As Spek and Stil wandered the world, they heard a big commotion. Dust was rising and something was going Bam! Bam! Bam! Someone with a big voice was shouting “Me! Me! Me!.” They walked toward the noise and came upon a huge head with eyes, nose and ears but no body. The head was bouncing up and down and shouting. They stopped and watched for a while. Finally, Spek asked “Big Head! What are you doing?”

Big Head didn’t respond, so Spek shouted louder. “Big Head! What are you doing?” Big Head turned to face them and smiled. “Followers! You have come just in time! Bow down to Big Head and recognize your master!”

Spek and Stil did not bow down. Spek asked, “Why are you bouncing up and down? You are making a big noise and raising lots of dust!”

Big Head looked very angry. “Bow down or I will smash you flat!” he shouted.

Spek asked “Why should we bow down to you? We are just wanderers passing through.”

“I am the biggest head in the world! I have the loudest voice of all! I can shake the world! I am the greatest and the smartest! Bow to me or I will smash you flat!”

“But you have no legs. You have no arms. You have no body. You cannot move. You just bounce up and down.”

“You are little. You can walk and talk, but you just wander without direction, which is like going nowhere. Your friend can’t even talk, but I have many words. I am bigger, smarter, louder, and superior! Bow down to me or I will smash you flat!”

“How can you smash us if you can’t move?”

Big Head howled in anger. “I can move!” he shouted. He strained his face and his ears. Each bounce moved him a little bit toward them.

“Bring me flags with Big Head on them! Bring me more followers! Bring me soldiers with shields and swords! Write impressive songs about me! I want to conquer the world and make everyone bow down!”

“Sorry Big Head. Most of the world is empty, at least what we have seen of it. We don’t have any flags or soldiers. And you don’t seem very nice. I don’t think anyone would want to follow you.”

Big Head howled again. “You are prejudiced against people with no bodies. You are a bad person. But if you help me, I will smash your enemies flat!”

“We don’t have any enemies. Gen doesn’t like me, but I like her, so we are not enemies. Stil doesn’t like Fals, but Fals is not an enemy. It is just Fals, according to his nature.”

“Fals! It said it would help! It is the one who gave me the idea about the flags and the songs. But it never came back with them.”

“Fals is unreliable,” said Spek. “It is its nature.”

Straining forward, Big Head was getting near. Spek stepped back, but Stil held his ground. Spek was worried about Stil. “Stil!” he cried. “Run!” But Stil stood his ground.

Just as Big Head came smashing down on Stil, Stil raised his fist in the air. Big Head came down right on the fist. “Smashed you!” he shouted, looking triumphant. “Your friend is smashed!” he said to Spek. “Now I’ll smash you!” When he bounced up, Stil was gone.

But suddenly, Big Head looked queasy. His smile disappeared. He stopped bouncing for the first time since they had started this conversation. Then he began to melt. His substance flowed into a pool and was absorbed by the sand. Where Big Head had been, Stil stood with two creatures; one with four legs sat by his side and another one with wings and feathers clung to his shoulder.

Spek was surprised and happy. I will call you “Dog” he said to the the creature with four legs. And because you look like you are smiling, I will call you “Laughing Dog.” Turning to the winged creature he said, “You are Hawk.”

Laughing Dog ran in circles around the others. Then Hawk took off and flew in lazy circles in the sky. “You are an interesting friend,” Spek said to Stil. Stil smiled, which was unusual for him. Perhaps he was becoming a little bit human. But he said nothing.