Allie Alligator didn't have the best of manners. Dogs are told not to chase cars, monkeys not to leave banana peels on the floor and cats to always land on their feet. Allie Alligator had been told not to nip at anyone, many times by his mother.

 However, swimming silently through the water and nipping at the nose of an animal when they least expected it, was funny to Allie Alligator indeed.

 Iggy Iguana had jumped back so suddenly with a look on his face that Allie Alligator still thought about it and chuckled. Molly Snake had fallen back on her bottom and got mud all over her polka-dot shorts.

 Grammy Tiger had dropped her teeth and Uncle Tom Lion had stepped on his glasses, when they flew off his face in fright.

 Yes, it had been funny to see all this happen, funny indeed.

 "I'm not telling you again, Allie Alligator, stop nipping at animals and scaring them. You are giving alligators a bad name and complaints come to me every day," warned Allie Alligator's mother.

 Allie Alligator tried, for about five minutes, to change his ways. He just couldn't get over the element of surprise and the thrill of pursuit. As he was thinking about that, his next conquest came to the water hole.

 Spotty Cheetah dipped his head and let the water trickle down his throat. He had an active morning chasing antelopes and his throat felt like sandpaper.

 Suddenly, Allie Alligator paddled forward and nipped the cheetah on the nose. Spotty Cheetah jumped back, alarmed.

 "Hey, you stop that!" scolded the cheetah, rubbing his nose.

  Allie Alligator laughed so hard that he flopped over on his belly and clapped his legs.

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 "That's not funny! My nose hurts!" said the cheetah.

 Allie Alligator thought that Spotty Cheetah had left, but Spotty Cheetah hid in a nearby bush to see whether Allie Alligator would strike again. He didn't have long to wait. Stripey Zebra appeared on the scene and received exactly the same fate.

 "This is enough!" said the cheetah and stepped up to the zebra. He would get the zebra and himself to think of a plan of action against Allie Alligator, but action wasn't needed.

 "I thought I told you to stop that!" said Allie Alligator's mother from behind the laughing alligator. The laughing stopped.

 Allie Alligator was taken home by his mother by the ear. Now that is no easy thing to do when you are an alligator, but his mother knew where his ear was and pulled.

 "You are grounded, young fellow, for a month and don't think about TV," said Allie Alligator's mother.

 The cheetah and zebra had the last laugh. Maybe, just maybe, Allie Alligator would learn a lesson about nipping now.

 Winner: Frank Veinotte of Mahone Bay received his prize through the mail.

 Question about the story: How long did Allie Alligator think about changing his mind?

 Send answers to Storytime, c/o Verna Dunlop, RR#1, Moser River, NS BOJ 2KO or e-mail the answer to the question to vernadunlop@yahoo.com. Prizes will be sent to those sending in the answer.

posted on 03/16/10