The Gripper (Part 1)
“The Gripper likes to grip you
He’ll come for you late at night
He waits until the lights are out
He gives a nasty fright
He reaches through the window
Looking for a tasty nipper
Then he takes you off into the night
Cos he’s the frightful gripper”
“But is it true,” said Jimmy
And his Grandpa gave a smile
“It’s time to go,” said Mum and Dad
“We’ve been here for a while”
“Perhaps it is,” said Grandpa
“Now it’s time that you departed”
Outside the wind blew loudly
It was then that Grandpa farted
And on the way back home young Jimmy
Felt quite ill at ease
As he watched the darkened shadows
Of the tall and windy trees
And when he was tucked up in bed
Young Jimmy asked his Dad
“But is the Gripper really true?”
“Of course it’s not my lad”
The light went off and very soon
Sleep hit him like a dart
He slept quite soundly for a while
Then woke up with a start
The room was bathed in moonlight
And the air was calm and still
He climbed down from his bed
And went up to the window sill
There was something rather strange
About the atmosphere tonight
His eyes surveyed the garden
With a growing sense of fright
“There’s nothing there!” he said out loud
And then he gave a yawn
He was just about to go
When something moved upon the lawn!
He looked again what had he seen
It was very hard to tell
A chill ran through his body
He began to feel unwell
He saw the pond, he saw the lawn
He saw the chicken pen
He watched the wind blow through the trees
When something moved again!
There it was behind a tree
This time there was no doubt
But what on earth could this thing be
He feared he’d soon find out
The thing stayed in the shadows
As it moved from tree to tree
It was tall with long great dangling arms
That much he could now see
As it moved behind another tree
This time he had no qualms
As he could see on either side
That pair of dangling arms
Those dangling arms, those dangling arms
And on the end those hands
Fingers long and clammy
And legs like rubber bands
As he watched it getting closer
He was feeling far from chipper
Then like a lightning bolt
It struck him
This must be the Gripper!
Jimmy jumped up from the window
And leapt into his bed
As the thing began to climb the house
He could see it’s bald green head
It forced the window open
And the massive hands reached in
They were long and thin and clammy
With a green and rubbery skin
The hands were now inside the room
They began to reach about
And though he’d held his breath till now
Young Jimmy shouted out
Jimmy’s Dad came stumbling in
But all was calm and still
There was nothing left, except some mud
Smeared on the window sill
“The Gripper tried to grip me”
Said Jimmy to his Dad
“Of course he didn’t Jimmy,
You just had a dream my lad”
He closed the windows and the door
And then turned off the light
But Jimmy knew he’d need a plan
To survive tomorrow night!