Elephant story----for Children

Ela and Noor lived in Thailand with their Mama elephant, Zin. Days were lazy as they followed their Mama threw the back lands and sometimes through small villages. Their Mama told them of dangers to watch out for, sometimes elephants disappeared and were never seen again.


Noor was older then Ela so she followed him, sometimes even when she knew her Mama would not approve. They were never suppose to leave the herd, but being adventurous, Noor often slipped away with Ela following close behind.

On this day Noor heard unfamiliar noises coming from the river. It was just too much for him to ignore. Off he went towards the noise and Ela followed him. As he neared the river's edge he smelled Humans. He had often been offered food from humans in the villages, so he had no fear. Noor and Ela went to the river's edge to get a drink and that is where their journey started.

Noor filled his trunk with water and sprayed his sister with it. They were having so much fun. Just then several humans came out from behind bushes. They offered the elephants a treat from buckets. Ela took some in her mouth. It was yummy! Peanuts, something she had never tasted before. The human took the bucket and sat it down a distance away from her. Noor and Ela were happy to follow him right into a cage. They were enjoying the treat so much they didn't even notice the door being closed and locked.

It seemed like a very long day. The elephants cried out often, wanting someone to come and open the door. They got excited when they heard the sound of a motor getting close to where they were. They had heard this sound in the village and were sure someone was coming to let them out. A very large truck backed up to the cage. Big monstrous teeth grabbed onto the cage and lifted it into the truck. Noor was frightened and called out for his Mama. The elephant herd had left the area hours before leaving Zin to hunt for her children alone. When she heard the cries of Noor she rushed to the river. Seeing her children caged in the truck she rushed the truck, trying to free them. The humans took out guns and shot them into the air. Zin retreated to the bushes, knowing what this sound was and remembering what happened to elephants when humans shot off guns.

Zin followed the truck along the length of the river until it turned into an ocean. There she saw the cage loaded onto a huge boat. The humans were busy all night loading one cage after another with many baby animals crying out for their Mama's. Soon after the sun came up, Zin saw the boat pull away into the huge ocean. She cried and wailed but there was nothing she could do. Her children were gone.

Zin would never join the herd again. Instead she lived on the shore of the ocean, waiting for the boat to return with her babies.

Weeks passed. The humans would bring food and water to Noor and Ela. Many times Ela became sick from the rocking of the ship. The belly of the ship was filled with cages, some of the animals became friends, looking for the love they all were missing from the separation of their mother's.

One day the rocking stopped. How excited Noor was, thinking they must be home and would soon find the herd and their mama feasting on fruits. Soon the huge iron teeth grabbed onto their cage, but instead of setting them down and opening the door they were loaded onto a train. Ela was just glad the swaying was done and she settled down to throwing some water over herself from the buckets. Noor was now worried. He didn't hear anything that sounded familiar. Again he cried out for Zin, hoping she would hear him and this would be all over. He knew once he was returned to her, he would never again leave her side.

It wasn't long before the train stopped and the doors opened, letting in some much enjoyed sunshine. The cage was lifted out of the box car and into a truck. Hearing the motor Noor got excited. Finally he thought he was being taken home. It wasn't long before his excitement ended. When the cage door finally opened, Ela and Noor found them self being lead by humans into a large indoor area. Soon it filled up with humans all touching and patting the elephants. The area was filled with dirt and mud, much like it was at home and in the center there was a watering hole. It wasn't as big as the river at home but it looked so inviting after not having been wet for so long.

"Come Ela", said Noor, "as he headed towards the water." Soon they were immersed and emptying their trunks of water onto each other. Ela heard the humans laughing and talking. Soon one of them came to the water with a bucket. "No", said Noor, "That's what got us into this mess in the first place, don't take food from them." Ela got out of the water, but found herself backing away from the bucket.

Each day the humans came, washed them, looked into their eyes and ears, cleaned their feet and offered them food. They would be led to the water by a stick the humans tapped on their side. "I don't think we are going home", said Ela, "I'm hungry and I don't think not eating will bring Mama." Noor and Ela began eating. Soon they had settled into their new home and even enjoyed the humans visiting them. Still, sometimes they would cry out hoping their Mama would hear them.

One day the elephants were led through a gate into an area where they saw large adult elephants on the other side of a fence. Noor and Ela cried out for their Mama. She must be among the adult elephants. As they stood at the fence looking for her, some of the elephants poked there trunks through the fence and seemed to be checking them out. Soon they were no longer a new site and they found themselves standing and looking at nothing as the large elephants left one by one. Each morning they would be brought into this area where they played in the dirt and mud and enjoyed the larger water area.

