Carmela Tal Baron

Down the Monster Hole: or Don't Be Afraid, I Am Only a Child Carmela Tal Baron

In Down the Monster Hole or Don't Be Afraid I'm Only a Child, a child's journey through a fictional maze full of wonders and challenges turns into a mind-expanding search for meaning.

Tom, a runaway, clashes with a gang of wicked clocks and loses his way and his sense of time. After wandering around and making new friends, Tom finds himself alone in a cemetery for machines. There, amid the junk of the mechanical remains, he discovers a hidden kingdom of monsters and puzzles, which pique his curiosity. As Tom travels from adventure to adventure and from one challenge to another, clues to the meaning of his quest unfold. At last, he meets Seven, a pretty flower- maiden, in a magical garden

Seven and her flowery maidens cheer Tom up with their early morning chanting in motion. They brighten his journey with a spark of enlightenment and good advice. At the end of the maze, he learns that who and what he imagined the "King of All Monsters" to be is none other than a representative of law and order. Tom also realizes that if one wishes to find his way through the "Law and Order" maze, he must first master his own skills of self-discipline. This realization helps Tom find his way to the world where he belongs and his path back home.