I know that Fraggles sometimes wear strange hats but you ought to see what the Silly Creatures put on their heads. The other day I discovered the spot where Silly Creatures gather to wear very large and very bizarre hats. They call this spot a "salon". The hat wearing seemed to be a most pleasurable and social activity. There was merriment and mirth in this hat spot. So I thought I would try on one of these hats myself. I always knew that a hat could change one's appearances, but this hat changed my appearance more than I thought possible (even after I took it off). But never fear, I am still your lovable Traveling Matt.
Meet the Mops
I was exploring a large cave and happened upon a small secret cavern. The passageway's entrance was labeled "Janitor" and inside I found the strangest creatures. Although it dark, I could see that these creatures were tall and very skinny with long, wild and floppy hair atop their heads. These creatures appeared to have gathered inside the cavern to meditate; I decided not to disturb them, and crept away quietly. Later I saw one of the Silly Creatures take one of these beings, help it into a headstand and then assist it in dancing around the floor on its head. These creatures I learned are called "Mops" and, if you ask me, are quite odd.
An Ugly Holiday Tale
As I've told you, Silly Creatures are some of the ugliest things in the universe (though not as ugly as Gorgs). So sometimes they disguise themselves. They have an annual tradition where the younger Silly Creatures cover their ugliness with elaborate costumes. The amazing this is that when they do this other Silly Creatures give them food. They call this celebration "Halloween" and it is quite odd. I was mistaken for a disguised Silly Creature myself! It is amazing what can happen when someone thinks you are something that you are not - the edible treats were delicious.
Silly "Games"
Today I discovered a very strange place where young Silly Creatures often go. They call it an "arcade". They seem quite happy to be going. The young Silly Creatures put round things into slots and then they push a lot of buttons and jerk little sticks around. But soon the fun seems to be over – the Silly Creatures get upset, curse the activity and soon dispense more round things into the slots and do it all over again. I don't know why the creatures do it. Just looking at their frustration you can tell they are not having a good time. Why do they do ii if it is not fun? This may be hard for you to believe, but many times they look to be having less fun then Doozers.
"Drive-In" Dream Sharing
I just discovered that the Shiny Creatures that live in this world share dreams, but not exactly as Fraggles do. Last night I watched these large shiny beasts settle down in their beds, close there glowing eyes and go to sleep. All standard procedure I admit…or almost standard. Soon moving images of the creatures' shared dream were displayed on a giant wall. They call these dream-sharing sleep areas "Drive-Ins". It was the strangest dream I've ever seen – nothing at all like a Fraggle dream. Very bizarre!
Gone Skiing
I found this hilly place where very brave and fortunate Silly Creatures go. They were sitting around with white things on their legs and being carefully looked after by some other Silly Creatures. These lucky creatures acquire a hard white legs through something called skiing. Many try, but few are chosen. Even though I am a Fraggle, the temptation to try for a white leg was great. I finally made it; it took tremendous courage and quite a lot of pain. But a heroes got to do what a heroes got to do.
Double Trouble
Today while I was exploring the boundaries of a very beautiful Fraggle pond, I discovered something truly astonishing about Silly Creatures. I was walking along, minding my own business, when I bumped into one of them. Naturally I wanted to apologize for the accident but when I looked up I noticed that the Silly Creature must have split in two! I felt terrible about this, But the two Silly Creatures seemed almost pleased by the outcome of the accident. The Silly Creatures call this phenomenon a "twin". I still find it very strange but sometimes I wonder what would happen if I was suddenly twinned in two.
Transformation Rooms
You probably won't believe this but I discovered these odd little room that transform people. I watched two of the male Silly Creatures walk into this room, the door was closed and a moment later when they opened again they had turned into ladies! When no one was around I sneaked into the room myself. I could hardly wait to see what changes it would make in me. At first I felt like I was changing, but then the doors opened and low and behold the place had changed!
That's Subway to Travel!
The Silly Creatures of this world are more like Fraggles than I first thought. They like to travel to-and-fro though caves in the ground. First you go down into the ground on moving Doozer-like belts called "escalators" until you find yourself in a strange cave full of Silly Creatures simply standing around. But it is not like a Fraggle cave, there are no games, no singing and no swimming. In fact, it is really quite boring. Then something terrible happens! Inside this cave there was another traveling cave that screamed as it traveled (which the Silly Creatures call a "subway") Even for a brave Fraggle like me, it was a rather terrifying experience. From now on I plan to avoid these caves at all cost.
