The Clandestine Creepy Crawly Creature Capturing Club. Six C Special Recruit, This classified information is for your eyes only.

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1 Six C Special Recruit, This classified information is for your eyes only. The Spitting Swamp Monster is a rather elusive creature that has never before been captured dead or alive. In fact, this legendary beast has yet to be either photographed or recorded on video. So, we don t even know if it truly exists. However, the collection of witness accounts enclosed with this animal s file suggests that it is certainly out there somewhere. Soon, our team plans to hunt down this thing and prove, once and for all, that it is real. We ve been told by mutual acquaintances that you re a talented sketch artist. As such, we could use your help to get the job done. Read the enclosed firsthand encounters with this monster that have been researched and compiled for you by our investigators. Use the information in the text of the transcripts to sketch and color an accurate drawing of this animal. If our expert trackers and hunters have at least a general idea as to what the thing looks like, we ll have a better shot at achieving our goal. We re counting on you for this creature quest to be a success. Sincerely, Davis Beastly Director of Research C 6 The Clandestine Creepy Crawly Creature Capturing Club

2 Personal Statement of Jimmer Bob Billings: I was out fishing alone in the hours just before dawn when my boat started rocking without warning. In all of my years, I can t remember a time when I was more terrified. There aren t any waves in the swamp, of course, so I paddled back to shore as quickly as possible. At first, I thought it might just be a large crocodile bumping the bottom of my boat. After all, although it s rare, that does happen sometimes. But, no sooner had I stepped off my boat, and onto land, when this thing finally jumped out of the water and stared at me. I couldn t believe what I was seeing. This beast was actually walking upright like a person. Yet, what I remember most is its eyes. They were a fierce, lime green in color. Even in the sparse light of the early morning, they sparkled. This thing also had two long fangs that stuck out of its mouth and razor-sharp claws. At first, this slimy animal just looked at me quizzically. However, after a few moments, it began spitting this foul-smelling green goop out of its mouth in my direction. I m afraid that I didn t see much more. I was so frightened of being eaten alive that I took off running into the woods and didn t look back. To this day, I still don t know why that freaky thing didn t chase after me. I suppose I was one lucky fisherman, to say the least. Monmouth County Police Report, March 1980 Encounter 1: The Spitting Swamp Monster

3 Personal Statement of Molly Mason: Even though I had lived all my life only a couple miles from that swamp, I had never before seen the area up close. There really isn t much there but the biggest mosquitoes a person will ever see and a horrible, lingering stench that smells like death. In fact, I only ended up in swamp country because I got lost while driving in a thunderstorm and had to pull over to the side of the road for safety. Lightning was flashing in the sky and booms of thunder rattled the glass windows of my car. It was during one of the brief moments when the lightning illuminated everything around me that I saw what I believe was some kind of ugly swamp monster. Its puffy, wrinkled face was absolutely terrifying to me for some reason and the way it just stood there and stared at me made my whole body shiver even in the near one-hundred degree heat. Nevertheless, I only saw the monster for a split second and then it was gone. But, I did notice it had a long tail that was covered in green fur. The rest of its body looked like it might be coated in very dark green scales almost an olive color. Some of the spots on that thing s skin were lighter in color and some were darker. But, that tail was a messy tangle of fur. It reminded me of unruly moss growing haphazardly on a tree limb. When the rain had stopped, and I got home, I inspected my car for damage. I immediately noticed gobs of this sticky green substance all over the hood on the left side. I think that ugly swamp monster spit on my car! Even in the rain, that goop stayed put somehow. Can you believe that? I had my husband scrape it off the very next morning, leaving nothing but a shiny slab of metal along that half of the vehicle. So, the spit from that monster was substantially acidic, that s for sure! We sold the car a week later. After surviving the swamp monster attack, I couldn t stand to look at that automobile anymore. Private Diary Entry, August 1982 Encounter 2: The Spitting Swamp Monster

4 Personal Statement of Linus J. Anderson: My problem was that my buddies had lied to me in saying that the swamp was a great place to take a date for a picnic. Of course, I know now that they were just pulling my leg. Totally not cool. Anyway, when Beatrice and I spread out our blanket and set down our picnic basket, the bugs and snakes crawling all over us really ruined the mood. I had been hoping to at least get a kiss from my beloved Beatrice at the end of the date. But, after that swamp beast showed up and spit this green slime all over us, she wasn t in the mood for romance. What a waste of a day! I could have been doing something productive like mowing my lawn, washing my car, or trimming my manly mustache! Anyway, that animal was one scary monster! It didn t look exactly like a crocodile, but I think that s mostly because the creature s eyes were the size of basketballs. Those peepers looked like they were defying gravity by dangling on the top of the beast s head like bulbous frog eyes. Each one of them had lengthy lashes on their lids too. With that in mind, I was seriously freaked-out when the thing stared at me for what felt like a lengthy period of time. It was at this point I also noticed that, although for the most part the thing was various shades of green in color all over its body, the belly of the monster was a bright orange. It equaled the hue of a raging campfire I kid you not. As for what happened next, let s just say that the swamp savage owes me a new picnic basket! The container was stomped on by the creature s giant feet. Now that I think of it, those appendages were more like little stumps or nubs. I didn t see any claws or toes down there at all. Yet, the hands were a different story altogether. I thought those jagged claws would be the end of me! Thankfully, Beatrice is a strong woman. She was able to pick me up and carry me out of that swamp when I became frozen-in-place with panic. So, at the end of the day, I sadly didn t get that kiss I wanted. But, at least I wasn t left behind to be gobbled-up by some freakish bog creature. If you re reading this, Beatrice, I still care for you deeply. Call me anytime! Swampland Monthly Magazine Article, July 1997 Encounter 3: The Spitting Swamp Monster

5 Overview of MONSTER SKETCH: Monster Sketch is a text-based drawing exercise that has your students role-play as a sketch artist for a fictional secret organization that is trying to find and capture fabled creatures the world over. With each exercise, your students read fictional accounts of encounters with monsters, and then use the details in the text to sketch an as accurate portrayal of the critter being described, as possible. Your students will absolutely love these unique challenges. Readability Level: This free sample of Monster Sketch has a 6th grade level of readability. Access Our Entire Collection of MONSTER SKETCH: After you use our free sample with your students, please consider returning to our website to subscribe and access our entire library, including our full collection of Monster Sketch documents.