The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean by David Almond - Chapter Sampler

7/27/2019 The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean by David Almond - Chapter Sampler

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his tail is told by 1 that died at birth by 1 that came into the world

in days o endles war & at the moment o disaster.

He rew in isolayshon wile the enjins o destrucshon ew &smoke rose over the sitys & wile wilderness & waste crept all acros

the world.

He rew up with the birds & mise as rends.

He wos a secrit shy & thick & tuntied emptyheded thin.

He wos tort to read & rite & spel by his tenda littl muther & by

r cCaurey the butcha & by issus alone and her osts.

o he is not cleva so plees oriv his olts & his mistayks.

ebbe you alredy no him. ebbe you came to Blinkbonny & to

issus alones door & into the parlor wer he told you o all the

spirits that wer still arownd you and that stil lovd you even tho you

thort they wer on.

ebbe he roamd the aterly or you & san or you & dansd or

you & became the thin you thort youd lost the thin you lovd so

much.

ebbe you came in serch o healin & he tuchd you jentl jentl &askd you wer the pane wos & drew that pane owt rom you & you

wer heald.

ebbe you even stood ther & watchd wile he tryd to heal the

ded.

Bak in those days he wos the ynjel Childe.

He wos the worker o majic & miracls the speaker in tuns & the

yellerowt o drivel & bollox & nonsens.hose days ar lon one. he ded ar one. god & his aynjels &

sayntes are one.


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he ynjel Childes no mor.

he ynjel Childe has dun the deeds o monsters.

Wether you no him or not he has been here always.

He cud be just a thin o dreem & nitemare a thin that prowlswithin you at the ded o nite & lares into yor hart & prowls inside

yor deepest dreems.

Whatever he is it is tym to tell the tail.

ebbe it is not or you. ebbe you do not want these words to

be ritten into you. ebbe you do not want them to enter yor blud

& boans & to inect yor dremes.

urn away i you must.Or read on i you wish. ry to desier the words. Or lissen. Or do

watever els you do to allow these words to enter you.

I am Billy Dean. his is the truth. his is my tail.


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The Start of It

I am told I wil lern how to rite the tale by ritin it. 1 word then

anotha 1 word then anotha. Just let the pensil wark. Let it move like

ootsteps throu the dust & leev its marks behind. Let it leev its marksjust like birds & beests leav ther misteryous ootprints in mud.

Just fll the pajes.

word a mark a word a mark.

What do I hav to bein with?

Objects.

hins like this hand o Jesus.

hees ethers rom an aynjels win.

his dryd out skin o lon ded mows.

his purpl scar with blak rinjes on it.

I tuch them & sni them & stare deep into them & O what

stories start to rise. What memries eelins thorts & horras loves &

dremes. hey churn toether like tormented water. How to et

them into orda how to et them maykin sens?

I have these pajes. I hav this pensil.

I hav this nie that sharpens the pensil that tells the tale that leedsto the nie & to the act that had mebbe always been intended.

No. Dont think o that not yet.

harpen the pensil & o to the start & wate or the word.

Wot is the word that is at the start o it?

Dont pawse. ite it.

Darkness.

Darkness with a boy in it.


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A Littl Memry

Im very small. Im wyd awayk. Im starin up into the sqare o niyt.

hers dozens o stars even in that smarl spays. hey litta & they

even seme to dans.hers a clik & a clak & a shat o lite arls ova me. hers the

sownd o ootsteps. dark shado stands abuv me.

Hands reech under me & lit me qwikly up.

I see his eyes litterin lyk 2 massiv nereby stars.

1 o his hands suports my bum. 1 hand raps arownd my bak &

holds me cloas to him. I ele the cloth o his blak jaket the stubbl o

his blak hare the smooth skin o his throte. Im held so cloas aenst

him. nd O the sents o him. O the eel o his breathin aenst my

body & his breth aenst my skin.

y son, he siys. O my dere son.

nd his body vibrayts & eckos with the words & so dos mine.

y son. y dere son.

nd he sways with me in his arms almost lyk hes dansin with the

stars.


