Way back inside his dark cave, he could see things nobody else could see outside in the sun.

He peered at the wise giant there now, who always sat so still, and the giant whispered to Augustus:  "Bring those children to me!"

So Augustus dipped a golden jar into the giant's shadow.

And then he sucked the darkness from the jar into his lungs and blew the giant's shadow over the children in the sun.

Then he sucked the shadow back in, and all the children followed the cloud. All, except for one.

"Welcome, children!" said Augustus, rubbing his grimy hands. "Don't be afraid! You are so brave to enter my cave, but soon you will see my magical world! Look, look! Just look at the beautiful dreams that you can see inside the dark! Aren't they better than the world outside?"

And the children saw castles glowing on distant mountaintops and strange birds flying around.

Augustus heard a loud, bright laugh outside his cave.

It was Zelda, that extremely silly girl who had stayed outside.

Augustus grumbled and squeezed his green grabbers.

"Come here, Zelda!" Augustus snorted.

A butterfly landed on Zelda's finger. She happened to be an expert at catching frogs and butterflies. "Sorry, Augustus!" Zelda said. "I'm sure your cave is very nice. But I'm too busy having fun!"

"Harrruuuuumph!" The green monster grunted.  He hadn't heard his name for ages!

"Your friends all see my giant, and his wonderful castles. Maybe you're not as smart or brave as all your friends here in my cave?" The monster pouted. ""I think that maybe you're afraid of the dark!"

"Wait right there, Augustus!" said Zelda. "And I'll be right back!"

Augustus waited, drumming his fingers on the floor inside his cave. He was already bored with the other children. They just stared at the strange birds flying around in the dark.

At last he heard a happy shout and he squinted his eyes as he looked toward the sun.

There was that silly little girl again!

"Look, Augustus!" she shouted brightly. "I brought you something in this very dark jar!"

"Ooo! Well, well," said Augustus, cracking a smile. "What could be in that very dark jar?"

"Open it. You'll see."

"Why, thank you, Zelda," purred the Green Monster. "You're smarter, I think, than I thought!"  He grabbed the jar and ran back into his cave. Then he giggled as he took off the lid. . .

A swarm of fireflies spilled from the jar!

The fireflies flew all over the place, and they lit up the dark with light!

And Augustus saw that his magic world was a cave.

And the giant that talked to him was just a rock!

He ran with the children out of the cave and into the sun.

The sun burned! The sky was too bright! Even the shadows were too bright!

Augustus tripped on a rock and fell on his knee, and it hurt like the sun in his eyes!

He threw himself in the flowers in the park outside the cave.

He cried and cried and the monster decided that he HATED THE WORLD OUTSIDE!

"I thought you kids always have fun!" he said as he sobbed on the grass. "Just look at my poor knee!" he sighed, and rubbed his shin-bone fast.

"Oh, come on, Augustus, don't feel so sad!" said the children, gathering around.

Zelda winked and tugged on his thumb. "Just be smart and just be brave and you'll see how much fun you can have outside!"

Augustus grumbled and brushed himself off, but he was still mighty grouchy, and sad. "If I just take a step—" He crashed to the ground! "I HATE everything outside!" he cried.

"Just open your eyes all the way!" said the boy who was wearing bright red shoes. "And put your feet down carefully!"

"Oh, come on, Monster," said a freckled little girl.

And the children pulled him to his feet.

And the grass felt cool between his toes.

Watching the ground, he took a few steps.

Pretty soon he was hopping around.

And slowly, then faster, the Green Monster changed as he played with the children outside.

His grumpy face smiled and his eyes opened wide.

And his eyes were gold like the sun.

"You see, Augustus?" Zelda winked. She poked him in the side. "You can learn to catch butterflies, too!"

"Oh, thank you, Zelda!" Augustus grinned. "I'm having so much fun! I thought you kids were afraid of the dark; but I was afraid of the sun."

The End