Flying Fraggle
The Silly Creatures of this world live with all kinds of other fascinating creatures; most interestingly are the ones that can fly. These beasts will even take passengers for rides inside their bellies. They are loud but prove to be a helpful means of transportation in this large world. Some of these creatures can fly by themselves with great ease, while some of the smaller ones take a bit longer to get going. But once the little guys get the hang of it they do just fine.
Hopping Good Transport
Outer space is very big, and sometimes it can be quite tiring just finding places to explore. An explorer's feet are his most valuable asset. I was giving mine a well deserved rest when I saw a most peculiar sight. It was a strange bouncing thing, following by more strange bouncing things. They had large tails, and it wasn't until I saw their pouches, and the little passengers inside, that I realized what these bouncing things were - transportation systems!
The Grass-Eating Garden Pets
I was passing through an area known to be inhabited by silly-creatures. Everything appeared to be peaceful until I laid eyes on two silly-creatures taking their garden pets for a walk. The garden pets seemed tame, but rather noisy and boisterous. And they appear to be herbivorous or grassing-eating. Judging from their appetite, they seem to go a long time without food. In the interest of research I decided to get a closer look. Confidence can tame any beast (but don't count on it).
The Magical Cold Stone
Today is very sad for me. I found a great treasure, but I lost it again. I was strolling about in a place where many of the silly-creatures of this world congregate. When, all of a sudden I saw one of the creatures drop something. I rushed to see what it was and made the most amazing discovery. Inside a brightly colored cup was a cold stone – I mean it just freezing cold. Furthermore, it sparkled like a diamond. Obviously this was a stone of great magic, so I quickly put the cold stone in my pocket and went in search of its true owner. But it was no use, the wizard who had dropped it was nowhere to be found, and eventually I had to give up. But then I went to a quiet corner to examine the wondrous stone again, and I learned the awful truth – somebody had stolen the magic cold stone! All that was left in my pocket was a lot of water. And so I learned that in this world there are strange magical cold stones which cry when they are stolen.
Shave on Me
Sometimes it gets very hot here in outer space and today I thought I found the perfect spot for a weary Fraggle to have a nice cool rest. I looked around and I was amazed at what I saw. A couple of silly-creatures with hungry buzzing machines were slicing the white fuzz of some defenseless fluffy creatures. And then forcing the creatures out the door with nothing on – they were completely naked. How undignified! I later learned these creatures were called "sheep" and that the silly-creatures do this quite often to them. I tried to interview on of the "sheep". I asked if slicing their fuzz off and roaming nude was the best way to keep cool here; however I received no answer. Then one of the silly-creatures grabbed me and, with his buzzing machine in his hand, he removed my fair locks. Well, I've never been a hothead, and I guess now I never will be.
The Silly Skaters of Outer Space
The silly-creatures of this world love rolling stuff around. They have rollers on everything! There are even some highly evolved ones who have actually grown rollers on their feet. I can't tell you how thrilling it was to watch how these creatures move. They are called "skaters" and zoom all over the place on their rollers. They were so graceful. You can imagine how happy I was when one of the creatures noticed my interest and gave me some rollers of my own. I couldn't wait to try it. I simply had to experience that wind-in-the-face feeling for myself. I soon found myself flying down the road faster than I have every traveled before. And believe me, there is nothing like it in Fraggle Rock – keep it that way (as it can end quite painfully).
Storefront Meditation
Today I stumbled upon a new form of the art of meditation. I discovered certain highly-trained individuals standing behind a sheet of hard transparent material. Their method is simple – they never move a muscle. I was interested in giving this technique a try. Six motionless hours later, I finally felt a marvelous sense of exhilaration. I’ve never experienced anything so inspiring. You ought to try it sometime.
A Gummy Situation
The other day I was resting by the giant Fraggle pond and feeling very hungry when two of the silly-creatures eating an interesting kind of food. It must have been very tough – they just chewed, and chewed and chewed. They seemed to enjoy it so much, I decided I must try some. I hinted politely that I might be pleased to share their snack. The clever girl creatures got my message and gave me a stick of this odd food. It certainly was chewy, but it tasted delicious.
I was enjoying it when I noticed the two silly-creatures again. Their tongues inflated out of their mouths and exploded – like a horrible pink bubble. Naturally I spat out the food at once – who would eat food that made your tongue explode? These creatures are weird.