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A Littl Boy

his tym its her tuch that draws me back. I eel her fners & her

thums on me. hey hold my hed & tilt it. hey stroke my hare & lit

it to eel the lenth o it & then the cowm moovs throu it & I eel theteeth o the cowm aenst my scalp. I here the sownd o the sissors

snippin snip snip. nd her voys sins in my ere & her breth is on

my skin. nd the cuttas sweep up rom the bak o my nek towards

my hed & they sweep ova my templs. hen I eel the fners rubbin

the brilcreem onto me & I smel the smel o that. nd then she

fnishes her cowmin and she las & stroaks my cheke & she says

how lucky she is to hav such a lad.

Now the vishon cums & I see the woman & the boy beor me in

the littl room. uch tym has passd sins he wos the bayby on the

bed. Hes a littl boy. Hes sittin by the tabl on a chare & shes behynd

him & the sunlites shinin down on them rom the sqare abuv. hes

takin a towel rom his sholders now & tippin the snippdo hare

into the toylet & ushin it away.

He smiles & runs his fners across the new sharp luvly stubbl on

his templs & his nek.hatll do she tels him. Billys bak to bonnynes aen.

he kisses his cheke. he smyls. But look cloasly. Her eyes ar tyrd.

he sas a bit. yms alredy started takin its toll on her.

He sees a mows runnin alon the bottom o the warl. hen

anotha. He poynts he wayvs he sqweeks he las.

ows! he crys. ows! ek eek! ek eek!

he las as well. he says she wishes she cud do sumthin abowtthem. But wots to do? Blinkbonnys riddld with them. nd it cud be

wors. It cud be rats. Dont encuraj them Billy.


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ek eek! he ose. ek eek!

he siys. Dont she says. he ivs him a cup o lucozayd & she ivs

him a biscit. he says shes ot to o owt to cut & styl & trim. he

kisses him & leevs & loks the dore behynd her.By by he wispers. By by.

I o closer as I rite. Its lyk seein a ost o mysel. Its lyk bein in the

aterly & tryin to contact a spirit & brin it bak aen. I cud almost

tuch mysel.

Billy, I wisper. Billy.

He dusnt moov o cors. Dusnt inch. qweeks lyk a mows then

crowches by the warl & crumbls the biscit & baks away & watchesthe nervos mise cum cloaser to nibbl & ete.

Billy, I wisper. Billy.

Dus he here me? He ose ded stil. He looks arownd.

Dont be arade I say.

Its just me, I say. Its just you.

He blinks & shayks his hed.

ek eek! He crumbls the biscit. ek eek!

I dont want to scair him so I speke no mor to him but I cant leev

him.

nd the pensil keeps on movin & I keep on ritin.

I rite thees thins o memry & o luv. he reen carpet with the

red & yello owers on it. he walls with the rate craks & owjes

in them. he crumblin seelin with the fne roots rowin down

throu it. he littl windo to the sky. he lockd dore wich is the dore

I must never o throu. Yes even that is a thin o luv. I stair into therane o it & the cracks in its raym & I see tiny worms & beetls

that liv in it.

I rite the bed with the red cova on it.

he littl bluw soa.

he pitchers on the wall. I aze into thees pitchers now. hey sho

the Holy Iland. I remember how am told me that the iland was

like a littl bit o Heven. It was a plase were sayntes wons warkd. Itwas a plase that sumtyms oted on the water & sumtyms rested on

the land. he yoosd to say that we wud o ther toetha 1 fne day.


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I aze at the sea the sand the cassel on its rok. I see the bonny

pufns yin in the air in littl roops. I look or the beest calld a seal

that pops its hed up in the warter. I look at the upsyd down botes.

hey ar paynted blak & they hav dores in them. am yoosd to telme that pepl livd in thees botes & at nite the botes ew upsyd down

across the stars. I yoosd to la at that & wunder wot on erth she was

on abowt. For ther was no way or me to understand. he pitchers

had no meanin or me just as the words abowt them had no meanin

or me.

I turn and look at him aen. His eyes ar blank & emty lyk an emty

paje.hes ryt, I wisper. he iland is byutiul & it is reely lyk a littl bit o

Hevan. nd yes pepl liv in the botes & yes they y across the stars at

nite.

