I would like to introduce you to two of my most cherished friends, Kootie and Koobert. I love them both dearly, and it delights me to share some of their amazing adventures with you.
Kootie and Koobert are siblings, and you can definitely see the family resemblance on the rare occasions when you might chance upon them. They share the family ears, large, expressive and a little floppy. Both exhibit huge round eyes that instantly persuade all instinctively of their sincerity, innocence, and unthreatening cuteness; these doubtless inherited from their gentle mother. They both smile easily, and the sun shines a little brighter when they laugh, which is often. I must say I am quite taken with their charming faces, Kootie with her girlish tuft of beautiful golden hair curling around her ears, and Koobert with his dashing crop of boyish fuzz, which seems to change in color according to his mood from emerald green to flaming crimson.
It is hard to describe the rest of Kootie and Koobert without at once wondering what they are – in truth I cannot tell you, for I have never before encountered their like. I can tell you they stand proudly upright and symmetrical on one fine strong leg, balanced easily on one enormous foot. To get from place to place, they hop with effortless grace and sometimes remarkable speed. I recall one time Kootie asking me sympathetically how I coped with the burden of having to maintain my balance straddling two legs, and how she giggled when I admitted that I sometimes fell over for no better reason. I get the distinct impression that Koobert is endlessly amused watching we two-legged folk walk, and I overheard him describe it to his big sister as “that weird alternating hop thing”.
Kootie and Koobert are small by our standards, but it is difficult to say exactly how small. I tend to compare them to the size of a mature house cat, but I think it varies quite a bit, from as tiny as a stick of gum to as large as a fireplug. They always seem to maintain the same size relative to each other – with Kootie a little taller than her little brother. With respect to their surroundings, well, somehow that doesn’t seem to be as predictable. I don’t know for certain, but I suspect that Koobert and Kootie don’t have any control over their own size (if they did, I’m sure Koobert would have bragged about it in a good-natured charming boyish sort of way) – I doubt they even notice that it changes from time to time. I think they just somehow end up being the perfect size for their next adventure.
Both Koobert and Kootie amaze me with their intelligence and creativity. They are endlessly curious, and passionate about exploring every part of God’s creation. This passion keeps them constantly on the go, and leads to incredible adventures, some of which work out very well indeed. The ones that don’t go as well will probably end up in this collection of stories of their exploits.
I think what I admire most about this dynamic duo is their confidence. I have wanted to describe it before as bravery or foolhardiness, but neither is really accurate. Bravery is only necessary in the face of fear, and I don’t recall Kootie or Koobert ever acting like they were afraid of anything; sometimes conveniently naïve, perhaps. Foolhardiness is to pursue danger for its own sake, something that Kootie and Koobert would never do. Kootie and Koobert are explorers, hopping about in a Mark 16 confidence that they are secure in God’s hands.
Let me tell you a short and very old story of Kootie and Koobert’s adventures to illustrate.
One day, Koobert and Kootie were exploring in a vast, dark and dusty mountain cabin when they came upon a tall wooden platform and a pair of heavy iron pipes that extended almost straight up and out of sight in the gloom.
“Wow, that’s really tall,” observed Kootie thoughtfully.
“I wonder where these pipes go up to,” Koobert wondered aloud.
Well, that was all the invitation needed for two intrepid explorers alone in the musty dimness. Now, how to climb up this big thing and have a look around?
The wooden platform was very smooth and slippery – it would have felt nice to just touch it, but after trying several times to get a grip for climbing, and failing miserably, the pair regrouped on the floor to think.
“I know,” exclaimed Koobert after a whole second of quiet reflection. “Give me a boost up to the pipes!”.
Kootie barely had time to hear Koobert’s clever new plan before Koobert had acrobatically hopped onto her head, and from there to a desperate grab for the lowest part of the vertical pipes. There were two big wide pipes, and Koobert could barely get his arms around both at once. He flailed and grunted, and certainly would have fallen off but for a little metal ledge that seemed to be just perfect for climbing.
Now the pipes were kind of slippery as well, but once Koobert got his grip, with his toes planted on the helpful little ledge, he was on, and ready to continue the climb.
“Wait for me, Koobie”, called Kootie, still rubbing her head where she had helped Koobie. She wanted to see where the pipes went too. By combining her own acrobatic leap with Koobert’s extended toes, and lots of little grunts, soon both she and her little brother were hanging on securely, poised for the climb to the top.
Koobert started up. It was slow going, but Koobert discovered that by wedging his foot into the cleft formed where the two pipes were bound together he could inch his way up like a caterpillar. Onward he climbed making delighted little grunts along the way, and being careful not to look down.
Kootie started to climb after, but realizing that it would be safer to not be right under Koobert in case he should slip, she swung herself around to the other side of the pipes, and found something else very interesting. Just below her foot was a large oval frame, and inside that, a comfy-looking seat.
“Koobie, guess what I found”, Kootie called up into the dark.
But just then, Koobert made it to the tippy-top of the pipes, and called back, “Kootie, the pipes just stop up here. There are just a couple of deep holes. Woops, I think my foot is stuck in the top of this pipe here. Can you help me please?”
“Koobie, I found a swing down here – I want to try it out real quick, then I’ll climb up, Ok?”
“Kootie, there is an echo in the pipe!” Koobie called back to his sister. “This is so cool! Hellllooooo”.
I want to stop for a minute before Kootie jumps onto the surprising metal seat she found, and explain one more thing about Kootie and Koobert stories. Sometimes a story has to end just a little before certain, well, consequences. No need to worry, though, no matter how much devastation ensues from any particular chain of events, Kootie and Koobert always seem to enjoy their adventure, and return for another, totally free of anger, recrimination, and serious injury. They are very experienced adventurers after all. [Do not try this at home]
As they recount their adventures to me, and we get to such a point in the excitement, I am so tempted to ask questions, almost all of which start with “How” and whose answers I really don’t want to know.
Anyway, the instant Kootie put her full weight on the comfy metal seat it tilted away beneath her and did what other shotgun triggers do.
*click*
KABOOM!!
Next time: The continuing adventures of Kootie
