The Grubblemupp

Most people have never heard of the Grubblemupp, and there is a very good reason for this.

A Grubblemupp is a creature who lives alone in a world only one centimetre away from our own. Picture it like this: if you could lift up the thin air like a shade cloth and peer underneath, the closest world to ours is the world of the Grubblemupp. You wouldn’t even have to step into it – you could just peer through, as though pulling a curtain aside and looking out the window. There is no guarantee you would actually see the Grubblemupp, of course. But if you wanted to, this would be the best way to begin.

There are two reasons why most people have never seen the Grubblemupp. The first reason: a Grubblemupp hates to be seen. Clever people will realise this. Even if you knew where to look, a Grubblemupp is very good at not being seen.

Which brings me to the second reason why most people have never seen a Grubblemupp:  most people are terrible at noticing important things. Most people do not see the very things closest to them – one centimetre under their very noses, in fact – and therefore are oblivious to the most spectacular occurances.They are, however, quite vocal about boring things, such as televisions and household appliances.

But back to the Grubblemupp.

The world of the Grubblemupp is quite small – no larger than a small island – and it is in a state of perpetual twilight.

This suits the Grubblemupp, which is a naturally hot-blooded creature, and therefore the breezy indigos and blues of twilight suit it and help it to keep cool.

It is surrounded by a substance which, for want of a better decription, could be called a sort of bright blue cosmic ocean, but as it is very difficult to describe, and even more difficult for people to understand, we shall leave it at that.

Another thing: there can only ever be one Grubblemupp in existance at any one time. And yet, there have been thousands, perhaps millions of Grubblemupps in the history of the universe.

A Grubblemupp is tall – much taller than the average sized man – and much more muscley. His skin is a brownish-red colour, and he has a very long reddish-brown beard, and very long reddish-brown hair. He has ears much like a dog’s that stick up on his head, and a nose like a lions. His eyes are black.

Now, you’re probably wondering what a Grubblemupp does. What is its purpose, living all alone in its small, island sized world with no other Grubblemupp in sight?

Well, it’s very interesting. You see, the Grubblemupp has the function of being the perfect host. Let me explain.

Each night when human beings fall asleep and start to dream, they travel. They travel to all sorts of different places, and one of those places is to the world of the Grubblemupp. Nearly every human being has been there at least once.

Now, the Grubblemupp doesn’t mind being seen by human beings who are dreaming – in fact, he likes it. It’s when they’re awake that he really can’t stand it.

When a human being arrives in the world of the Grubblemupp, he will invariable stand up from his rock seat (where he normally sits to think) and wander over to say hello. Most human beings are very interested in his world, as it is so different from their own (I’ll explain how another time).

Something that always catches their eye is a little rock pool. They always see it, because the island is so small, that it’s hard not to see. The Grubblemupp is only too happy to show them his pool, because it is has been filled with a substance straight from the heart of the universe, which reflects to the viewer their life’s time continuuem. The human being can sit down, have a chat with the Grubblemupp, and see from the rock pool what their future holds.They watch it with a sense of detachment and amusement, becaue they are dreaming and therefore not connected with all sorts of rubbishy emotions.

Once they are tired of looking in the rock pool, and tired of visiting with the Grubblemupp, they wander off and either wake up or go to visit some other place.

They don’t remember any of this when they wake up, of course. But sometimes, in the most commonplace situations, they will get a feeling or familiarity or rememberence – de ja vu, it is commonly known as – and they wonder how it is possible that they have been in this situation before.

It is because they have seen it all before, in the land of the Grubblemupp (there are other dreamers there now, as we speak), but this sounds highly unlikely to the logical mind, and therefore would be dismissed without a second thought.

Which brings me to the explanation of why there is only ever one Grubblemupp in existence at any one time: sometimes (mind you, this happens very rarely, perhaps once in a thousand years, but is does happen) a human being will suddenly remember from his dreams that he was in the world of the Grubblemupp, and that he saw his own life in the rock pool.

When this happens, it sends shockwaves through the world of the Grubblemupp (which you remember is only one centimetre away) which are so painful that the Grubblemupp has no choice but to leave. He immediately jumps into the rock pool and is absorbed into the fabric of the universe. He will show up as someone or something else at some other point in time. Perhaps you were a Grubblemupp.

Almost as soon as this happens, the shockwaves stop and the Grubblemupp world assumes its usual peaceful feeling. Another Grubblemupp then clambers out from the rock pool and takes its place on the rock. And the cycle continues. The Grubblemupp may be there for one second or one billion years. And all the while, it is looking into the rock pool, and watching the lives of countless human beings, wondering when one of them will notice, when one of them will finally pay attention and start looking the right way and then – pop! A small breeze will come through, the Grubblemupp will turn around, and there you will be – I mean there I was – or was it there she will be-? But the point is, at last somebody noticed – or will notice – or is noticing right now – and the next story there will be to tell is what the Grubblemupp actually sounds like.

Let me assure you, it is very, very interesting. But that’s for another time.