He stares into the empty air as i hes lookin or the plays the voys

cums rom.

Beleev her Billy, I wisper. For her words ar trew.

he mise scamper & the world terns & the day drits by.

I cant leev.

I no shell be bak soon. hes neva on mor than an hour or 2. hell

cook a cupl o r cCaureys best pork sossijes or 1 o r

cCaureys piys.

I hear swete sinin and I luk up to the windo to the sky & there

are sparras there. Billy luks up too. He las & stretches his arms

towards the birds. O how wonderul & nesesary they wer. hey

caym to the windo. hey droppd rom the sky. hey uterd therwins & wistld & san & they peckd with ther beaks on the lass lyk

they wer carlin me. I wistld bak & I stretchd my arms to them just

as Billy the boy dos now.

umtyms am lited me up & I wud reech towards them & she

wud la and say o on son. Carl the burds & sin at them.

umtyms in days o hete & lite she opend the lass with a pole &

the windo hun down & the lite & the air pord down on me. ndthe sons o the burds pord down on me & the sons wer byutiul.

ome o the burds caym tym & aen. her wos a blak blak skwawkin


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crow a bunch o cheepin spuys a pare o pijons that cood & tilted

there heds & eyes at me. am said they caym cos I wos a ood boy.

he said they wer my rends & that they caym with messajes and

reetins to me.Wot messajes I askd.

essajes o hope & luv she anserd.

Look at how he stairs upwards at how I staird upwards. He stands

& spreds his arms & is entransd & O how I remember that

entransment.

I no he dremes at nite o risin to the littl sqare windo & cliymin

owt & bein with the burds & yin up into the sky. I stil dreme thatdreme. I stil imajin risin to the sky. ebbe evrybody dremes that

dreme. ebbe non o us think that standin & warkin on the world

is enu or us. vrybody wants to rise. ven a littl boy in a littl lockd

room with waste & wilderness arl arownd.

he key is turnin in the lok aen. He turns his eyes down rom

the birds & the sky.

he cums in aen. he sits with him aen. hey ete sossijes &

darkness starts to arl & soon its nite.

He lissens. hers crekes & craks & owls & a ar o roanin & a

jentl thuddin. hers a littl suden clik & clak nereby & he catches his

breth & stiens & trembls a bit. He looks with wyd eyes at the lockd

dore.

nd so dus she or a littl instant.

But its not his daddy not tonite.

he nites o his daddy cumin ar ettin ewer & ar betwene.lredy his mammy sumtyms wispers that the daddys a buerin

bluddy bastad sod. lredy shes startin to say that 1 day therll just be

Billy & her & no 1 else.

Billy dusnt want to hear that dusnt want to no that dusnt want to

beleev it.


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The Best of Tyms

his is how it wos at the best o tyms.

he nos that he wil cum.

Daddys on his way, she tells her boy. He will be with us tonite.He rins & trembls & repeets her words & looks up to the sky &

wishes it to darken darken.

he roles up her sleevs & brushes & cleens Billys room. he

polishes the pitchers & the dore & scrubs the toylet & the bath.

he brushes the soa & the bed. he plus the mows holes with rolld

up paypa. he sins as she works.

onite ther wil be no mornin star.

ll thins brite & byutiul arl creechers rate & smarl.

hes all smiles & kisses & cuddls & words abowt how byutiul &

stron her boy is & how lucky she is to hav such a boy & such a yn

stron man. nd abowt how the boy wil ro to be just as fne & just

as stron & just as wonderul.

Wont that be a thin, she says. o row up to be just lyk Daddy

Billy Dean.

nd the sun passes throu the sky & heds or aternoon.he cleans the boy hissel in his bath. Washes his hare and trims

& brushes it & puts the brilcreem on. Dresses him in nete clene

clowths & tels him sit stil on the soa.

tay nete & tidy, she says. Be ood.

nd leevs him. nd now her sinin is in the warls just beyond the

lockd dore & beyond the pitchers o the iland.

