Agatha lived in the attic at number 13 Griswold Place. She had lived there for over one hundred years. The house had stood empty for the last ten years, and Agatha was lonely. She dreamed of having a family move in.              

Each day, Agatha looked out the attic window, hoping to see a new family coming up the driveway. Some days they came! Agatha would rattle her chains in greeting. She would moan a welcome “hello!” For some reason they always left. Screaming.            

Meanwhile, down the street near the pond, creatures gathered. “I don’t know why they run away from me,” Bat said. “They love to look at the birds. They get out their binoculars and ooh and aah over their colors. They seem to like me at first, but as soon as I get up close they yell, “bat!” and run away.”            

“Same with me,” agreed Snake. “Only they don’t seem to like me at all. Sometimes they don’t see me, and they get very near. But when I pop out to say hi, off they run.”            

“That sounds familiar,” said Spider. “Even if I’m just minding my business and creeping along, they scream as soon as they see me. They love their furry dogs and cats. Don’t they see that I’m fuzzy too?”     

“We need to find somewhere to go where we will be welcome,” said Bat. And they climbed the hill from the pond, up the road toward number 13.          

When Agatha saw them coming, she was excited. Visitors! She rattled her chains and moaned hello. “This is our kind of place!” said Snake.        

Agatha and Bat and Snake and Spider lived happily together in the attic. They were less lonely. But they still wished for a family. And then one day, a family came.       

This family was different from the others. They had tall, pointed black hats and carried brooms in their hands. They must be very tidy, thought Agatha.     

“They’ll probably run away when they hear my chains,” said Agatha. They did not.   

“Well, they’ll definitely scream when they see me,” said Bat. Nope.  

“I’m sure when I pop out to say hello they will run,” said Snake. But they didn’t. They didn’t run when Spider crept up to them either. In fact, they petted her. “So fuzzy!” they exclaimed.     

Agatha and Bat and Snake and Spider lived happily ever after with their family. They didn’t have many visitors at number 13, but that was ok. They didn’t need them. They had each other.