Chapter 10: They Accept the Request of the Whitey Biteys

The kangawrong attempted to toss another mitten into the water but because it had such short little arms the mitten landed on the edge of the wharf.

“I could probably toss the mitten very far, maybe even to the end of the ocean,” said the croco-diamond, who in fact wasn’t sure he could toss the mitten far at all, “but I am in charge of the mission. I can’t do both things.”

He held up his papers and shuffled through them so all could see that he was too busy to toss mittens.

The giant man held the kangawrong up and over the water so that it could drop the mittens in, one by one. After each fell in the water the croco-diamond would shout “Mitten transmission confirmation!” and would check off an item on his papers.

They waited in anticipation but…

Nothing happened.

The mittens floated in a circle, bobbing up and down in the waves. A sea goon landed near one, saw it wasn’t edible, and flew off.

“Hold on…I have something here…in the event of the whitey biteys not arriving on schedule with the mission…” The croco-diamond shuffled his papers. “Ah ha, it’s here!” He pointed at the papers and then held them up.

“Unleash and prepare the signaler!”

“What?” asked the giant man.

“You know, the spoon,” whispered the croco-diamond.

Right as the giant man untied the spoon and was handing it to the kangawrong who was, according to the plan, in charge of making a sun signal with it, four whitey biteys popped their heads out of the water right in the middle of the mitten circle. They looked at the spoon, looked at each other, and then the one with the largest fins turned to the wharf.

“Howdy pardners. Say there little poke-a-wrong, is that there contraption ya got a mir-roar?”

“Greetings fine sir. I am the official question responder.” The whitey bitey turned to the croco-diamond. “It is, indeed sir, a mirror.” He looked at the giant man, who nodded his head yes in support of the croco-diamond’s statement.

“Well then there fellers, ya think y’all kin lower that there contraption inna here so’s we kin use it?”

“Plunge the contraption,” whispered the croco-diamond and the kangawrong lowered the spoon into the water. The whitey biteys swam through the mitten circle, carefully choosing which they wanted. None chose a matching set of mittens but one doesn’t tell a whitey bitey how to wear mittens. Then they swam up to the spoon, admiring their reflections.

“Looka over there at Earl. Them are some fiiiine lookin’ mittens on Earl,” said one.

“An’ I’m gonna wear them fine mittens all the winter long so’s my fins don’t git so cold,” said another, who must have been Earl.

“Why, jest wait ‘til them other fishes gets a load of us. I ain’t gonna look so cold no more.”

“I tole y’all you all’d be glad ya come,” said the whitey bitey that had taken the first mitten.

“Yepper, you was shore right ‘bout that, Evett. Ya done good.” The largest whitey bitey looked up at the wharf. “Well then pardners, we shore do thank ya kindly for y’all bringin’ us them fine mittens. They’s warmed me up already.”

“But say, ah, fellers, ah, y’all got you anymore them mittens?” asked Earl.

“Now Earl,” said the one that was Evett. “Don’t you be gettin’ greedy on them fellers.”

“Well, ah, I was just askin’ ‘cause there’s more others that needs them some mittens too. So’s nobody gets them some cold fins on themselves.”

“Now Earl,” said the largest of the group. “We’s can share them fine mittens. Don’t be troublin’ them fellers none. Y’all bein’ rude.”

“Pardon me, sir, if I may,” said the croco-diamond. “The, er, feller, with the spoon, ahem, mirror, is a First Chair Knitter. And I am, as is probably apparent, a Yarn Impresario. And as the commander of this mitten mission, that being me, and as the instrumenter of plans, design, and such with and thus things as relates to the mittens, my duties and responsibilities would forthwith require I address your requests. And in the affirmative.”

“Er, ‘scuse me, but I ain’t unnerstandin’ yer words too good.”

“We’ll make you more mittens,” the giant man said.

“We don’t want to be no bother.”

Realizing now the whitey biteys were simple people the croco-diamond addressed them as such. “It’s no bother at all. We love to make mittens.”

Then he placed his front foot on the kangawrong’s head proudly and in a manner he thought would look folksy. The kangawrong clapped its hands pat pat pat.

It was agreed that the next week they would bring eight more mittens. All were happy on the drive home that their good deed turned out to be a really good deed.

There was no way for them to know that something horrible was about to happen.