‘THE MONSTER AND THE BEACH’

AS JONES WENT UP, AND LOOKING DOWN,
FROM ONE GREAT MOUNT, HE HEARD A SOUND
OF RUMBLING, THUND’RING DOWN BELOW.
THEN THIS HOT STUFF BEGAN TO FLOW

FROM THIS GREAT MOUNTAIN THERE BELOW.
AND THEN THE TOP BEGAN TO BLOW!
THEN JONES THOUGHT, "I’M IN TROUBLE NOW!
I’M GOING UP! TO STOP IT, HOW?"

AND JONES WENT UP AND UP AND UP.
BUT THEN HE SAW THE SILVER CUP
THAT HE WAS GIVEN MONTHS BEFORE,
FOR IT HAD FALLEN ON THE FLOOR.

IT GLOWED. AND ON THE BOTTOM SIDE
WAS THIS INSCRIPTION, "FAR AND WIDE
I’LL GO WITH YOU. NOW HOLD ME UP,
FOR I’M THE MAGIC SILVER CUP."

SO JONES HELD UP THE CUP SO HIGH.
HE HELD IT UP INTO THE SKY.
THEN CAME A BREEZE SO SWIFT AND STRONG,
IT CARRIED JONES. IT WASN’T LONG

TILL JONES HAD LANDED ON THE GROUND,
AND JONES GOT UP AND LOOKED AROUND.
HE HEADED FOR THAT MOUNTAIN HIGH,
THAT SENT THE SMOKE INTO THE SKY,

TO SEE THE TOWN THAT SAT NEARBY.
AND THEN HE HEARD THE PEOPLE CRY,
"O, GOD, PLEASE SAVE US NOW TODAY
FROM THIS GREAT MOUNTAIN, LORD, WE PRAY."

THEN AS JONES ENTERED IN THIS TOWN,
THE PEOPLE GATHERED ALL AROUND.
JONES LOOKED AROUND AT EVERY PLACE.
JUST THEN, A SMILE CAME ON HIS FACE.

THE PEOPLE QUIETENED IN THE STREET.
AND THEN OUR JONES BEGAN TO SPEAK.
"FOR YOU, THIS DAY, YOU WILL BE SAVED
FROM THAT GREAT MOUNTAIN. YOU’RE AFRAID.

BUT LOOK BEYOND. UP TO THE PLAIN.
THE FLOW OF FIRE TO THOSE ROCKS CAME,
BUT NOW NO FURTHER WILL IT GO.
‘TIS AS A DAM. IT STOPPED THE FLOW.

"SO LIVE IN PEACE, AND THANK YOUR GOD
WHO ON THIS TERRA FIRMA TROD
TO FORM THIS FEATURE, SAVE YOUR TOWN.
AND NOW THE MOUNTAIN HAS CALMED DOWN.

"NOW I MUST GO. I BID YOU WELL.
WHERE I GO NOW, I CANNOT TELL.
A TREASURE, THOUGH I CANNOT TAKE.
FOR I, A SERVICE DID NOT MAKE

TO THIS PROTECTION. FARE YOU FINE,
AND I WILL KEEP YOU IN MY MIND.
SO JONES WENT ON AND ON AND ON.
THEN CAME THE NIGHT, AND THEN THE DAWN.

AND JONES HAD SLEPT; WAS FEELING GREAT.
"I MUST BE GOING. FEEL I’M LATE
FOR SOMETHING BREWING UP AHEAD."
(JONES FELT A FEAR; A SORT OF DREAD.)

THE CHILDREN TAKEN AWAY:

THE SUN CAME UP. JONES SAW A TOWN.
AND LIGHTS WERE FLASHING ALL AROUND.
WENT DOWN THE HILL, AND TO THE RIGHT,
INTO THE TOWN, TO SEE THE LIGHTS.

"WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?" AND THEN HE STALLED.
THE LIGHTS, THEY WERE NOT LIGHTS AT ALL!
BUT MIRRORS, SEEKING TO ATTRACT
SOMEONE TO GET THEIR CHILDREN BACK.

"AN EVIL GOBLIN TOOK OUR KIDS.
A FLUTE HE PLAYED, AND WHEN HE DID,
OUR CHILDREN, THEY WERE HYPNOTIZED,
AND IN HIS POWER, CLOSED THEIR EYES

"SO THEY MUST FOLLOW MUSIC PLAYED
BY THIS STRANGE DEMON, UNAFRAID,
FOR, PARALYZED, WE STOOD IN AWE,
COULD NOT DEFEND THE THING WE SAW!

"OUR CHILDREN FOLLOWED MUSIC, BLIND,
AND YONDER MOUNTAIN THEY ALL CLIMBED
INTO A HOLE. INSIDE THE HILL
THEY WENT, AND THEY ARE IN THERE STILL.