He looks up at the sky.Darken, he wishes. Darken darken. Let owls be ther in plays o

sparras. Let stars replase the sun.


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In she cums aen & shes so pritty & so yun. he wers a wite &

bluw dress with owas on it. Her hares arl brushd & shynin & her

eyes leem & shes werin peryoom & red nale polish & blusha &

maskara. hers a red choka rownd her nek. he puts 2 lasses & acup & a ashtray on the taybl. he sits besyd her boy but she cant

kepe still. he taps her ete & tuches her hare & inspects her nales.

hey both kepe lookin at the sky & tellin it to darken darken.

nd it darkens.

nd she switches on a littl liyt.

nd she kisses Billy & leevs him.

Very soon, she says.nd Billy waits.

ood boy sittin on the soa waytin or his Dad.

nd tym passes slo as slo & slo as slo & he kepes lookin up &

wishin the nite to stay & stay.

hen at last the click & clack & the turnin loks & the openin

dore.

nd O Im bak ther as he entas. O here he cums. Hes tarl. Nerly as

tarl as the dore. Hes arl in blak & his hare is dark as deepest nite &

his eyes are bluw as summa sky. He cums strate to me pulls me up

& holds me in his arms & asks me.

Hows my lad? Hows Billy Dean?

I stamma stutta carnt et owt a word.

Hes doin fne Wilred, says am.

aa, he rowls. I see that. I see how bi & yn hes rowin. Look

at thees mussels. How cum yore ettin to be so stron & yn?ell yor Daddy, says am.

But still I asp & stamma & cant mayk words.

Daddy las. He kisses me. hers the sent o siarets on him &

the sents o candls & o insens & o atashayv. His hands so clene

and stron & his arms so bi & frm as he cuddls me & cuddls me.

No nede to be shy o yor ather, boy! he says.

Hes brout a bottl o red wyn or o wisky or o jin & sum lemonaydor me.

We arl drink toetha on the soa.


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Dad tayks owt a pak o blak siarets with olden shinin tips on

them. He tels me that ther rom ar ar away rom a plase carld

usha. He smoaks with am & the smoke rises & the weard sent

o it flls the room. He puts his arm rownd am & they wisper &il & drink & smoak & look so happy to my eyes.

nd sumtyms thers tayls & storys lyk the tayl o oses otin

down a riva in a baskit or o Noa & his ark or o Jona ettin swollowd

by a wale or o Jesus wanderin in the wildanes & etin temted by

atin. nd O Im bak ther as I rite it now. Im ther on the soa with

ther bodys & ther sents & ther wisperin & later. nd the tayls ar

such a mistry to me. Whats a riva whats a baskit wats a wildanesswho is atin? nd what ar arl those other thins & other playses &

other beins that he tarks o. What can I no or understand o Hevan

or o Hel or uratry or Limbo? How can I understand the noshon

o an aynjel or a saynte? But the mistry dusnt matta. I luv his voys I

luv him nere me luv the way the storys move acros his lips & throu

the air and into my ere & into my brain. & even now despyt

evrythin I o on lovin him & lovin him & lovin him & thinkin o

him brins the memrys o him porin bak.


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Tuching His Woonds

his is the tym I frst tuchd his woonds. He held his let hand beor

me. It had the frst & second fna missin rom it. He poynted with

his thum to the curvd scar abuv his rite eye. nd he drew me closeto him & he took my yun fnas & told me to tuch the scar wer his

fnas used to be. nd I did & I remember the smoothnes & sotnes

o it.

his is new skin, he told me. Its skin as new as you yorsel Billy.

Its skin that started to be ormd on the day o destrucshon the day

o yor birth.

nd he put my fnas to the ridj o skin abuv his eye as wel. He

iyded me acros the scars.

uch jently Billy, he said. Can you eel?

Yes Daddy.

Can you imajin?

Imajin what Daddy?

Imajin what cud do a thin like this?

I lookd into his eyes. He smyld & shook his hed.

O cors you cant he wisperd. hese marks are the marks o evildun by men. nd you no nothin o such thins. Do you?

No, I anserd.