Rainbow Farms
If you look below you’ll see a picture of a wondrous object – a rainbow. I was walking down a wondrous road when I saw a sign; it said “Rainbow Farms”. I was so excited, “so this is where they grow the rainbows”, I thought to myself. I have seen these beautiful objects in the sky before, but now I know where they come from. I decided to ventured in and see the rainbows. The farm looked like a normal silly-creature farm (I know, because I had visited one a few weeks ago). Pretty soon I found what I was looking for - a rainbow egg! At first it looked like a regular chicken egg, but knowing this was a rainbow farm, I know this was a rainbow egg. I decided that I was going to watch the actual birth of a rainbow. I sat myself down and I waited - and waited, and waited. Yet, unfortunately I fell asleep. When I woke up, I found that the egg had already hatched. I looked out the window, and there arching over the sky was the rainbow. Oh how quickly they grow up.
The Magic Sticks of the Silly-Creatures
Sometimes it is just impossible to get rid of something you don’t want. For instance, the other day I observed a silly-creature throwing away a curved stick. Not very remarkable in itself, but these sticks proved to be magic – it came back! How strange. The silly-creature tried to throw it away again, and again, and again. But he had no success – it kept returning to him. The silly-creature must have been sad, so I thought I would help him out. Fortunately I am an expert as such matters, and can get rid of any stick – even a magic one. I picked up the stick and tossed it away into the air, yet it came rushing back at me – striking me in the head. This stick’s magic is powerful. Now I am not only stuck with the stick but I am also stuck with a hefty bump on my head. Just remember this; it is often painful to part with magic objects (literally).
The Mouth Burneers
Yes, it is true; there are creatures that are Mouth Burners. These creatures use funny looking tubes to light a fire deep inside their mouths – they call these special tubes “cigarettes” (a larger tube is called a “cigar”). This must be an unpleasant and dangerous practice, but still these bizarre creatures keep lighting their fires. It is obviously very unhealthy for them, and it sometimes causes them, and others around, to cough frequently. I can’t imagine why one would want to become a Mouth Burner, but many silly-creatures are part of this clan. Finally I saw one light a fire that I thought might get out of control. I quickly went into action, and dumped a whole picture of water on their face to extinguish the potential blaze at the end of their funny tube-like smokestack. I expected to be thanked profusely, but the Mouth Burners are an awful bunch. Quick and decisive action – that’s me. Don’t you worry, the enraged, yet saved, Mouth Burner stopped chasing me after several miles.
The Silly-Creatures’ Moss Packs
The silly-creatures love some pretty bizarre things, you know. And the young Fraggle-sized creatures especially love something very odd. It is called an “ice cream cone”, and is a very strange looking creation. Naturally I was curious and decided to try one for myself. It appeared to be a silly-creature’s moss pack, something quite common back at Fraggle Rock for keeping warm. I smushed this “ice cream cone” on the top of my head, just like I would with a Fraggle moss pack. Yet the foolish thing didn’t even keep my head warm – in fact it made me quite cold (and sticky). I think that I would much rather have the real thing. Sometimes I really miss the commodities that we take for granted back at Fraggle Rock.
The String Creatures
Today I made contact with a mysterious tribe of beings that I call the “String Creatures”. It’s curious, but right away I was drawn to them. It was almost as if I saw some kind of family resemblance. These small creatures spend their lives attached to strings that join them to the hands of the larger silly-creatures. It is not entirely clear to me why these two creatures would spend their lives attached to each other with string; there surely must be some mutual benefit. The silly-creature leader of this tribe was such a charismatic person, and soon I was won over and under his spell. Soon I found myself initiated into the tribe, as I too now have stings attaching my limbs to the leader of the “String Creatures”. This lifestyle may prove to be a little strange. And somehow I just don’t feel in control anymore. I’ll probably go off on my own again, just as soon as I find a pair of scissors.
The Shiny Creatures
I have just learned the language spoken by some shiny creatures found here. I was walking down the road, when I stepped out infront of a big shiny creature coming my way. The creature stopped and kindly greeted me. “Beep, beep, beep!” it said. Before I could reply, another shiny creature coming down the road responded with the same words– “Beep, beep, beep!” The shiny creatures were trying to communicate, and I think they wanted to make friends. Fortunately I have an excellent ear for forging languages.
“Beep, beep, beep!”, I declared back at them. And in no time, we were conversing fluently. “Beep, beep, beep!” the creatures shouted again, and again! After a few exchanges, I was able to compile a Fraggle dictionary of shiny-creature language – it consists of a single word: “beep”. Translated loosely into Fraggelish, it means: “howdy neighbor; move it, or loose it!” I’m making so many new friends; I’ll post again soon!