"THE CAVE CLOSED UP. WE CANNOT SEE
HOW WE MIGHT GET INSIDE. HELP, PLEASE!
SO JONES WENT UP WHERE THEY HAD SHOWN.
TAPPED ON THE ROCKS. COULD NOT HAVE KNOWN

THAT DOING WHAT HE DID WAS RIGHT!
HE TAPPED AND TAPPED. THEN CAME A LIGHT
FROM ONE SMALL HOLE IN THE MOUNTAIN’S SIDE,
AND WITH THAT LIGHT, IT COULD NOT HIDE

THE RING. HE PULLED WITH ALL HIS MIGHT.
HE PULLED TO LEFT, HE PULLED TO RIGHT.
WHEN HE LET GO, HE LOOKED INSIDE.
JUST THEN, THE MOUNTAIN OPENED WIDE.

THE SUN SHONE IN, THE GOBLIN SCREAMED.
THE SUN HAD COOKED HIM. JUST LEFT STEAM,
WHICH BLEW AWAY, NE’ER CAME AGAIN.
THE CHILDREN RAN HOME FREE. SO THEN,

JONES KEPT ON GOING. GREAT BIG SMILE!
HE THOUGHT HE’D REST FOR JUST A WHILE.
HE SAT TILL EVENING. SLEPT TILL MORN.
THANKED GOD FOR THAT DAY HE WAS BORN.

EXCITED! "WHAT MAY LIE AHEAD?"
HE ATE SOME FRUIT, AND HAD SOME BREAD.
A DRINK REFRESHED HIM FROM A STREAM.
BUT AS HE DRANK, HE HAD A DREAM!

AND IN HIS DREAM, HE SAW A MAID
WHO RAN TO JONES. SHE WAS AFRAID.
AND LOOKING BACK, SHE SAID, "HE COMES!
COME HELP MY PEOPLE! FREE THEM FROM

"THE FEARSOME CREATURE FROM THE BAY!
HE WANTS TO BLOW OUR TOWN AWAY!
HE’S HUGE! HE’S EVIL, AND HE KNOWS
THAT UPON EVERYTHING HE BLOWS,

"A FREEZING COMES, A BLAST OF COLD,
THAT HOLDS THE PEOPLE, YOUNG AND OLD.
AND AFTER JUST ONE HUNDRED YEARS,
THE TOWN WILL THAW, AND DISAPPEAR!

"WE’VE SEEN THIS MONSTER RISE AND SINK
INTO THE BAY. SO NOW, WE THINK
HE KNOWS OUR LITTLE TOWN IS HERE.
EACH TIME, HE’S CLOSER. NOW, WE FEAR

"NEXT TIME HE’LL COME OUT ON THE LAND.
AGAINST HIS POW'R, WE CANNOT STAND."
NOW, JONES WENT TO THE "BOOK OF TOWN"
FROM THEIR LIBRARY. TURNING DOWN

PAGE AFTER PAGE, BACK TO THE START
OF THIS SMALL TOWN. HE FOUND A PART
THAT SPOKE OF THIS GREAT FEARFUL THING
THAT CAME AND WENT. AND EVERY SPRING,

IT CAME TO BLOW ON THIS SMALL TOWN
UNTIL HIS POWER HE HAD FOUND,
FOR HE WAS MUCH TOO YOUNG TO DO
JUST WHAT HIS FATHER TAUGHT HIM TO;

TO FREEZE THE TOWNS ALONG THE BAY,
AND TAKE THEIR BEACHES ALL AWAY.
"BUT NOW, WE FEAR, HE IS QUITE APT.
WHEN HE WAKES FROM HIS MONTHLY NAP,

"HE’LL COME AND DO THIS DREADFUL THING.
SO JONES WENT TO A NEARBY SPRING,
AND TOOK A DRINK FROM WATERS COOL,
WHICH FED INTO A CRYSTAL POOL.

THEN JONES WENT TO THE SANDY BEACH.
IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE HE REACHED
THE BREAKING WAVES, THE ROLLING TIDE.’
HE FOUND THIS CAVE, AND WENT INSIDE.

THERE WAS A HOLE BENEATH THE GROUND.
AND THEN BELOW, JONES HEARD THIS SOUND
OF GURGLING, SNORTING. SO HE THOUGHT,
"THE CREATURE SLEEPS. I THINK I OUGHT

"TO TRY TO DRIVE HIM QUITE AWAY.
BUT IN THIS CAVE, I CANNOT STAY"
JONES FOUND A HUGE SHELL ON THE SAND,
AND, GIVING THOUGHT, JONES SAID, "I CAN

"JUST CAPTURE SOUNDS WITHIN THIS CONCH.
THEN LET HIM HEAR IT. THEN I’LL BONK
THE CREATURE WITH THAT STONE UP THERE
WHILE HE SITS DOWN AND WONDERS, "WHERE’S

"THAT OTHER CREATURE THAT I HEARD?"
AND WHILE HIS MIND REMAINS QUITE BLURRED,
I’LL TOPPLE YONDER ROCK RIGHT DOWN,
AND TAKE THE CREATURE TO THE GROUND.

