The Caged Gorilla A family was shipwrecked after their sightseeing boat got caught in a storm. A mother, father, son and grandfather washed up on a deserted island. They had seen enough episodes of The Swiss Family Robinson to know they had to prepare for a new life without being rescued. They made do with what they had and lived relatively comfortably. After a few years the grandfather would leave each night after dinner and go for a walk on the beach. As the grandson grew older he got very curious about where his grandfather would go every night. One night he decided to follow his grandfather. As the grandfather walked down the beach the boy was trailing behind and saw his grandfather turn into the jungle. The boy followed into the jungle. In the middle of the jungle was a river that the grandfather began to cross. The boy stayed behind and began to cross the river after his grandfather was out of the water. On the other side of the river was a mountain that the grandfather was hiking up. In the side of the mountain was a steel door. The boy exited the river and hiked up the mountain behind his grandfather. As he got to the steel door it shut behind his grandfather. He tried to open the door but it was locked. The boy went back down the mountain, across the river, through the jungle, and down the beach to the hut. Lying in bed the boy thought to himself, ""Tomorrow I will stay a little closer and catch the steel door before it closes."" The next day the boy finished supper and followed his grandfather down the beach, through the jungle, across the river, up the mountain, and just as the steel door was closing the boy caught it and went through. As he stepped through the door the boy couldn't believe what he saw, a cement door being slammed shut. The boy walked over to the cement door and tried to open it, but it was locked. The boy went back through the steel door, down the mountain, across the river, through the jungle, and back down the beach to the hut. Lying in bed the boy thought to himself, ""Tomorrow I will stay a little closer and catch the cement door before it closes."" The next day the boy finished supper and followed his grandfather down the beach, through the jungle, across the river, up the mountain, and just as the steel door was closing the boy caught it and went through. He rushed and caught the cement door before it closed. Just as he walked through he saw a wooden door closing behind his grandfather. Sure enough, the wooden door was locked. The boy went back through the cement door, through the steel door, down the mountain, across the river, through the jungle, and back down the beach to the hut. Lying in bed the boy thought to himself, ""Tomorrow I will stay a little closer and catch the wooden door before it closes."" The next day the boy finished supper and followed his grandfather down the beach, through the jungle, across the river, up the mountain, and just as the steel door was closing the boy caught it and went through. He rushed and caught the cement door before it closed. He rushed and caught the wooden door before it close. As he walked through he was his grandfather with a pitch fork. He was feeding pieces of meat to giant caged gorilla. The boy gasped and his grandfather heard him and turned. The grandfather said, ""It looks like you have found my secret. I found this gorilla after a few years on the island and made a commitment to keep him caged and feed him."" The boy just nodded his head and listened. The grandfather went on to say, ""One day I will be gone and you will have to keep up this responsibility. All you need to do is come once a day and feed him. The only rule is that you must NEVER touch him."" The boy said, ""Why grandpa?"" ""It is just the rule, never touch the gorilla. Promise me you will never touch the gorilla"" said the grandfather. The boy promised. The boy then accompanied his grandfather every day to feed the gorilla. After a few years the grandfather died and the boy took over the feeding. One day while the gorilla is eating, he had his back to the boy. The boy put his hand through the cage and just as he is about to touch the gorilla he pulls his hand back. He says to himself ""I can't do it, I made a promise."" That night as the boy is lying in bed he says to himself, ""Grandpa is dead now, if I want to touch the gorilla, I can touch the gorilla."" The next day as the gorilla is eating the boy puts his hand through the cage. He reaches in and slowly get closer to the giant animal. Finally he touches it. The gorilla stops eating and turns around. The gorilla starts jumping up and down and banging on the cage. The boy runs to the wooden door and just as he opens it he can see the gorilla bursting out of the cage. He slams the door and runs to the cement door. As he is going through he sees the gorilla turn the wooden door into splinters. He slams the door shut and runs to the steel door. As he is going through he sees the gorilla turn the cement door into ruble. He slams the door shut and runs down the mountain. From the base of the mountain he can see the gorilla burst through the steel door leaving nothing but shrapnel. The boy wades across the river and as he is getting out he sees the gorilla rumbling down the mountain and into the water. He then runs through the jungle and can hear the gorilla getting out of the water and begin to barrel through the jungle. The boy runs down the beach and as he reaches the hut he can see the gorilla emerging from the jungle. The boy has nowhere else to run and wades into the ocean. As he is about knee deep in the water he sees the gorilla in front of the hut jumping up and down. The gorilla starts to run into the water. The boy wades further out until he is neck deep. He looks back only to see the gorilla in the knee deep water. The boy goes further out until he cannot touch and is just floating. In the distance he can see the gorilla neck deep in the water. He swims out further and looks back. As he looks back he can no longer see the gorilla. He begins swimming frantically looking for the gorilla and sees nothing. All of a sudden the gorilla pops up in front of the boy. The gorilla reaches out, touches the boy and says ""You're it.""