The Squonk

Lumberjack folklore of the 1800s is rife with "fearsome critters"-- creatures invented to amaze and amuse.  Not all of them, however, are fearsome.  The Squonk may be the least intimidating of all, despite its repellant looks.  The creature's face is warped and twisted, and its skin hangs like a loose, wrinkled bag.  It is covered with warts, pustules, blemishes and scars.  Its color is a sickening brown, and its eyes bulge out from its face.

The Squonk is, in fact, so ugly that it cannot bear to look at its reflection.  This sad little beastie is perpetually ashamed of its own appearance, and spends all of its time weeping in shame.  Most animals flee from their predators-- instead, the Squonk flees from all who might see it, for fear of their mocking its hideousness.  This self-consciousness makes the Squonk extremely hard to catch, and sightings of it are rare.  More often than not, the beast's presence is only revealed by the sound of its tears.

Unfortunately for the Squonk, its constant crying makes it very easy to track.  Hunters in the woods can simply listen to its wailing or follow the trail of its tears-- which inevitably leads to wheverer the beast is hiding.  This method works best on moonlit nights, when the Squonk sees its appalling reflection upon the rivers where it drinks.  This is when it sobs the most.

But this beast's self-hatred is also its best defense.  Though easily captured, the Squonk is almost impossible to retain-- for when trapped, the poor creature grows even sadder.  The Squonk cries so hard, at the thought of being seen, that it dissolves into a pool of its own tears.  One hunter managed to bring a Squonk home in a sack-- or so he thought.  Upon reaching home, he had no trophy to mount on his wall... instead, he had a puddle to clean off his floor.

Read more about the Squonk:
http://www.lumberwoods.com/p49.htm
http://www.sarahsawyer.com/2011/02/mythic-creature-the-squonk-and-others/
Image from http://www.fearsomecreaturesofthelumberwoods.com/images/squonk.jpg (public domain)