The Sidewalk Creatures
I can’t tell you how lonely it is for a Fraggle in the outside world. I’ve been trying to make friends with the creatures here – and believe me, some are strange. I am currently exploring a big city, so I am currently donning an appropriate disguise. It is here that I discovered that strange and sad little animal, the “Sidewalk Creature”. “Sidewalk Creatures” have large heads, and long skinny bodies that appear to be rooted to the ground. They can not move about to gather food. When the grow hungry their faces turn red. Interestingly, the silly-creatures of this world seem to like the “Sidewalk Creatures”. They carry pockets of food for them. But the sad thing is that the silly-creatures sometimes forget about the “Sidewalk Creatures” – so their they stand, starving for hours.
Once I saw a silly-creature drop a bit of “Sidewalk Creature food” on the ground. I picked it up (it somewhat resembled the strange fountain-filling “coins” that I wrote about yesterday). I took the food and fed one of the creatures. It made a grateful sound, and I think I made a friend. I hope so at least, because I get lonely out here. I miss all the Fraggles down at Fraggle Rock.
What a Fountain is For
Today I discovered something very stage, but useful, about this world. As I was walking along I found something that looked just like the Fraggle swimming hole. It was a bowl of water, with more water splashing into it in the middle. I was enjoying the sight when one of the silly-creatures came along and did something very strange. He took a “coin” (which I wrote about earlier; a “coin” is a small and rare mineral that has some strange power over the silly-creatures and is quite peculiar) and after a moment of gazing into the water, he tossed the “coin” in.
As he was walking away, I stopped him and asked the silly-creature why he just did that. “Oh, I don’t know”, he said to me. “Everyone throws money in fountains”. I was delighted! For months now, I have been collecting this stuff that is called “money” but I have never known what to do with it. Now, at last, I know – you throw it into fountains. I must have dumped seven- or eight-hundred “coins” into this fountain already, and I keep gathering more! I certainly am starting to find my way around this strange world at last.
The Hole-Sowing Creatures
The other day I saw something so strange I just had to write about it. It all started when I discovered an enormous Fraggle pond. As you can imagine, I felt very comfortable being around water again. I saw many creatures that make their home around this pond, but the strangest inhabitance of this region are the hole-sowing creatures. Apparently holes are very powerful in this world. So powerful in fact, that these creatures devote their lives to ridding the world of holes. First, they sow them together, and then they load the captive holes into boats. These connected holes are referred to as “nets”. The hole-sowing creatures take the joined holes out into the middle of the Fraggle pond and toss them overboard. I’m not sure why a simple hole is so dangerous, but I think holes are best avoided – don’t you? I’ll post again soon.
A Pig Adventure
The strangeness of this world never fails to challenge my resources. Recently I was walking by a place that the silly-creatures call a “farm”. It was a beautiful day; I wanted to study the farm’s inhabitance so I decided to drop in. Upon arrival, I received a touching welcome from a very distinctive creature, and I decided to investigate further. It was a four-legged creature that lived in the mud. He smelled horrible and was filthy. I decided to get a closer study of this creature, so I put on a disguise - and in all modesty, it was brilliant. Even the farmer was completely fooled. However when I went to depart, the farmer stopped me. “Where do you think you’re going, little pig?”, he said, and forced me back into the sty. It seems my disguise worked too well. So it looks like I may be staying here longer than I originally planned. Its always difficult being something you’re not – particularly in the name of science.
The Giant Doozers of Outer Space
This morning I was walking down a street in this strange world. I turned a corner and there I saw something familiar – Doozers. They have Doozers in this world; these were the biggest and most giant Doozers imaginable. They were building a wonderful and enormous Doozer construction of their own. I’ve been away from Fraggle Rock so long, that just looking at it made me grew so hungry that I couldn’t stand it. I waited until I was alone, and then I prepared myself for a glorious feast. But then I learned something else about this world – the food is terrible! When I bit into this Doozer construction I found it to be as tough as steel and not appetizing at all. Although this adventure is outer space is fun and exciting, I do miss the comforts of Fraggle Rock and the taste of a good Doozer construction.
Traveling Matt’s Wild Ride
Exploring outer space is hard – so hard in fact, that I sometimes wonder if I chose the right job in this life. For instance, today I decided to investigate on of the transportation systems of this world. This transportation system is common among the silly-creatures in areas known as “amusement parks”. At first the ride was so pleasant that I decided to stand-up and enjoy the view. The passengers, including myself, rose high in the sky. They called this rail system a “roller coaster” or “rapid transit”. And I first it wasn’t rapid at all, but after awhile it lived up to its name. Soon our little cart was zipping up and down, and side to side. Many of my fellow travelers were delighted by the ride. Soon we found our trip was coming to an end. Yet I was bewildered to discover that the trip had ended exactly where it started. This transportation system seemed very inefficient to me. I must say that “Rapid transit“ is not for this Fraggle. After the one ride around, I decided to walk everywhere from now one. Although after that ride wild ride, walking does not seem so easy. I never had these kinds of trouble back at Fraggle Rock. This is surely a wild world that these silly-creatures inhabit!
