by Lou Keunzler
“WOW!” cried Eli, swooping over the moonlit garden.
SCRATCH! A branch scraped against the shed roof.
“Before, I thought that sound was a monster sharpening its claws!” laughed Eli. The night wasn’t scary at all now he was out in it. And flying was brilliant.
Eli learned to tilt his wings left or right to steer. A few strong flaps and he rose higher and higher, and then he could stretch out and glide. Over the village they flew.
“You’re not doing badly,” hooted Owlbert as they swooped along the empty High Street.
“Race you round the steeple!” cried Eli as they reached the churchyard.
“Just once,” said Owlbert, his big eyes checking the church clock. “It’s nearly midnight. I need to get you home.”
As they flew back to Grandma’s garden, Eli saw how small and snug the cottage looked nestled among the apple trees. There was nothing to be scared of here.
CREAK! The old garden gate blew in the wind.
“Before, I thought that was an ogre,” laughed Eli.
He shot in through the window and landed in a heap as the clock struck 12. In a flash, the feathers vanished.
“That was AMAZING!” grinned Eli. “I’ll never be afraid of the dark again now that I know what it’s like to be an owl.”
“Very wise,” said Owlbert. “Now I must be going.”
“But,” Eli said nervously. “I know what the SCRATCH! was. And the CREAK! But what was that THUD! I heard?
“Ah …” Owlbert pretended to preen his feathers. “That might have been me. I misjudged my landing and toppled out of an apple tree when I arrived.”
“So there’s nothing to be scared of,” laughed Eli, “… unless I stand under a tree and get hit by a falling owl!”
Inspiring Insights
• Unfamiliar places can seem a little scary because you don’t know what to expect – but don’t let that spoil the adventure of being away from home.
• Laughing or thinking of something funny can make you feel less nervous. Make up a silly story about something you’re afraid of … it might not seem so frightening then.
• People are scared of different things – just like Owlbert was afraid of daylight.
Gopal and the Mermaid
Relax, close your eyes and imagine that you’re lying on a sandy beach in the shade of a palm tree. The sea is a glittering brilliant blue and gentle waves are lapping the shore. This is a story about a poor boy called Gopal, who lived in the south of India by the sea. Gopal had to fish all day to help feed his family and there was no time for school. Life was very difficult until one day Gopal met the most amazing creature. Let’s listen to his story.
Gopal sighed deeply as he sat on a rock ledge above the sea, his fishing net dangling in the water. He’d been here for hours hoping for a catch but had had no luck. Gopal was worried. He had four younger brothers and sisters who would all be hungry tonight if he didn’t catch anything. Gopal’s mother would make chapati and cook some rice but that only went so far – everyone was longing for some delicious fish to fill their bellies. Gopal’s father worked hard on a fishing boat all day and came back very tired. He had to share his catch with three other fishermen on the boat and there was never enough to go around. Gopal’s father was always hungry when he got home but he and Gopal’s mother always gave most of their food to the younger children.
Each morning his mother said, “Go to the beach, Gopal, and see if you can catch us some extra fish for dinner.”
Gopal should have been in school, but he knew how hungry his little brothers and sisters were and so he would go to the beach with his net. But today he had caught nothing. It was late in the afternoon and it looked as if he was going to have to return empty-handed.
“Please, fish,” whispered Gopal, “please swim into my net.” But nothing happened at all.
Sadly, Gopal packed up his small net, hoisted his empty bucket over his arm and got to his feet to make his way back home along the seashore. Just then he heard a splash not far away and turned to see a greeny-blue fish tail disappear beneath the waves.
“Wow, that was a big fish,” Gopal exclaimed. “But it was far too big for my net.”
He kept gazing at the sea and then a moment later there was a very big splash.
Gopal couldn’t believe his eyes. A girl with long, golden hair bobbed up from below the water and looked at him; with another splash she disappeared.