"AND BIND HIM THERE LIKE LILLIPUTIANS
DID WITH GULLIVER. SOLUTION’S
GOOD!", JONES TOLD THE TOWN, QUITE LOUD.
"WE’RE GLAD YOU CAME, JONES. MAKES US PROUD

"TO HELP IN THIS GREAT PLAN YOU’VE LAID.
AND WE NO LONGER ARE AFRAID!"
JONES GOT THE SHELL, AND TO THE CAVE
HE WENT, THIS LITTLE TOWN TO SAVE,

WHILE ALL THE TOWNSFOLK DROVE THE STAKES
AND MADE THE ROPES, THIS THING TO TAKE.
JONES GOT THE SOUNDS OF THE CREATURE’S SNORES,
SET UP THE ROCK, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE

TO WORK THE PLAN TO STOP THIS FEAR.
JONES TOLD THE TOWN, "THE TIME IS HERE."
SO, FINISHED NOW, THE TRAP IS SET.
A GLORY THEY WILL NOT FORGET.

JONES SET THE SHELL WITHIN THE CAVE,
AND PULLED A STRING, THE SHELL THEN GAVE
A TURN, AND THEN THE SOUNDS CAME OUT.
AND JONES WAS SET. THERE WAS NO DOUBT.

THE BEAST WAS STIRRING. SOON THEY SAW
A SNOUT WITH SCALES, A HUGE, SQUARE JAW.
WITH SNORTING, PAWING, OUT HE CAME.
(THOUGH NOONE EVER KNEW ITS NAME!)

JONES PUSHED THE STICK. THE ROCK FELL DOWN,
AND CRUNCHED THE CREATURE TO THE GROUND.
THE TOWNSFOLK QUICKLY SPRANG TO TIE
THAT HORRID CREATURE WITH ONE EYE

SO FAST, SECURE. WHEN THEY WERE DONE,
THE BEAST WAS LYING IN THE SUN.
AND FRYING THERE, THE SUN SO HOT,
HE COOKED TILL THERE WAS JUST A BLOT.

THE TOWN THEN RAKED AND SWEPT AND SUCH,
WHEN THEY WERE DONE, THERE WASN’T MUCH
TRACE OF THAT CREATURE ANYMORE.
SO JONES SAT UP AND THOUGHT SOME MORE;

"THAT WAS NO DREAM!" HE ANALYZED.
"I WAS TRANSPORTED THROUGH THE SKIES
TO YET ANOTHER TOWN IN NEED."
THE PEOPLE ALWAYS BID, "GODSPEED!"

AND JONES WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO
THE PLACE HE WAS. "I WONDER WHO
WILL BE THE NEXT ON THIS GREAT LIST?
SO MANY SORTS OF FOLK EXIST.

"A CULTURE EDUCATING ME.
IT EVEN SOMETIMES SETS ME FREE
FROM COOKIE-CUTTER LOOK-ALIKES,
FROM SAME-O, SAME-O PROTOTYPES.

WHAT THRILLING VENTURES I HAVE SEEN.
AND WHAT A LIFE. I’VE NEVER BEEN
AS HAPPY AS I AM RIGHT NOW."
WHAT WONDERS DID GOD ME ENDOW.

____________________ <> __________________

AUTHOR’S NOTE: THIS IS A STORY DESIGNED
BY ME, A CUSTODIAN OF JONES THE CAT FOR
ABOUT SEVENTEEN YEARS. JONES HAD WORN
HIMSELF OUT SERVING SUCH A WONDERFUL
AND SELFLESS PURPOSE IN MAKING US, THE
GRATEFUL CUSTODIANS OF HIS PERSON AND
HIS ADVENTURES, SO PROUD OF HIM, AND SO
HAPPY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE A PART OF
SUCH AN EXCITING PUBLIC HERO AS ‘JONES
THE CAT’.

MY WIFE, DAWN, AND I, ALLAN, CAN REMEMBER,
FORTUNATELY, ALMOST EVERY INCIDENT IN THE
FABULOUS LIFE OF BRAVE AND COURAGEOUS
‘JONES THE CAT’.

IT IS WITHIN THOSE MEMORIES, AND BECAUSE OF
HIS PASSING INTO A WONDROUS LAND OF SPLENDID
ADVENTURES AND GREATER POSSIBILITIES, ON
JANUARY 6, 2004, THAT I WROTE THIS POEM OF HIS
LIFE FOR ALL OF US TO FOREVERMORE ENJOY.

CARRY ON, JONES!

LOOK FOR MORE "ADVENTURES OF JONES THE CAT"
IN THIS SERIES.