Autumn leaves

Louis hefted the rake in one oversized floppy claw. "Pray, can you tell me why we are raking leaves at this moment, when there are more yet to fall?" He looked suspiciously at the surrounding trees, many of which were still turning different colors. As he watched, several loose leaves fell down in the spot where he'd finished raking--just finished!

"To keep you out of trouble," Scratch replied. She had the other rake, and was busily moving small piles of leaves on to a tarp, the little piles merging into bigger ones.

"I? Trouble?" sputtered the giant lobster. Grumbling, he started raking again. A sudden noise made him duck as Mort dive-bombed the pile of leaves. "GANGWAY!" snorted the little green dragon. Louis waved the rake in Mort's direction. "Cut it out, or she'll make you rake, too...."

"I don't see why I can't just burn them," said the dragon.

"Uhm, because I don't feel like putting out a raging forest fire at the moment?" suggested Scratch. She'd finished that particular pile and was dragging the tarp towards the edge of the woods. "Remember, it's still pretty dry out here.."

"Even after all that rain?" asked Mort.

"Even so," agreed Louis.

Mort wiggled impatiently in his leaf-pile. "I can't wait till winter!"

"Speak for yourself," said Louis. "Now, if you don't mind?"

Mort wandered through the pampas grass and studied the front of the house. "How are we doing the Christmas lights this year?" he asked Scratch, who was dragging the tarp back for another load of leaves. "geez," said Scratch. "Let's get Halloween over with, first!"

A good lesson for the stores out there, who've already put out the Christmas decor....