“Surely it can’t be a mermaid,” wondered Gopal out loud to himself. “Not really.”
“Why not?” said a tinkly voice close to his ear. The girl with golden hair surfaced very close to the rocks, not more than a foot from where Gopal sat. She fixed her eyes on his and they were the deepest blue that Gopal had ever seen. They were the colour of the sea.
“Don’t you believe in mermaids?” she asked.
“Well – I – well,” spluttered Gopal.
“My name is Pearl. I watch you every day,” said the mermaid. “I tell the little fish to keep away from your net.”
“To keep away?” cried Gopal. “But how am I to feed my family if I can’t catch any fish? There are so many of us, and the little ones are often hungry. And I’m often hungry, too.” Big tears started to roll down Gopal’s face.
“There now, don’t cry,” said Pearl. “I don’t want you all to go hungry. But you humans can be greedy. We fish folk are very wary of you.”
Gopal sat down and blinked away his tears while Pearl looked at him thoughtfully.
“I will help you,” she told him at last. “But in return you must make three promises.”
“Of course,” said Gopal. “If I can, I will.”
“First I want you to come on a journey under the sea with me. I want to show you my underwater realm.”
“Underwater? I won’t be able to breathe,” said Gopal.
“You must trust that I will keep you safe and well,” said Pearl. “Are you ready? Come, take my hand.”
And before he knew it, Gopal was swimming deep in the sea, passing crabs and seahorses and sea urchins and so many fish – silvery fish and blue and yellow striped fish and red fish. They were so lovely, gliding silently by. The next minute Gopal and the mermaid had surfaced by the rock ledge and he clambered back ashore.
“Now,” said Pearl, “I want you to promise to remember everything you have just seen; how beautiful it was, how rich and precious. The second promise I ask of you is that you never be greedy as a fisherman but only take as much as you need and no more. The sea world is fragile and the more you take, the more fragile it becomes.”
Gopal thought about how beautiful the fish were in their home and how he would hate to see them disappear.
“Yes, I promise,” he said.
“And the last thing I ask,” said Pearl, “is that whenever you take a fish from the sea, you give thanks for the gift you’ve been given and honour it.”
“I will,” declared Gopal solemnly.
And from that day on, Gopal found that the fish swam into his net and he could take food home for his family. He didn’t need to fish all day anymore – just for a short time in the morning. After that he went back to school to study. His mother and father were very proud of their kind and wise son, who worked hard and helped them all.
And every so often, usually late in the afternoon, Gopal would sit on the rock ledge and catch a glimpse of a golden-haired girl far out to sea, who would disappear into the glittering waves with a flick of a fish tail.
Inspiring Insights
• The natural world is a special place. Always look after it.
• Although it can be tempting to take as much as you want, it’s better to leave plenty for everyone to share.
• It’s good to recognize when you’ve been given a gift – even if it might seem free. Give thanks for the good things that come to you each day.
Little Black Bear and the Big Sleep
Relax, close your eyes and imagine a huge forest deep in the heart of America. In this
forest many different kinds of animals live together. There are small animals such as mice. There are bigger, fiercer creatures such as wolves. Now, imagine an animal that’s even bigger than a wolf. It has thick black fur, large paws and a snout – it’s a bear! This is a story about a little black bear called Growl who never felt sleepy. Let’s listen to his story.
Growl lived with his mother in a cave on the side of a small mountain. He loved to play hide-and-seek with his friend Rumble in the trees and among the rocks.
When it was time for bed, he never wanted to go to sleep.
“Tell me one more story,” he would beg his mother.
“I’ve told you two stories already, my little one,” his mother would reply.
“Just one more. PLEASE!” Growl would plead.
Slowly the hot summer turned into autumn.
Growl helped his mother gather lots of branches and leaves for their cave.
“Why do we need so many leaves and branches, mother?” asked Growl.
“Because soon, my little one, we’re going to have a very big sleep,” replied Growl’s mother, “and we need to make our bed as soft and comfortable as we can.”
