My parents are being good today. They come out to watch me. I tell them the conditions are right but they only shrug. I glare. All right then.

 

I push subtly upward and float above the grass between the stones. I shout, “You stones, see how I surmount you?” I permit myself to drift to earth and I walk toward the house where I climb the steps just as a human would do.

 

I will impress my parents. “See?” I step off the top step and float outward continuing to make walking motions. “Steps are not for me!” I shout.

 

My parents—what are they doing? They turn and walk back into the house. I yell, “Is that house better than me? It is a grave, do you hear?”

 

They’re gone but still I hang in the air. They can’t stop me.

 

Slowly I rotate forward. Rotate. Revolve. Revolution. The rule of revolution is that you cannot look into the sky when it is below you or it will become hungry.

 

You’re still here. You don’t ignore me as my parents do. Come with me. I’ll show you something. Oh, I’m so excited!

 

Now we’re on a hill. Look where I’m pointing! A panorama! There are fields over there full of wheat. Hold onto me. We step from the hilltop and now we’re flying.

 

As long as you touch some part of me you won’t fall to your death. But what if I were to become like a cloud and start to dissolve? I could do that, you know.

 

Yes, hold on tighter. I like that we’re better friends now.

 

We’re passing over the wheat, very low. I brush my hand against it. See? Like that! Now I will show you an orchard. Do you like peaches and apples? We will drift among the trees. Try to pick an apple! I can!

 

What have you done? You’re clinging to that tree! You’ve broken contact! Now you’ll miss it.

 

You look silly back there hugging a tree branch. I could do fun things but the tree is merely stupid. Good-bye. You were a bad friend and you won’t get to go over the cliff with me.

 

Now I’m going over the cliff! Eeeeeeee!

 

There is a deep space below. If I were human I would be afraid. Being afraid might be fun. But it’s not for me.

 

The expanding blue shape below is fascinating. Now I see the sparkle of the waves. Oh, look! Rocks! How nice! I’ll stop just short of them

 

and begin slowly

 

to rise.

 

I wonder what it would feel like if I were to swallow the earth.

 

Hello there, you walking on the beach. Should I swallow it? No? Hm.

 

I’ll rise now and go home. I had a conversation. Oh, I’m so sociable!