Groundhog Downunder

by Gypsy

Well as we know ALL stories start with once upon a time and this one is no different. Once upon a time ..(see I told you) ...a strange thing happened.. Phil ..the groundhog ...no not THAT Phil the Groundhog but our groundhog was named after him, woke up and it was VERY hot ...unusually hot even for summer...he rolled over and looked out his door ..and it was sooo bright .. His shadow was HUGE and black and he immediately pulled back inside to think about this .( Okay he was a little afraid too.) Something very strange had happened....so he looked again ....yep ..really sunny and really hot ..and something didn't smell right ... "Curiouser and curiouser " he thought..to borrow a phrase from Alice. Very bravely (and carrying a stick, just in case) ..he stepped out into the sun .. The trees were wrong ,the grass was wrong ..but he kinda liked it .He decided to go off for a stroll ....under a tree there was a VERY large mouse.. standing there on it's hind legs scratching. And what looked like a very small bear in the crook of a tree...suddenly the mouse started hopping towards him. "What are YOU?" it said "and where did you come from?" "I'm a groundhog of course and I came from that hole over there." Phil said ...pointing. "Well you should stay out of the sun. " the mouse said..." Go have a nap til it cools down a bit." Phil thought about it for a second and then said ."Yes I think I will, it is far too hot for me." and wandered off to his hole. After the stroll he was feeling tired and decided a nap was just the ticket. Later he woke up ..and it was cold again .. "Strange" he thought. He looked out his little door again..and it was FREEZING .There was snow all around and well people staring at him..but no shadows .. "How odd" he thought " What a strange dream". And walked out amid the cheers...Maybe he was THAT Phil after all.