Later that day, content and full with coconut stir-fry (he really wished he'd had some eggs to add in - they would have made it just perfect), he was wondering what to do, when his friend Ernie arrived for a visit.

"I hope I'm not late", he announced, walking briskly into Bob's living room come bedroom come kitchen etc etc. Caves rarely had more that one room - only in exceptional circumstances when it caved in half way along - and then you tended not to have a door to get in to the other room.

"No, no, I doubt it", replied Bob, sighing, "when were you trying to get here?"

"In time for dinner, if that's ok."

Bob sat and looked at the beast of a man who'd just entered. Ernie was his friend purely because they had met one night when they were in the same area hunting for food, and had tried shooting each other for a good ten minutes, until they both ran out of arrows. It was lucky for both of them that neither had any co-ordination to speak of.

He was very big, and very irritating. He'd invite himself round at all times of year - sometimes more than once a season - and manage to drain Bob's supplies of food, before taking the 20-day trip back to his home. It really only took a few days to get back to Ernie's cave, but he was useless at reading maps, he always got the paths muddled up with the contours, and always managed to take the wrong turning at roundabouts.

So Bob was not impressed with his visitor. Except for the fact that he hadn't come in time to eat all of his stir-fry.

Ernie, on the other hand, was only too delighted with his host. He had a lovely cave, a lovely wife, if a little on the quiet side, and he had already spied a biscuit tin on one of the shelves. He was going to enjoy his stay - maybe it should last until winter. After all, it had already turned autumn, so he wouldn't be getting in the way or anything. Then he spotted Bob's wallet, and soon had a better plan.

"Right said Bob, what d'you want to do then? Shall we go and have a game of cards?"

"Sure Bob, why not, even put a bet on, that'll keep us busy", and so, they, had a game of cards, and Ernie had a think and he said, "Look Bob, if we, are playing Rummy, then we, should play, for money, (in an hour or two, I'll be really thrashing you)"

"Oh, right said Bob, think you're going to win then? I think you are wonderfully misled."

Could he be wronger, Ernie just got stronger, and he wiped poor Bob clean - of dosh. So Ernie said he, hadn't time to stay for tea, and then he, went home.

And that left poor Bob standing in his cave, with no money, and just a jar of bikkies to keep him going. However, he was not uspet, cos there was nothing to do with money, there being no such thing as shops, or gambling dens, or prostitutes. So he thanked God for taking away the smell that was Ernie, and God said that it was his pleasure, cos he didn't much care for him either.

So that was that - a busy day for the first time in ages. Bob needed sleep.