"That's Big Googa's seat!"
Jonathan moved about a foot to the right and started to sit, and this time, Clark didn't indignantly warn him that he was about to trespass upon or crush any of Clark's friends.
"I don't think I've met Big Googa yet," he answered, cautiously.
"Course not. Big Googa's *invisible.*"
"How come you can see him then?"
"I'm his friend." After a pause, he added, "Big Googa can fly."
"Does he have wings like a bird or like a plane?"
Clark considered for an instant. "No, he says that he just flies."
"Does he like to fly?"
"Uhm hmm. He says he'll teach me. He can do lots of stuff."
"Like what?"
"He can climb the tree faster than I can and sometimes he picks up the house. He puts it back, though."
"That's good."
"He doesn't have to eat peas if he doesn't want to." Jonathan just nodded and Clark, realizing that this hadn't worked, went on. "He and Manoo are cousins."
"So is he a penguin, too?"
"Not a penguin cousin, a cousin cousin."
"Oh, right."
"When Manoo takes a really big breath," Clark paused to demonstrate, noisily, "She sounds like the vacuum. That's how she cleans her room."
Jonathan just hoped that these friends really were imaginary. Sometimes, he had mental images of what it would be like if they were really creatures that had come with Clark.
The book about encouraging children's imagination didn't have a section of special considerations about alien children. He figured, though, they were handling it pretty well.
But he'd still be extra careful when Clark warned him not to sit or step on a friend.
Just in case.
Jonathan moved about a foot to the right and started to sit, and this time, Clark didn't indignantly warn him that he was about to trespass upon or crush any of Clark's friends.
"I don't think I've met Big Googa yet," he answered, cautiously.
"Course not. Big Googa's *invisible.*"
"How come you can see him then?"
"I'm his friend." After a pause, he added, "Big Googa can fly."
"Does he have wings like a bird or like a plane?"
Clark considered for an instant. "No, he says that he just flies."
"Does he like to fly?"
"Uhm hmm. He says he'll teach me. He can do lots of stuff."
"Like what?"
"He can climb the tree faster than I can and sometimes he picks up the house. He puts it back, though."
"That's good."
"He doesn't have to eat peas if he doesn't want to." Jonathan just nodded and Clark, realizing that this hadn't worked, went on. "He and Manoo are cousins."
"So is he a penguin, too?"
"Not a penguin cousin, a cousin cousin."
"Oh, right."
"When Manoo takes a really big breath," Clark paused to demonstrate, noisily, "She sounds like the vacuum. That's how she cleans her room."
Jonathan just hoped that these friends really were imaginary. Sometimes, he had mental images of what it would be like if they were really creatures that had come with Clark.
The book about encouraging children's imagination didn't have a section of special considerations about alien children. He figured, though, they were handling it pretty well.
But he'd still be extra careful when Clark warned him not to sit or step on a friend.
Just in case.