The Knot Monster

The Knot Monster© by: J Hazen Buss

            "Time to get up, sleepy head,” a voice said. “Ellie, it is time to get up and get

ready for school,” the voice said a little louder.

Ellie was warm and cozy in her bed, and she hated to get up and get ready for school. She didn’t

like mornings at all!

           “Ellie, Get up!” screamed her mother.

           “Coming,” moaned Ellie, half asleep.

     Ellie climbed out of bed and put her uniform on for school. As Ellie headed to the bathroom to

brush her teeth, she heard the sound… her mother’s footsteps coming down the hall.

           “Oh, great!” thought Ellie. She hated those footsteps! Her mother was coming to… BRUSH

HER HAIR!

Every morning, Ellie’s mother would get out that prickly hairbrush. Ellie held her breath for what

seemed like an eternity as her mother pulled and sprayed and tugged at her long, tangled hair.

Finally, Ellie couldn’t take it anymore!  “STOP BRUSHING MY HAIR!” Ellie screamed.  

           Ellie’s mother stopped cold.  “I’m sorry, but I have to get these knots out of your hair.”

Ellie rolled her eyes. She knew what her mother was going to say next. It was the same dumb thing

she said every morning! As her mother smiled, she said, “Did that Knot Monster come see you

again?”

           Ellie frowned. “Mom, you know there is no such thing as a Knot Monster. I don’t know why you make

up these silly stories!”

           Her mother laughed. “Ellie, you don’t believe me, but I am telling you that the Knot Monster

DOES exist! When you are sleeping, this little purple monster climbs into your hair and parties all

night! That is why there are so many knots when you get up in the morning,” she said.  Ellie still

didn’t believe her mother, as she rolled her eyes yet again. Ellie’s mother continued, “The story

goes: when he is in your hair he recites a rhyme, and it goes like this…

                                         Hair, hair everywhere!

                                       Brown, blonde, I don’t care!

                                       I love it when I find a spot

                                       To dance around and make a knot!”

          Ellie looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. “What do you mean, the story goes? You didn’t

make this up?” she asked.

           “No! This is a story that has been around since I was a little girl. He’s real!” her mother

replied.

Ellie couldn’t believe what she was hearing! Ellie thought that this purple monster was a crazy story

her mother had made up. Now, Ellie wasn’t so sure.  Could her mother be telling the truth? Could

there really be a Knot Monster?  

That day at school, while eating her lunch in the cafeteria, Ellie couldn’t think of anything but that

Knot Monster! How did her hair get so knotted up at night?  Could a purple monster be lurking in

the dark, waiting to throw a party in her hair? To know for sure, Ellie needed to come up with a plan

to catch this monster!

          “All done with your peaches, dear?” a voice said from above.

Ellie looked up and saw an elderly lunch lady with pink, rosy cheeks standing over her.

           “Are you done? If so, I will take your tray,” said the nice lady. Ellie didn’t answer her. She was

too busy staring at the lunch lady’s hair net on her head. “That’s perfect!” she thought.

           “I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor…” asked Ellie.

           “Sure, go ahead, dear,” smiled the lunch lady.

           Ellie felt embarrassed as she said, “May I borrow your hair net?” The lunch lady looked 

puzzled.

           “Well, if you really want to, go ahead, dear,” she said as she took off the hair net and handed

it to Ellie with a curious look. 

            “Thank you, ma’am,” Ellie said as she took the hair net. “I’ve got you now!” Ellie thought.

That night, Ellie climbed into bed with a plan. As she closed her eyes, her last thought was: “This

has to work!” As 3:00am approached, the alarm clock began to chime. Ellie quickly woke up, turned

off her alarm, and threw the hair net on her head. “GOTCHA!” she exclaimed.

Thank you for reading a preview of The Knot Monster by Jennifer Hazen Buss. If you would like to read more, please visit Amazon.com to purchase The Knot Monster and other books in the Monster Series for your Kindle/Fire. Thank you for your support!