One day when the humans came with buckets of food, they were not led back to the small area. Ela was happy with this. She enjoyed the trees that hung over this area. It reminded her of home and Mama. This day was different. Soon they saw humans standing along the one fence on the other side of the water. This became their new life. Mornings were spent playing and then the humans would come and look at them on the other side of the fence. In the evening the humans that fed them kept up the routine of looking into their eyes and ears and washing them. But at night you could always hear Ela and Noor calling out for their Mama.
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Zin never gave up her watch. She stayed by the ocean watching each ship that came. They always left with a full ship of cages filled with animals, but never did she see them take any cages off. At night she cried for her babies. Her cries echoed against the trees and skipped across the water. She decided if she was going to find her children, she needed to get onto the boat.

The very next ship that arrived Zin paced up and down in front of the dock. The humans shot off their guns but Zin did not run this time. Without her babies she might as well be shot. Finally the day came to load the ship. Zin rushed to the cages, standing their waiting to be lifted onto the ship. Again the men shot into the air and again Zin didn't leave. She was desperate to get into a cage, any cage. Then she saw a cage with a baby elephant all alone. She began ramming the sides of the cage with her trunk and body. The baby elephant cried out thinking this Mama elephant was going to kill her.

Zin heard the humans talking. They thought this was her baby elephant. They new she would not leave and because of her size they were not going to fight her. With a long hook the one human opened the door of the cage. To their surprise Zin did not talk the baby into leaving the cage, instead she got into the cage and just stood there. The humans sat food outside the cage but Zin refused to move. They finally gave up, closed the door and loaded the two onto the ship.

Soon the ship was on it's way, swaying with the ocean waves. This baby elephant was younger then Noor or Ela. She was happy to have a mother and nudged herself against Zin to steady her footing. It would be weeks before they landed and got to see sun light again.

One day the ship stopped rocking and the cage was taken from the ship and loaded onto a train. Zin thought about her babies and how scared they must have been to make this trip alone, most of the time in darkness. Soon the cage was loaded onto a truck. The elephants were taken to a strange place, nothing Zin had ever seen before. The cage was sat on the ground and for many days to come she was poked by a human who yelled at her and the baby in a loud voice. They were given straw to eat and a small supply of water each day.

One day humans came with a metal sheet that they slide into the cage, separating her from the baby. Zin cried out along with the baby. The humans opened the cage door and poked at the baby, trying to move her to the outside. She squeezed herself into the corner, whipping her trunk at the men and making screaming noises. This went on for days. Zin banged herself against the sides of the cage every time the men approached them. Soon the metal wall was removed and the baby squeezed herself almost under Zin for protection. Zin decided this baby was hers for now and needed a name. She called her Boo.

As the days pasted, Zin saw other elephants being led around and poked at with sticks. These elephants wore clothing like the humans and were often led into a huge tent. They didn't seem to notice Zin and Boo in the cage. She heard many human voices making loud sounds and music. Not the same music as she heard at home that was made with drums, but it was music. Zin kept watch for baby elephants, but she saw none.

Zin was worried. It had been days since they had been fed and only given a little water. She was getting thin and Boo had lost the spirit of a baby. One day the cage and all the animals and tents were loaded onto trucks and they were once again on the move.
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Noor and Ela had grown some in the past year. They liked the humans who were taking care of them. They liked the humans who came and looked at them through the fence, but each night they cried, remembering the Mama they missed.

Something was happening. Noor heard the sounds of the gate being opened in the small area they first lived in. He heard a lot of talking from the humans. He wondered if they were going to be taken back inside. The thought made him sad. He liked the large water hole and the shade of the tree's that hung over the fence. Ela walked back to the gate but could see nothing inside.
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Soon the trucks stopped. Something was wrong. Humans that Zin had never seen before were climbing all over the trucks. She pulled Boo close to her when one of these men put a stream of light into her eye. He was talking to her but she didn't understand. Soon a tub of water and buckets of fruits and food was placed into the cage. Someone was hosing them down with water, it felt so good.

The elephants arrived at a new place. The door of the cage was opened and they were led into an area with a small pool of water & plenty of food. They both were exhausted and soon fell asleep. Zin woke hearing the cries of her children. This happened often, but this time she really heard them. She rushed to the gate and let out a bellow that only a mother could make at hearing her babies cries. She banged her body against the gate over and over.

Ela rushed to the gate with Noor right behind her. Zin stretched her trunk through the gate and examined her children. Boo was right beside her, happy to see small elephants like herself. Seeing that she could not break the gate between them, they all pushed as close as possible with their trunks wrapped around each other, including Boo. This is how they spent the night.

The Zoo keepers were astonished when they saw the elephants all together. They always separated new elephants for a long time and slowly introduced them to each other. After rescuing these elephants from the traveling circus, they wanted to make sure it was safe to put them together. This mother elephant looked like she wanted to mother all 3 babies. This was very strange so they decided to watch them all day and see how things went.

It was pretty clear, none of the elephants would leave the gate, not even to eat or play. They decided to open the gate and try to get the baby to join the other two, but as soon as they released the gate, Zin pushed herself through. She seemed to be embracing the babies. Soon all four elephants were in the water, happily playing and washing each other.

