish your rumpus?”
Rumpus Boy started biting the handrail which ran alongside the staircase. In between the sounds of gnashing teeth, a few words could be heard, and each word sounded like a furious complaint. “Mummy, Mummy, Mummy!”
“This is no good,” thought Mummy Gruff. “I’ll have to try something else.”
“I’m quite big,” said Mummy Gruff. “So your rumpus doesn’t bother me as much as it would a smaller victim. Pretty soon the cat will use the staircase. If you let me past, you can enjoy showing your rumpus to the cat instead.”
Rumpus Boy glared at Mummy Gruff and clenched his fists. But then he looked past her down the staircase, searching for the cat. Mummy Gruff took her chance and slipped past Rumpus Boy on the staircase, and went to bed.
A short while later the cat appeared at the bottom of the staircase. Rumpus Boy stamped his foot. The cat looked at him without concern. Rumpus Boy bitterly complained, “But, but, but!” But the cat cared nothing for human language, and quietly came up the staircase. Rumpus Boy bit the handrail that ran alongside the staircase. The cat walked past him, and out of sight.
Rumpus Boy sighed. After all, it hadn’t been so fun to have a rumpus in front of a small victim. It was only fun to have a rumpus when you were very small, and the person listening to the rumpus was very big.
“Maybe as I get bigger, I will stop wanting to have my rumpuses,” he thought. “And one day, when I am big enough, I won’t want to have rumpuses at all.”
Feeling very tired out by his rumpus, Rumpus Boy climbed the staircase towards his bed.
“But I’ll still be quite small tomorrow,” he thought. “I suppose a little rumpus would still be okay.” He smiled.
The end.
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