SQUONK!

Image of the Squonk from folklore

Genesis version of the Squonk

Out of boredom, I decided to Google the word "Squonk"... Much to my surprise, there was a lot more than meets the eye to the song on Genesis' A Trick Of The Tail album...
                                                                           

Squonk and hunter from "A Trick Of The Tail" album

See this pathetically sad, weeping creature that looks a bit like a Shar Pei with warts...? This is what's known as a "Squonk", a legendary creature that was supposed to have lived in the Hemlock forests of northern Pennsylvania. So they say, it has ill-fitting skin, warts and blemishes, so it hides from plain sight and spend much of its time weeping... I'd weep, too, if I was this damned fugly... Legend also states that, when it's cornered by a hunter, it evades capture by dissolving into a pool of tears and bubbles...
This kind of makes one wonder what in the hell were these people of long ago smoking... I mean, really. The legends and mythical creatures of past ages all sound like they were hallucinated while in the depths of one helluva freak-ass acid trip. They go above and beyond a Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds moment...

In all honesty, until I did a Google search, I thought that "Squonk" was merely the title of a really strange song by the rock/pop group Genesis (who happens to be one of my two favorite groups of all time). Imagine my surprise that this was not something simply concocted from a pot smoking haze... The song is actually about this creature of lore.
Though their version (or that of the person who created the album art) of the creature makes it look a bit different than the fugly wart covered Shar Pei looking thing. Take a look at the pictures above, taken from the album. The "Squonk" looks more like an adorably ugly cross between a giant kangaroo rat and a bat... And I must say, adding the handkerchief for this weepy little guy was a really nice touch.
Off note, I recommend this album. My favorite tunes on this particular album are "Robbery, Assault and Battery", "Ripples" and "A Trick Of The Tail". They're definitely worth the listen!

Mind you, this wasn't really just a random Google search for a really weird word... Actually, this was prompted by my younger cat, Sebastian.
I have this strange habit of grabbing my cats' heads and giving a very light squeeze. This habit began with my late cat, Brandy. I used to do this weird head squeezing thing with her and when I did, I used to shout "SQUONK!!!!"... If you're wondering, I did this because it was a funny word and just kind of popped out the one time I squeezed her head... In any case, when I did this to my cat today, I didn't say "Squonk"... In fact, I haven't "Squonked" a cat since Brandy passed away. It was my last promise to her and I've never gone back on my word.
But, I can say, at least Sebastian knows what it's like to be "Squonked"... A friend of mine, who I'd known before I even had Brandy, had witnessed my doing this and, in fact, had "Squonked" Brandy herself (and had often told me the reason her head was too small for her body was because I "Squonked" her too much...) Well, on one of her visits, she had "Squonked" Sebastian! I was actually rather happy... I've so wanted to do it to both my cats, but that promise has held me back.
Moral of the story... Good friends will "Squonk" your cat even if you can't...
Over and out...