No. O cors you dont.

udenly my hed bean to reel & the hole room seemd to reel & I

staerd & el down towards the or & I herd a howlin that seemd

rom ar ar o but also rom sumwer deep deep insyd & ther came

suden asps & littl crys & thumps & thuds & much comoshon insydmysel. It wos like evrythin wos allin like evrythin insyd cud

brake apart. nd I elt my throte bein to asp & my tun bein to


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ap & my mowth aypd oapen & I calld owt in a voys that wos

nothin like my own O help me help me help me!

hen just darkness silens stilness emtiness.

hen I cum owt o it.I wos at owt on the or & Dad & am wer neelin at my syd. I

saw the ere in ams eyes & herd the ere in her voys as she aspd

owt Billy! Billy! and leend down to me & cuddld me.

He pulld her o.

Dont he said. Its my olt. I shudnt hav scaird you shud I son?

He rinnd down at me.

nd the ood news is that Daddy survivd, he said. hats oodisnt it?

Yes, I wisperd.

nd that ammy surviyvd & so did you. Isnt that ood Billy?

Yes, I wisperd.

Yes. o dont let thees littl woonds worry you. her just mementos

o the day o doom. nd yes ther woonds but ther also blesins

becos they helpd us understand the naycher o the world & o the

evil in the world.

nd he drew me rom the or & sat me on the soa at his side.

nd I rememba how he leend bak then & smoakd aen & put the

siaret within the fnas that wer let on his let hand & held them

up lyk he wos doin a littl dans with them lyk he wos doin a littl trik.

He wald the siaret beor am til she ild & bit & bit her

lips & nujd me & started me ilin too.

You must resist arl evil, my son, Dad said as he breethd his smoakacross us. We are brout into the world to heal woonds not to make

them.

He took my fners aen & put them to his scars.

go on Billy, he said. el them to heal.

He rinnd & winkd. He told me aen to tel them to heal.

You can do it, he said.

I tuchd jently. I took a depe breth & closd my eyes & put my hart& sole into my wisperd words.

H-heal, I said. lees h-heal my Daddy.


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I said it aen aen aen. t last he aspd.

Youve dun it, Billy! he cryd.

I opend my eyes. I hadnt o cors.

Wel you nerly did, he said as he stubbd owt his siaret.It ended as it always ended. hey kissd me then they went owt

toether throu the dore & let me.

I lay on my bed & the stars shon down on me.

I herd asps & crys. I herd ther lafn & rowlin throu the warls.

I herd am callin his naym and him callin hers.

Wilred! O Wilred.

Veronica! Veronica!I let the bed & pressd my ear to the wall tryin to et cloaser

cloaser tryin to understand the mistry o it pressin so hard that I

thort the wall or my hed wud brake. ressd my hole body to the

warl so hard that I thort that I must brake throu & enter it &

sumhow et insyd it & ynd them ther just behynd the pitchers &

the cracks.

nd el asleep ther at the oot o the wall aenst the skirtin bord.

lept with the sents o him on me & the ele o his stron body on

me & the tuch o his woonds on my fners & his depe voys runnin

throu evry part o me.

s it dus now. s it runs throu me now & as it always wil. His

presens & his voys & evry part o him wil stay within me always &

be always in the world I see & no.


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A Vishon of the Stars

nd O the stars. he nite we lay beneeth the stars. he nite we

ayzd toether throu the littl windo to the sky.

I lovd that windo. I new arl the colors arl the chaynjes. Daybecomin nite & nite becomin day & dawn & dusk & the blues the

reds the pinks the blacks. he shapes o the clowds & the pattens o

the stars & sunlite & moonlite & the way one tym the moon wos

like a shinin ays & another tym like a curvin nie. I loved the

splashin rane the allin snow the days wen there wos rost & ice on

the windo & the lite came in all jaed & sparkly & sharp.

He caym to me alone that nite. He telt me hed bene travellin or

meny howers to et here this nite & as he travelld he had becum

astonishd by the sky abuv Blinkbonny. He took my hand & telt me

to lie down with him on the owery carpet on the ore.

He telt me to look upward.

He took my hand in his & poynted up with both our hands into

the litterin nite.

