The Funny-looking Man

I've been time hopping with my experiences and sharing them with YGS readers as I recall them, starting with the experience that turned me from sceptic to believer "Friends In Strange Places" http://www.yourghoststories.com/real-ghost-story.php?story=25587. The trigger that also awakened several memories of paranormal/weird/fanciful encounters. I can only share them to the best of my recollections and appreciate your insights/opinions regarding them.

I don't recall ever having a scary encounter though this one borders on scary even though I don't remember ever feeling scared during its occurrence, just highly irritated. After all, I love my sleep, and have since I was a baby (according to Mom).

I don't recall my exact age but I'd guess I was still a toddler as this happened while I was sleeping in a crib next to my parents' bed. Can't have been a baby as the side of the crib was down. I could have been older as the house we lived in was my paternal grandparents and there were only two bedrooms. One for Mama and Papa and the one my parents and I shared. I don't remember where my older brother slept but I know there was also a cousin, a few years older than my brother, who lived with us. Talk about a crowded house!

I woke to something prodding me through the mattress from beneath the crib. No eerie noises or other disturbances come to mind. I tried ignoring it, but the prodding persisted.

I was a fearless kid (no nightmarish experiences come to mind either) so I didn't hesitate looking under the crib for the source of my discomfort.

As children, we were allowed to watch only educational television programs. Our weekday routine consisted of school, home, lunch, homework, free to do as we like playtime / age appropriate movie (supervised in case we entertained sneaky thoughts of switching channels) / an educational TV program, bath, supper, a bedtime story (rabbits come to mind) and sleep. So I highly doubt I could have seen something that might have caused me to conjure this creature in my mind.

Back to the crib...

I leaned over and looked under the crib and saw a comical creature, short and skinny with pointed, wrinkly features (nothing scary about him) holding a stick in his hand, prodding the mattress and I ORDERED it to stop to which it simply laughed and started prodding even harder. I've apparently been quite vocal and assertive since I could speak, around seven or eight months old (Mom's words). I called for Mom to wake up and tell the funny-looking man under my bed (what I called the crib) to go away.

Mom woke up, checked under the crib (probably to humour me) and told me there was nothing there and to go back to sleep, which I couldn't because Mr. Pokey wouldn't stop immediately. I don't know whether he eventually tired and stopped or whether tiredness overtook me and I managed to fall asleep again. To this day I have NO idea who or what this 'man' was and he only 'visited' that one time.

I know I wasn't dreaming because the next morning Mom said I should stop eating so many sweets or the funny-looking man will come again and take all my teeth. The upside to that experience is probably my, now, total lack of a sweet tooth. Coffee with lots of milk and no sugar thank you.

Has anyone else or their children had such a peculiar experience and what could it have meant? Or did I just have an over-active imagination and it was something like a visit from the mythological Norse god of mischief, Loki? LOL

I was not amused at the time and for several nights after this experience I'd check under the crib for the funny-looking man.