The pigs woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen.

“Something smells real good, “Billy said, as they got out of bed and got dressed. 

Bobby also could smell something good and was up and dressed in no time.  As the pigs walked into the kitchen, Brownie, wearing his blue apron, was cooking.

“Boy that smells real good, what are you cooking?” Bobby asked.

“Oh it’s just pancakes with hot apple cinnamon topping,” Brownie replied. Brownie placed a large stack of pancakes and a bowl of hot apple topping on the table.  “Come on boys let’s eat,” he said. “We have to see the Professor about the monster in my cave.”

After eating breakfast, they cleaned up and headed up the path to The Professors’ cabin. When they got there the wolf was just getting up, and opened the door to greet them. “What are you doing here this early?” The Professor asked.

“We have a problem Professor,” Bobby replied.

“A big problem?” the Wolf asked.

“Yes Professor” Billy responded. “It’s a big problem.” 

“What kind of big problem?” asked the wolf?

“Well Professor, there is a big monster in my cave,” replied Brownie. “A real big monster.”

“A monster?” the wolf looked surprised.

“Yes Professor and he has taken over Brownie’s cave,” Billy replied in an excited voice.

“Well we will just have to go talk to this monster and find out what’s going on,” the wolf replied.

The Professor finished getting dressed and they walked up the hill to Brownies’ cave. “Wait out here,” the wolf told Brownie and Billy and Bobby. The wolf walked into the dark cave. Back in the corner of the cave The Professor found the monster asleep. “Excuse me,” The Professor said, in a voice loud enough to wake the monster.

“Who’s there?” the monster asked.

“They call me Professor Fir,” answered the wolf.

“What do you want?” The monster growled back, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“I want to know what you’re doing in my friends cave?” asked the wolf.

“I didn’t know it belonged to anyone,” replied the monster. “I was lost and cold and this cave made a good place to sleep.”

The wolf nodded “yes it is a good place to sleep, that’s why it’s my friends’ home.”

“Let’s go out into the daylight” the monster said. “I don’t see well in the dark.”

The Professor and the monster walked out of the cave and Brownie and the pigs were amazed at how big the monster was. He was twice as big as Brownie.

“Wow! You are big,” Billy said, “are you also mean?”

“No” the monster smiled, “I’m just big and lonely.” 

“Why are you lonely?” Bobby asked.

“Because I’m different, and I’m a monster and no one wants to be friends with me,” the monster replied.

“We’re all different,” the wolf said smiling “Look at us, I’m a wolf, Billy and Bobby are pigs and Brownie is the bear. We’re all different, but we don’t like each other because of how we look, we liked each other because of who we are. We are friends and that’s all that matters.” 

“Could I be your friend?” The monster asked. “I have no place to go.”

“Friendship comes with trust” The Professor replied,” but we’ll help you and give you a chance to earn our trust and friendship.”  

“Thank you,” smiled the monster “I’ll work very hard at earning your trust and friendship.”

The monster went over to Brownie. “Mr. Bear I’m sorry I scared you out of your cave,” He said.

“That’s O K” Brownie replied, “but you can just call me Brownie.”

“And what’s your name?” Billy asked the monster. 

“I don’t have a name,” he replied, “Most people call me the monster and run away, without talking to me.” 

“Well we’ll have to give you a name. We can’t just call you the Monster,” the wolf said. “That would be like calling me wolf or Bobby pig or Brownie bear” 

“Why don’t we call you Marvin?” asked Billy.

The monster smiled “Marvin is a nice name;” he said. “I’d like to be called Marvin.”

The wolf smiled, “then that’s what it will be from now on, you are Marvin the monster.”

“Thank you Professor, but just plain Marvin will be fine,” the monster replied.

The wolf smiled, but then started scratching his head.  Everyone knew the Professor was thinking.

“What are you thinking about Professor?” asked Brownie. 

“Where is Marvin going to live,” the wolf replied, “There’s no place big enough, except your cave.”

“Well if he doesn’t mind my snoring, he can share my cave with me,” replied Brownie.

“Oh! Your snoring won’t bother me, but are you sure you won’t mind having a roommate?” the monster asked.

“No, it will be fun. It will be nice having company on the long winter nights,” Brownie said. “By the way, do you play checkers?” 

“Checkers, what’s checkers?” Marvin asked.

“You don’t play checkers?” Brownie asked. “I’ll teach you, and then maybe I’ll be able to win a game.” The boy’s and the wolf laughed, because everyone in the Woodland could beat Brownie at checkers.

“Well boy’s,” the wolf said “let’s get some help and start working.”

“Start working on what?” Bobby asked.

“Well I was thinking the cave’s big enough that if we put up some walls we could make two bedrooms and a living room,” the wolf replied.

 “Great idea,” Billy said with a big smile on his face. “I’ll go get Randy and Raymond.”

In no time everyone was there helping Brownie and Marvin fix up the cave and by nightfall the cave had two bedrooms. There was one bedroom for Brownie and one bedroom for Marvin. It also had a large living room, with a wall across the front of the cave with a door and two windows to keep the snow out in the winter. Digger dug a chimney up through the cave ceiling so they could put in a cook stove, because they knew how much Brownie likes to cook.

It was getting late and everyone was tired. Brownie and Marvin thanked everyone and said goodnight. Everyone said goodnight and started home.

Marvin went over to the Professor and Bobby and Billy. “Thank you for everything” he said, “If you ever need any help I’ll always be there.”

“Thank you Marvin,” The wolf said. “We’ll see you and Brownie tomorrow.”

The pigs and The Professor waved goodbye to Brownie and Marvin and started home.  When they got to the Professors’ cabin they said goodnight. “Goodnight boys” the wolf said, “get right to sleep you had a busy day.”

“We will,” replied Bobby, as the pigs walked up the path to their cabin.

“You know Bobby, we worked real hard today,” Billy said, “and I’m real hungry.”

“Me too” Bobby replied, “but I’m too tired to fix dinner.” As the pigs walked up the steps to their cabin they saw a brown paper bag on the porch, with a note pinned to it.

“What does it say Bobby?” Billy asked.

“It’s from Amanda, she said she knew we would be too tired to make dinner so she made us some sandwiches and cookies,” Bobby replied.

“That was nice of her” Billy said.

“Yes it was” replied Bobby.” We have to make sure we thank her tomorrow.” 

After finishing dinner the pigs cleaned up and went to bed.