“A big sleep?” said Growl with a tiny twitch of his nose. He didn’t like the sound of that. “How big?”
“We’ll sleep all through the winter,” replied his mother.
“All through the winter!” cried Growl. “But that’s like forever and ever. Why do we have to sleep through the whole of the winter?”
“Because the winter is dark and cold and the forest isn’t safe,” warned his mother.
“So what if it’s dark and cold,” said Growl. “I don’t want to go to sleep for the whole winter.”
Soon there was ice in the air and a bitter wind scoured the forest. The days grew dark and the wolves howled hungrily in their lairs. The time had come for the bears to close their eyes and go to sleep for the winter.
“Please tell me one more story,” pleaded Growl as he lay with his mother on their soft bed of leaves.
“I have told you six stories already,” yawned his mother sleepily. “Now snuggle up to me and try to close your eyes …”
“But I don’t want to close my eyes,” said Growl.
His mother let out a big snore.
“Don’t go to sleep!” cried Growl, giving his mother a little nudge with his nose. “I want to hear another story.”
But his mother let out another big snore, much louder than the first. The big sleep had begun but Growl was still wide awake.
Growl got up and padded over to the mouth of the cave. Little flakes were falling from the sky and whirling in the wind. The ground was dazzling white.
“What’s that?” wondered Growl.
He’d never seen snow before.
He swiped at one of the flakes with his paw. It felt cold and tingly on his skin. Then he poked his head outside the mouth of the cave and some more white flakes landed right on the tip of his nose.
“This is fun,” laughed Growl.
He took a step outside.
“Wow, look at that!” exclaimed Growl. “I can make patterns with my feet.”
He bounded out of the cave.
“I must go and find Rumble,” he cried. “She’ll love this!”
He skipped down the hill to the cave where Rumble lived, sending up sprays of white powder snow as he went.
“Rumble!” he shouted, when he got to her cave.
There was no answer.
“Rumble!” he cried again. “You’ve got to see this.”
The only answer this time was a little snoring sound.
“Oh, no … you can’t sleep now,” cried Growl. “Wake up!”
A slightly louder snore came from inside the cave.
“Spoilsport,” said Growl sulkily. “Well, I’ll just have to have fun all by myself.”
Growl kicked at the snow with his feet, but it wasn’t going to be much fun playing without Rumble. The snow was ice cold and the wind was biting more sharply. Growl gave a little shiver. Suddenly, he heard a noise.
AwOOOoooo!
It was joined by another howl, sad and lonely … followed by another.
AwOOOoooo!
It was a pack of wolves. Growl shivered. Not with cold this time, but with fear. The forest wasn’t safe with wolves around.
AwOOOoooo!
The howling was getting closer and Growl was all by himself. Suddenly being awake and outside in the cold, dark forest didn’t seem like such a good idea after all.
AwOOOoooo!
Where could he go to be safe and warm? The answer came into his head so quickly he could hardly move his feet fast enough up the hill. He burst out of the cold into his cave. He dived onto the bed of leaves with his mother and snuggled up to her thick, warm fur.
The cold winter wind moaned outside but Growl felt warmer and safer than he’d ever felt before. He snuggled up even closer to his mother and closed his eyes. He let out a little snore. And finally Growl fell asleep.
Inspiring Insights
• It’s good to help around the house. Growl helped his mother collect leaves and branches for their cave – could you be as helpful?
• You should listen carefully to adults, especially when they’re telling you something important. Growl learned the hard way that the forest wasn’t safe.
• You may not feel sleepy, but your parents may be very tired. Don’t be upset if they can’t read another story — especially if they’ve just read this one to you!
The Acacia Tree Friends
Relax, close your eyes and imagine it’s the end of a long, hot day in Africa. The sun is setting and the trees cast shadows on the ground. This is the story of a little cheetah cub who only liked to play games that she could win. Let’s listen to her story.
