Just then a funny thing happened. Little Billy began to hear somebody whispering in his ear. He knew exactly who it was. It was the Devil. The Devil always started whispering to him when he was especially bored.

“It would be easy,” the Devil was whispering, “to climb out through that window. No one will see you. And in a jiffy you would be in the garden, and in another jiffy you would be through the front gate, and in yet another jiffy you would be exploring the marvelous Forest of Sin all by yourself. It is a super place. Do not believe one word of what your mother says about Whangdoodles and Hornswogglers and  Snozzwanglers and Vermicious Knids and the Terrible Bloodsuckling Toothpluckling Spitter. There are no such things.”

“What is in there?” Little Billy whispered.

“Wild strawberries,” the Devil whispered back. “The whole floor of the forest is carpeted with wild strawberries, every one of them is luscious and red and juicy-ripe. Go and see for yourself.”

These were the words the Devil whispered softly into Little Billy’s ear on that sunny summer afternoon.

The next moment, Little Billy had opened the window and was climbing out.

In a jiffy he had dropped silently onto the flowerbed below.

In another jiffy he was out through the garden gate.

And in yet another jiffy he was standing on the very edge of the great dark Forest of Sin!
He had made it! He had got there! And now the forest was all his to explore!
Was he nervous?

What?

Who said anything about being nervous?

Hornswogglers? Vermicious Knids? What sort of rubbish was that?