The Muggereen.

Once upon a time there was a Muggereen. The Muggereen loved to eat, and when the Muggereen ate a lot his belly grew not round, but long. Longer and longer grew the belly of the Muggereen, so much so that he began to wrap it around his belly. When it wrapped all the way around his waist, he tucked it in and wore it as a belt.

But the Muggereen continued to love food, and his belly grew longer and longer. So he untied his belly, tied decorative knots in it, then wrapped it all the way around his waist and tucked it in, wearing it as a belt.

Eventually the Muggereen, who loved food, had to untie his belt, untie the knots, and finger-crochet his long, long belly. He then tied it around his waist like a belt.

But finally the end of his waist touched the floor when he walked, and that tickled. He decided to look for two long, straight poles. So he went into the forest, looking for two long straight poles, and found them in the form of branches on a fallen-over tree. He cut them off the fallen-over tree and brought them home. He smoothed them and sharpened one end of each to a dull point, then unraveled his long, long belly. He cast on and knit up his belly.

When he first did this, he had only enough belly to cast on and immediately bind off, at which he then wrapped his belly around his waist and fastened it with a button.

Eventually, because the Muggereen still loved food, his belly grew longer, so he unraveled his belly, cast on again, and knit himself a cummerbund that came up to his armpits. He fastened this around his waist with two buttons.

The Muggereen continued to enjoy his food, and he eventually had to unravel his belly yet again, taking out only the bind-off stitches and making his garment longer, leaving two holes toward the top, and fastening his new vest with three buttons.

Still, as time went by the belly grew longer, and still longer. He unraveled a bit and it became a sweater, which he fastened with four buttons. This lasted for a while because sweaters can be baggy but still wearable, but eventually his enjoyment of good food led him to unravel the collar and knit a hood with the ever-lenthening, ever and more slender belly. He fastened it up the front with five buttons, and tied the hood closed with two long strings under his chin. He went to visit his mother.

She said, “Muggereen, my sweet dear, you look silly.”

The Muggereen looked at his mother and asked what he should do. And she said, “My dear, unravel your belly-sweater and knit it into a boat, in which you might sail the wide seas. You will meet many friends and eat many delicious foods. Each time your belly gets larger, merely knit a bit on to make the boat bigger. It will only make it easier to take your friends with you when you sail the wide seas.”

The Muggereen took his mother’s advice, and to this day he sails the wide seas, contentedly riding the waves in his belly-boat.