Choos a sinl star & look at it, he said.

I did this tho I cud hardly consentrate or the exitement o beinther with him so cloas to him.

Hav you dun that Billy?

Yes Daddy.

How bi is it? he wisperd.

iny Daddy.

hats rite. Now cova it with yor fna. Blok it owt. ee how it can

be blokd owt by the littl fna o a littl boy in a littl room?Yes Daddy.

Yes. o how bi is it? Is it smarler than a littl boys fna?


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18

Yes Daddy.

He lad sotly. He lit a blak siaret.

No, he said. hat star & arl the stars you see are bier than this

room & bier than the world itsel. millyon o thees rooms & amillyon millyon Billys cud ft into a sinl star.

How can that be? I said.

Its cos ther ar away Billy. Its cos the yoonivers is so immens &

wer so tiny. Its cos god mayd it so.

I lay ther wotchin. How cud they be so bi and ft into such a littl

windo? How cud they ft into my eyes? How cud they ft into my

littl hed? I wunderd urther. Wot did ar away mene? Wot wosmillyons and millyons?

I elt him warm aenst me and herd the bumpin o his hart. I held

my body close to him wantin to eel the strenth o him & wantin

him to never o away wantin him to stay oreva with me ther belo

the stars.

He poynted aen & traysd his fna over them.

ome olk say they see the shayps o aynshent ods up there, he

said.

Do they Dad?

ye. hey say they can see men & women & beests like crabs &

bulls & bears.

Do they Dad?

ye. nd horses with wins.

hen he wos sylent. He stard he smoakd he siyed. I shited cloaser

to him til my hed wos tuchin his. I recal how my own hed reeld tobe so close to his how I wos flld with the wunda o the nite and o

his hed that seemd as hyuj & misteryous as the nite & I wanted to

pres my hed aenst his hed to et insyd it to sumhow be insyd it.

He shited a bit away rom me.

He wisperd that he must o to my muther now.

Wots crabs & buls & bares, Dad? I said.

He roand.Wots millyons & millyons, I said. Whats ar away?

He roand aen. He turnd away and started to stand up.


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Ill explane, he said. Ill ynd a way to show you.

He wos standin up.

O Billy wot we dun to you? he said.

Dont no, Dad. Nothin, Dad.O wot a sin we dun, Billy Dean!

Horses with wins, I said. Like the birds ye mean?

ye, Billy, he said. Like the birds.

I dint want him to o.

nd wil I see them throu the windo lyk the birds. But whats a

hors? Wher you owin Dad? Dont leev me Dad.

He went to the door were I cudnt ollo. He turnd & staird bak atme.

What we dun? he roand aen.

hen closd the dore & went to my am & let me with the

mistry o the stars & the beests & the mistry o the syz o thins &

the mistry o what had been dun to Billy Dean.


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The Box of Beests

ebbe it wos soon ater the nite abowt the stars that he brout the

wooden box o beests or me. He put it on the or and telt me toneel down ther besyd him.

go on Billy, said am.

he stayd sittin on the soa watchin.

I nelt down by my Dad.

Wotch, he said.

He slowly lited the lid o the box and ther they wer. lastic

munkys wooden horses steel orillas wooden cows & pis & sheep

& plastic birds & spidas worms & snayks & wooden eleants &

rinos camels wales & dolphins. We lited them arl owt. I rememba

the ele o them on my tremblin fnas. I let them roll across my

parms I fnerd them I held them tite. I elt the smoothnes o the

skin & the runess o the tales & manes the sharpness o teeth &

tusks & claws. am clappd her hands & said how byutiul they

wer & how kind my ather wos & wot a lucky boy I wos.

hese ar the beests, said Dad.He iv them ther names 1 by 1 by 1. He held them beor my eyes

and said this 1 is carld suchandsuch & this 1 is a suchandsuch & this

1 is another kind o suchandsuch. He wonted me to rememba o

cors and he kept sayin, o wich 1 is this, Billy, and wich 1 is this and

do you rememba the naym o this?

I wos hoapless. hat frst nite I think I ot just the 3 correct

monky & wul & rat tho I did kepe mixin rat up with mows.Never mynd, he said. ayk yor tym, son. Youll lern.

