Shared Space

Ig’s cave made all his neighbours turn green with envy. He even had one of the new-fangled watchboxes, which lit up the corner of the round room perfectly.

There was no window in this room, so it was always warm, another reason why his neighbours were always standing on the threshold.

Ig decided he needed more privacy, and needed something to close up the space to the room where the threshold was situated. He cut down a tree from the nearby forest, and popped the trunk into the hole, but it proved too difficult to move if he needed to leave the room for any reason.

He made a hanging net of bones which he draped over the inside of the space, but the bones were sharp and splintered easily.

In the end, Ig opted to use a spare skin which he’d sliced almost in two. He hung this inside the room over the space and instantly enjoyed his feelings of absolute privacy and seclusion.

It didn’t last, however.

Ig’s next-door neighbour, Igg, soon found a way through the skin and brought the other neighbours round so they could all enjoy the seclusion together.