In the cool evening, Cheetah came bounding up to the old acacia tree where she always met her friends.
“Hello,” she called to the baby monkey who was hanging upside down in the branches. “Where’s Snake?”
“Boo!” said little Snake, popping out from a pile of leaves.
“Argh!” Monkey toppled backwards off his branch. “You gave me a fright!” he cried.
“I was hiding!” grinned Snake, flicking her tongue.
“Well, stop hiding and come and race!” said Cheetah. “I’m so fast. You know I’ll win!”
“We race every day!” sighed Snake.
“Let’s tell jokes instead,” giggled Monkey.
“No,” said Cheetah. “I want to race… ready, steady, go!” Before the others could stop her, Cheetah charged off.
“First one to the water hole wins!” she yelled.
“That’s not fair!” shouted Monkey, bounding after her.
“We weren’t even ready,” complained Snake.
No matter how fast Snake slithered or how quickly Monkey ran, they could never catch up with Cheetah.
“I’m the fastest animal ever!” she boasted. They raced all evening and Cheetah always won.
“Let’s do something different tomorrow,” suggested Snake. “I don’t want to race all the time.”
“Racing is best!” declared Cheetah. “See you tomorrow!”
But the next day her friends were nowhere to be found.
“Monkey?” she called. “Snake?”
There was no answer. Cheetah looked everywhere and was about to give up when Monkey giggled above her head.
“What are you doing?” Cheetah called.
“Playing hide-and-seek,” chuckled Monkey high up in the branches. “Now we have to find Snake.”
Finally, they spotted Snake curled around the tree trunk. Her speckled skin looked just like bark.
“Found you!” cried Cheetah. “That was fun. But I still like racing best.”
“That’s because you always win,” explained Snake. “Sometimes it’s good to do things other people enjoy.”
“I’m sorry,” said Cheetah. “I’ll play your game.”
The three friends p
layed hide-and-seek all evening. Snake was best but Cheetah was pretty good, too. Her spots made perfect camouflage in the long grass.
“And now for a joke,” grinned Monkey. “Why should you never play cards in the jungle?”
“Why?” asked the others.
“There are too many cheetahs!” laughed Monkey.
Everyone groaned. But they listened to his jokes whenever they met at the acacia tree … and they played hide-and-seek … and had running races, too. After all, they were the very best of friends.
Inspiring Insights
• Having a special talent is great but it’s good to find out what your friends enjoy and join in with them, too.
• If you’re bossy, people may not want to play with you. Cheetah’s friends were getting a bit fed up with her until she did what they wanted for a change.
• Your friends’ hobbies can often be fun for you. Cheetah found she was good at hide-and-seek as well as running.
The Flight of the Condor
Relax, close your eyes and imagine you’re climbing up the steepest mountainside you’ve ever seen. You’re so high up that you can see wisps of clouds below you. You’re following a path of ancient stone steps to reach a ruined city at the very top of the mountain. This is the story of a girl called Claire who also made that climb. But she needed the help of a giant bird called a condor to get home safely. Let’s listen to her story.
Claire was very excited when her mother and stepfather told her about the holiday they were planning. They were going to walk the trail of an ancient people called the Inca to one of the most amazing archaeological sites in the world.
But Claire was not so pleased when she heard that her older stepsister, Lizzie, was going to be coming with them. Lizzie was 15 and Claire, who was only 11, felt that she was always being bossed around by her. What’s more, Lizzie got all the attention because she was always so grumpy.
Claire’s mother and stepfather were constantly trying to cheer Lizzie up and often seemed to forget Claire was there at all. Sure enough, as they set out for their four-day hike with a group of other walkers, Lizzie began complaining about how her boots were giving her blisters and how steep the climb was and how she wished that the trip was over.
“But we’re so lucky to walk this trail,” said her father. “This track was built by the ancient Incan civilization many hundreds of years ago and we’re walking in their footsteps.”
