Let's delve into Yolos’s scary past history… Yolos spent most of his early years in a small, decaying monastery where he had been abandoned on the worn steps at a very young age. The monks of the monastery, peaceful yet set in their ways, had decided to take him in and raised him under their teachings and he seemed destined to lead their solitary, reclusive existence for the rest of his life. However, the monks of the monastery soon found that Yolos had a taste for mischief and took great delight in playing pranks on his unfortunate ‘brothers’ at every given opportunity, always managing to obtain forgiveness. One prank, however, led to his expulsion from the only world he had ever known. Suspending a bucket full of frogs over a partly open door, he waited for his intended victim… but the joke went horribly wrong when it backfired, showering the Abbot with the slimy skinned creatures instead. This was the last straw and Yolos was promptly ‘booted out’ by the Head Librarian, who was extremely happy to see him go. It was only when the doors closed firmly behind him that Yolos realised how alone and afraid he really was. So where did Yolos end up next? Well, I’ll leave you to guess that one for yourself.

(Armarniss © Leona Preston 2000/’05).