I have discovered I am not alone. There are others. Like me. Almost. I saw them up high. It was days before I saw them. For one I have been so busy with hide and seek, I have been so busy being stealthy. But mostly they were reluctant to speak with me. The way they sit, the way they gnash their teeth, the way they look down on me from up high, I thought perhaps they were government.

I sing to myself to keep myself company. When the blond giant is not around. “I look down at my toes. They used to be purple but now they are blue. I have not so many woes. There is nothing under the sun that’s new. But my toes, my toes are ever so cold. And these woes, these woes, so very very old.”

One of the Senators – that’s what I call them – one of them, said, “That’s quite catchy.” It’s the first thing any of them said to me. And they invited me up.

“Have you seen the giant?” they said, looking at me suspiciously. “Yes,” I rejoined. “We’re having quite a lovely game of hide and seek,” I added. “Ah, yes,” said the biggest. “That’s a very suitable game.” And the biggest one, Tovan, he looked me up and down.

We had quite a lovely time. They were friendly but not too friendly. The one called Charlie said, “Have you seen that?” He nodded across the way, down in the plains. “Yes. I’ve been wondering what that is,” seeing what Charlie was looking at.

“That was the one before you,” he said. He watched me as understanding crossed my face like storm clouds.

These others are like me but not quite. They are safe, they explained to me. Not just because of their senatorial perch. I am marked, it turns out, because I am a Barney. I was not welcome to stay with them on their perch, although I asked the leader for sanctuary. A tribunal was sorry to reject my request. And when I was sent away, Charlie, affably but seriously, put his bright yellow paw to my shoulder and said, “You be careful now, you hear?”

I heard. I shall continue my game of hide and seek. Meanwhile, I am on my own again, and when I look up again at the Others, they look away from me.

Bea Murphy