It wos such a la that nite. He went rownd the room lyk the


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animals hoppin & crawlin & runnin & appin. He mayd the

sownds o the beests or me. He telt me to copy him & to do the

animals with him.

Cum on Billy, he said. Joyn in with yor Dad.t frst I wos ded shy.

Be brayve, Billy, said am Yor lyk a littl mows yorsel. Joyn in

with yor Daddy. go on son.

o I did. I tuk a deep breth then mayd a little runt & soon enu I

wos ettin reely stuk into it. I poynted my fners up like horns &

appd my arms like wins and danld them lyk trunks. It just elt

bliddy rate. Wos 1 o the best thins Id dun in my hole ly.iaow miaow! I went. Woo woo! Hoot hoot! Baa baa! oo

moo! Oink oink!

am ild & said what a pare o crakpots we wer wich just

mayd us do it lowder and noysyer.

terwads we stood the beasts upon the carpet on the red and

blue & yello owers ther. We arl lookd down at them & we wer

very lad.

Its how thins wer at the start o tym, said Dad. god mayd the

world. hen he mayd the beests.

I did a littl runt & a little bark. I hoppd lyk a beest wud.

Did I mayk a ood beest, Dad, I said.

ye, son, he said. Very ood indeed.

hen he went very qwiet as he watchd me.

But you must remember, he said. You ar not a beest. You are a

human bein & a boy.OK, Dad.

he beests are lyk us but are not lyk us. god made us aterwards.

He ave us intelliens, and he iv us a sole to make us speshal and

separat. You must remember that Billy. Will you remember?

Yes Dad.

good. hose who oret this ar the wons who becum monsters.

nd you dont want to be a monster do you Billy?No Dad, I said tho I didnt reely hav a clew what he wos on abowt.

good boy. her is a deep separayshon between the beests & us.


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22

We hav a godiven sole & the reedom to choos ood or to choos

evil. Dont we?

Yes Dad.

Yes. nd we must choos oodness mustnt we Billy?Yes Dad.

Yes. umtyms the world seems flld with evil. But i we look close

enu we wil ynd that ther is oodness at the hart o evrythin.

O evrythin? I said.

Yes Billy. vrythin. t the hart o you & me & o am & o the

world & yoonivers itsel. god made it so.

He lited a rat.Wots this? he said.

mows? I said.

He lited a do.

cat? I sed.

He smild. But ther wos sadness in his smyl.

Billy Dean, he siyed.

He lited a snake & pointed it at my ays.

Hiss, he went. Hisssss. Hisssss.

nd he sqeezd the snayks mowth so that the ans poppd owt

and he smiled as he pressd them on my cheek.


24/27

The Gayms I Playd with Beests

Wot ames we playd them beests & me! Day ater day & nite ater

nite I went on crawlin hoppin hootin skweekin. Im sure that I ot

the sownds & moovments ron that I ayv the ron names to theron beests and mixd up thins that crawl with thins that y &

thins that sin with thins that rowl & thins that kill with thins

that die. But to me on my own in my own littl room it dint matter

at arl. I I cudnt rememba a name I invented it. I I cudnt rememba

a sownd I created it. o in amon the munkys & mise & cats there

wos donas & plaps & boos & placks. her wos noyses like massiv

screems o payn & sownds lyk ily wispas & ther wer weard

streems o sensless words yelld up towards the windo to the sky.

nd the beests appd & jumpd but they also shiverd & trembld &

lurchd & oppd & inchd.

um days I wos in amon them lyk I wos reely won o them. I

wos a beest naymd Billy Dean alonsyd a beest calld gorilla &

another with the naym o Kanaroo. nd sumtyms I wos so much

a beest that I orot arl abowt bein human. It wos lyk my brane &

sole wud disappea. I wud ynd mysel lyin on the or like Id beneasleep like evrythin Id bene doin had been sumthin in a dream. nd

I wunderd i this wos what Dad ment abowt monsters & i this wos

a sine that I wos becomin 1. nd I wunderd i I shud wurry abowt

this & try to chaynj it but I cudnt chaynj it & it went on happenin.

