One night the moon falls into Pugnacious Footefake’s yard. He meets a frenetic mousefox while taking the
census. Two children try to sell him a
cup of gravity. An earthly event with a fax
machine prompts him to arrange a marriage. He finds himself on a snowy world, with a Princess trapped in
ice. A roach starts a conversation with
him. And on a summer evening in a
forested park, he is kidnapped by a pitiable nymph, who wants to grant him
three wishes.

Samples

BLUE MOON

Pugnacious was awakened not by the rumble of the nearing
moon but by a tapping at his window. Sleepily he looked to the glass and saw
behind it an anxious star.

EASILY A HUNDRED

He told the Census Bureau that he would count the people. The Bureau told him that wasn’t
necessary. He said it was. The Bureau
said it wasn’t. I’m volunteering!
said Pugnacious. We don’t need you, answered the Bureau.

NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCE

The children, a boy and a girl, were manning what appeared
to be a Lemonade Stand. Except that there wasn’t any lemonade in the pitcher. There
was — well, as a matter of fact, Pugnacious would have thought the pitcher
empty, except that it didn’t seem
empty. Then again, it didn’t seem full, either. And it was clearly swelling
inward — if a thing can indeed swell inward.

THE FAX &
FRANCINE

Francine, who was taller than her mother, moved a bit behind
her, as though to hide herself. She kept pushing her glasses back up on her
nose. Meanwhile her mother inflated herself, again inhaling the lovely day, and
then sighed for a very long time.

THE WOEFUL PRINCESS

Pugnacious knew he was not in his town of Flattened Hills
anymore because there were no streets, no curbs, no sidewalks, no cars, no
shops, no signs, nor any traffic lights. No pedestrians either. There was snow,
however, crusted by ice, more furiously white than the sun above.

MAKING PRANKS WITH
ROACHES

A prankster was calling the Thornberry home, often as late
as midnight, and asking for Pugnacious. As soon as Pugnacious was on the line,
the prankster simply chortled and hung up.

THE ESSENTIAL WISHES
OF PUGNACIOUS FOOTEFAKE

Pugnacious checked his watch. He could tell already that the
nymph was going to delay him for a while. He hoped that Lily and Edie were not
too near the end of their circuit. He should have ten minutes or so. He could
only hope the nymph would be expeditious.

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