Once there was a charming freckled faced little boy who was smart, clever and happy. He had a beautiful little sister with curls of gold who was also very smart and had the magical ability to make anyone fall in love with her in an instant. These two amazing children had two plain parents and one adventurous grandpa who decided to take them on a great adventure; camping. Now the two children had done this activity before, with mixed results. The Beautiful Sister was very small the last time this family ventured out and didn't like it very much. She prevented much sleep and wailed mightily at the prospect of getting back in the backpack for a hike. The Freckled Faced boy had enjoyed himself last time, remembering the rocks and dirt and magical bugs he had found in the past.
The family loaded up Adventure Grandpa's magic truck with all kinds of strange things and headed out on the adventure of the summer.
First, they went to an enchanted forest overlooking a lake. There were beautiful flowers all around, lots of rocks to climb on and play with and sleep on, and giant bugs to defeat.
The Freckled Faced boy had a way with the bugs and was good at killing them and keeping them off of his Fair Sister.
It was hot in the enchanted forest, very hot and the Beautiful Sister spent her time trying to take off her clothes and building rock houses in the dirt. The Plain Mother had never seen two dirtier children in all her days.
Alas, with no water other than the storage in the back of the magic truck, she had no choice but to pile the children in and take them to the river near by. The Beautiful Sister did not like the water, as it was very cold, but soon warmed up to it a little. The Freckled Faced Boy was challenged by his mother to cross the river with her. He was a brave boy, faced his fears and did it. The Adventurous Grandfather was proud of the boy. Alas, the children did not return to the camp site any cleaner than when they left, but they were happier.
After sleeping on sharp rocks for two nights the Plain Mother said to the Plain Father that they had to move the camp. It was too hot, too many bugs and sleep was too important. So the family worked for some time to repack the magic truck, which seemed to carry even more than before. They piled the dirty children and cranky mom inside and took off for another adventure, this time to the beach. The sand sparkled in the sunlight, the breeze blew and the birds glided overhead, fascinating the Beautiful Sister. It wasn't too hot, it wasn't too cold. It was a perfect place to play and enjoy the sites and sounds of the ocean.
It was at this campsite the Beautiful Sister learned about a new and unusual food. It was delicious above all she had tasted before and sticky above all else. The Mother called it a S'more.
She loved the marshmallow, and she had always loved chocolate. She climbed on Adventurous Grandpa's lap and asked him to squish it for her. He would end up eating the graham cracker so that she could get to the enticing insides of this marvelous creation. They would both end up sticky beyond belief, and yet, the Grandfather laughed every time.
The Freckled Faced boy had done some exploring. He played in the glittery sand and flew a magic kite that actually stayed up in the air.
One day in his explorations he found a curious creature, a Sand Dollar. Later that day he ventured out again with Plain Dad and found more and more of these strange objects.
He collected them and brought them back to camp, very pleased with himself. Not having any other container to keep them in, he decided upon a large plastic baggy. After two days in the baggy, he decided they were indeed magical creatures, with the ability to stink up anything within 500 feet. Most Sand Dollars stayed, but one or two made it back into the magic truck.
The Sun was hot and fierce at this campsite. The children and the parents loved the beach, but could no longer contest with the sun. Their skin was red, the Beautiful Girl was sad and the sand in the sleeping bags was too much for the Mother. So again, they loaded the magic truck and headed off in search of adventure. They searched most of the day and into the evening for a perfect place to stay. Something isolated from others, something shaded, something cool, and something near water. The Father was creative, innovative and determined. (I guess he was not so plain after all.) Finally the family found the perfect place in an Enchanted Rain Forest. It met all of their expectations and then some. It was on a milky, fast moving river that was enticing for the Boy and his Father. They set up the tent on a bed of pine needles and Mother was happy to not have to sleep on rocks anymore.
The boy and his Father ventured down deep in the forest down a treacherous path to the banks of the ice cold river to play. They collected rocks, made a pool and splashed around.
They encouraged the Plain Mother to come and play but the path was far too difficult for her. The Mother and Beautiful Sister found another, easier path to the river and did enjoy some time splashing and throwing rocks. The Freckled Faced Boy practiced skipping rocks and the family took a hike through the enchanted forest, enjoying the sounds of birds and water, and the sites of moss, trees and strange plants. It was a beautiful place to spend time together.
Stories should have happy endings. The Freckled Faced boy thought the family should stay for another week or so. The Adventurous Grandfather had other adventures to attend too though and so the family packed up once again and headed home. The Happy Ending this time was the prospect of camping again, in another time and another state. Adventures are everywhere.