& ther seemd no harm in it. It seemd to brin me closer to the mise

& birds as wel as closer to the beests rom the box. nd i truth be

told I lovd the eelin o loosin mysel & o becomin sumthin elssumthin straynjer sumthin wylder sumthin that seemd much mor

stron & bold than littl Billy Dean.


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24

nd enyway on other days I wos the proper Billy Dean. I wos a

boy a human bein a thin that stood up on 2 les a thin that spoak

owt words a thin that dressd in clowths & had its hare arl cut &

cowmd.On days like this I stood the beests in orda on the carpet & telt

them to settl down & lissen. I telt them stories abowt mysel & my

ly & my mam & my dad. I telt them tales o god & Hansel &

gretel & o jurnys thru the wood & the wildaness. I showd them

the birds at the windo & the mise that cum owt the warls. I telt

them this wos the world. I telt them that ther wos a thin calld

Blinkbonny beyond the warls. I telt them ther wos beests like themo esh & blood that ew in the sky & warkd on the erth. I showd

them the stars & said that the stars went on oreva. I telt them that

stars as bi as the world cud ft into the brane. I telt them ther wos

oodness at the hart o evrythin.

um days I stud up very tarl & lookd down upon them and telt

them I wos god.

um days wen I wos god I smyld swetely.

You hav bene very ud beests, I wud say. nd I am very pleesd

with you. Wel dun.

But on other days I wud et cross.

I am very unhappy with you, I wud say. You have bene very very

wicked & you must chaynj yor ways.

um days I wos reely cross.

I have had enu! I you do not improov I wil reek venjens!

um days it wos even wors.ite! I wud say. his tym I wil destroy you arl!

nd I wud start hittin & kickin them & hoyin them rownd the

room so they bownsd o the warls & tumbld across the carpet.

ee! I wud say. ee wot you have brun down upon yorselvs!

It is yor own olt! I wud yell.

her wos always 1 that I wud sayv, that I wud not hit or kik or

hoy. It mite be orilla it mite be hors it dint reely matter. I wud litthem up tenderly ater all ther rends wer on.

I hav sayvd you, I wud say, becos you ar the best o beests.


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terwards I wud ather arl the beests aen & tel them that my

ana had been apeesd & that I had desided to start everythin aen.

Wons I had a udd. I put arl the beests in the bath. I put the plu

in the pluhole. I said i they did not chane ther ways I wud turnthe taps on and ther wud be a deluje and arl o them wud drown.

Hav you ot enythin to say? I said.

I wayted. Non o them said enythin.

Will you chane yor ways? I said.

Not 1 o them said enythin.

r you sorry?

Not a sinl 1 o them said anythin.I said to a jira tho it mite have bene a eleant, You ar the only

ood 1 in the hole wide world. I wil sayv you. You must bild a nark

and ote upon the waters til the udd is on.

hen I put the jira or eleant in a plastic cup that am used or

rinsin my hare. I put my hand on the tap.

You have brun it upon yorselvs! I said.

nd I turnd on the taps & the bath flld up & evry beest exept the

jira wos drowned.

terwards wen I wos dryin all the beests with a towel & a spuy

wos lookin down throu the windo to the sky I started cryin very

hard.

I am sory I said. I wil never do this aen. Never. I promis.

nd wen I went to bed that nite I put them arl in the bed with me

& I told the tale o apunzel in her towa & her lon lon hare.


27/27

The True Tale of the Monster Billy

DeanDavid Almond

Not only dramatically and emotionally suspenseful, it isalso vividly drawn and wonderfully well-paced, as one

might expect from a master storyteller. The Guardian(U.K.)

www.candlewick.com
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-true-tale-of-the-monster-billy-dean-david-almond/1111848308?ean=9780763663094http://www.amazon.com/True-Tale-Monster-Billy-Dean/dp/0763663093/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375380774&sr=1-1&keywords=monster+billy+deanhttp://www.indiebound.org/book/9780763663094

The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean by David Almond - Chapter Sampler

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Transcript of The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean by David Almond - Chapter Sampler