Treasures Come and Go
Sometimes exploring is exhausting. The other day I was sitting down to rest my feet and wipe off the grime of traveling. I was very disheveled and exhausted from my rigorous travels in outer space. All of a sudden one of these silly creatures from this world approached me. “Oh you poor man, you look like you could use this”, she said. Then she gave me a most unexpected present. It was a beautiful small shiny object – a real treasure that she just dropped in my hat. I later learned that is mineral was called a “coin”.
I was so overcome with this magnificent gift that I ran to show it to someone nearby. Unfortunately, he liked it so much that he took it. I had given up my treasure; but all was not lost. This generous creature gave me another, and even more interesting, treasure in exchange. It was soft to the touch and smelled utterly fantastic. This round creation with a hole in the middle was called a “donut”, and apparently was a popular kind of food for these silly-creatures.
Just then one of the small furry beasts that inhabit this world, similar to the one I encountered in that first room of outer space, came along to greet me. He seemed friendly enough, so I showed him my treasure. The furry beast grabbed my newly acquired “donut” with his mouth and ran off.
If there is one thing I’ve learned in this bizarre world, it’s that treasures come, and treasures go. Of course this time I ended up with nothing less than I started with. So I didn’t really lose anything, did I?
The Mysterious Umbrellas
I have recently made a most amazing discovery. I have found a race of creatures who can pull water down from the sky. The extraordinary bipeds actually produce droplets of water with long stick-like objects called “umbrellas”. As I watched, the water ritual began. First the silly-creatures gatherer around a sacred pole; the creatures then looked up at the sky and held out their hands in a most curious fashion. The suddenly, the creatures transformed their sticks into upside-down bowls. These they positioned over their heads. At that very moment water poured from the sky. An “umbrella” is a wonderful object – not only does it get you wet, but also keeps you dry. This has been an enlighten experience, to say the least. For one thing, I now appreciate how much simpler and more efficient it is to have pipe-bangers.
"Balloons" and "Kites"
I have made yet another discovery about this amazing world. Today I observed several types of creatures here that live in the sky. They swoop and soar, and seem as care-free as Fraggles. Soon I realized that many of these wonderful creatures were being held captive – they were trapped on the ends of strings. When I saw that I just had to act. I waited for an opening and then I went about freeing the captive flying things. The first creatures, which I later learned were known to the silly-creatures as “balloons”, flew away into the sun shine when I cut their imprisoning string. But when I set free one of the other flying creatures known as a “kite”, it immediately landed and waited for its master. Evidently the world here is much the same as Fraggle Rock, in that some creatures value freedom more than others.
A Whole New World
I am out exploring outer space - boldly going where no Fraggle has gone before. The first creature I encountered in outer space was four-legged and furry. It had great sharp teeth and a fearsome breath. My first moments in outer space were quite frightening, but now I am getting use to it. I have gone through this first room and into another. This is surely a perplexing and wild world, full of strange creatures and bizarre customs. As I continue my travels I will continue to post my adventures and observations.
In short, I am fine.
Beginnings
The center of the universe is, of course, that marvelous land known as Fraggle Rock. It is thus called because it is a rock and Fraggles live there. Fraggles are a noble race - fearless, dignified, and intellectual. They represent the very panicle of civilization and culture. A Fraggle is most assuredly the best of all possible creatures.
Music is the greatest of the Fraggles’ art forms, but Fraggles also possess uncanny curiosity and great athletic ability. Fraggles naturally have physical prowess and a dance-like grace.
Earlier today I was exploring the last uncharted section of the caves of Fraggle Rock - soon my task would be done. In this area there were weird and totally mysterious steam jets – perhaps they are volcanic. It was very strange. Then, all of a sudden, some giant magical force penetrated the very substance of Fraggle Rock. An opening has appeared and I found myself gazing into outer space.
Here it lies, strange and mysterious, just as the legend said it would. The final frontier for Fraggledom.
So I am about in embark on my greatest adventure...outer space. I shall fully explore the reaches of outer space, taking notes all the while and post messages of my findings here for you to enjoy. Just think of me as Traveling Matt – and now, on to meet with destiny!
