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“The Monster at the End of This Book: Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover” by Jon Stone, illustrated by Michael Smollin

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"It's not what's behind that worries me," remarked Tock as they stepped from the sticky mess, "but what's ahead."

"Keep going straight! Keep going straight!" counseled the voice as they continued to pick their way carefully along the new path.

"Now step up! Now step up!" it recommended, and almost before they knew what had happened, they had all taken a step up and then plunged to the bottom of a deep murky pit.

"But he said up!" Milo complained bitterly from where he lay sprawling.

"Well, I hope you didn't expect to get anywhere by listening to me," said the voice gleefully.

"We'll never get out of here," the Humbug moaned, looking at the steep, smooth sides of the pit.

"That is quite an accurate evaluation of the situation," said the voice coldly.

"Then why did you help us at all?" shouted Milo angrily.

"Oh, I'd do as much for anybody," he replied; "bad advice is my specialty. For, as you can plainly see, I'm the long-nosed, green-eyed, curly-haired, wide-mouthed, thick-necked, broad-shouldered, round-bodied, short- armed, bowlegged, big-footed monster—and, if I do say so myself, one of the most frightening fiends in this whole wild wilderness. With me here, you wouldn't dare try to escape." And, with that, he shuffled to the edge of the pit and leered down at his helpless prisoners.

Tock and the Humbug turned away in fright, but Milo, who had learned by now that people are not always what they say they are, reached for his telescope and took a long look for himself. And there at the rim of the hole, instead of what he'd expected, stood a small furry creature with very worried eyes and a rather sheepish grin.

“Why, you're not long-nosed, green-eyed, curly-haired, wide-mouthed, thick-necked, broad-shouldered, round-bodied, short-armed, bowlegged, or big-footed—and you're not at all frightening," said Milo indignantly. "What kind of a demon are you?"

The little creature, who seemed stunned at being found out, leaped back out of sight and began to whimper softly.

"I'm the demon of insincerity," he sobbed. "I don't mean what I say, I don't mean what I do, and I don't mean what I am. Most people who believe what I tell them go the wrong way, and stay there, but you and your awful telescope have spoiled everything. I'm going home." And, crying hysterically, he stamped off in a huff.

"It certainly pays to have a good look at things," observed Milo as he wrapped up the telescope with great care.

— From “The Phantom Tollbooth” by Norton Juster, illustrated by Jules Feiffer

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