Soon Zin began to trust her keepers. Maybe she was glad she no longer had to worry about her babies being captured or maybe she had forgotten the herd and replaced it with the love of her children. This was their new home. Zin was content to stay here and wait for Boos mother to find her.

Children's Story: Grandmother's Valentine

Cally was always busy as a bee on Saturday's but not today. Instead she was sulking because mother was too busy to take her to the store to buy Valentine Cards for School. Mother was too busy to even hear her complaint today so she went to Grandmother's room hoping to find someone who would agree that she really needed the cards now.

Grandmother was sitting at her sewing machine when she felt Cally lay her head against her arm. Oh dear, said grandmother, looks like we have a problem today. Come sit next to me Cally while I finish this hem and talk to me. Grandmother, said Cally, I want to go to the store and buy Valentine's before they sell all the good ones but mother is too busy to take me. Did you send Valentine's when you were in school grandmother?

Of course we sent Valentine's. Holiday's when I was a child seemed to last much longer and were much more important then a plastic bag of bought cards. Really grandmother, how could one day last a long time, asked Cally.   Maybe we took more time with everything special because we didn't have television, computers, school sports or any of things you have now, said grandmother. NO TELEVISION? I don't think I would have liked that, said Cally.

We didn't have television until I was 10, but that's a story for another day. Let me tell you about Valentine's Day and maybe those bought cards won't be so important to you, said grandmother.

I remember third grade Valentine's Day so well because that's when I first learned to sew. Early in February the teacher would put all of our names in a jar, shake it, close her eyes and pick out a name. This person would be the mailbox maker, a very special job. He or she would find a cardboard box and wrap it in paper, decorate it, and put a hole in the top for putting the cards in. It would sit on teacher's desk and every morning we were given time to put our cards in it. What's so special about that, asked Cally?

Once I knew the box was being made, I raced home from school to find things to make my cards with. I remember begging mother to give me a few paper doillies that she used to put under birthday cakes. She also had a tin filled with trims she had removed from clothing that could no longer be used for wearing. So many buttons, lace and ribbons. Many of the red ribbons had been saved from past Christmas's. Next I would plan on just the right words to say when I asked father for a dime to buy construction paper at Woolworth's 5 and dime store. I couldn't make my cards, said Cally, there are 8 girls and 9 boys in my class. That's no so many, said grandmother, I think we always had 28 to 32 kids in each class and then we always made a special gift for the teacher.

Getting that dime would not be easy. Father always reminded me of all the paper I wasted just snipping at it with scissors. After dinner he would sit and read the evening paper so I knew if I timed it right I could get him alone and ask for the dime. After asking I sat by his feet waiting for him to put down the paper. It seemed like I had been sitting there forever when he finally spoke to me. I sat 2 empty soda bottles by the back door last night, said father.  You can take those to the store on your way to school tomorrow and get 5 cents each for them. Then he went back to reading his paper.

With my nickels in my pocket I raced off to Woolworth's after school. I flipped through each pack of paper making sure I got a pack with lots of red and pink paper in it. The older kids would have paper left over from other projects, but father was right, I had snipped at mine trying to make paper dolls and used it all up. This time I would put away what I didn't use and not have to go through asking father again.

Was your father mean, asked Cally, were you afraid of him?  Oh no, said grandmother, he was a very kind man but money was not something we had a lot of and with 6 children, giving one a dime and not the others was a big problem for him. I guess that's why he gave me the bottles instead of a dime.

Everyday after school and after dinner was cleared away, we all sat together making our cards. Some had hearts while others had arrows. Some were red and some were pink. We had a huge jar of white paste that we used with our fingers to glue the lace and ribbons on. We made envelopes out of brown paper grocery bags. Brown paper would look ugly, said Cally. I guess so, said grandmother, but when we were finished putting glitter on them and useing melted crayons to draw hearts on them, we thought they were beautiful.

Even signing the cards took time. We never just put our names on them. The older kids would write out the alphabet and then write numbers over each letter. Sometimes we wrote it backwards to made it harder to know who the card was from. What do you mean grandmother? Putting numbers over the letters?  A would be 1, B would be 2 and so on. Lets see what your name would look like, said grandmother.  3-1-12-12-25, that spells Cally! I like that grandmother, it's like a secret!

Each morning I would wait in line by the teachers desk waiting for my turn to put my cards in the box that I had finished the night before.  But grandmother, you said you learned to sew that Valentine's, asked Cally. 

While we were busy, mother had her own Valentine's project. She had cut apart some Irish linen she had saved. She crocheted a pretty edge on it, turning it into 6 pretty white hankies for the teachers. In one corner of each hankie she had penciled in a heart. On the 3 hankies the boys would be giving to their teachers she has embroidered a red heart. Now it was time for the girls to embroider their hankies. Mother sat me in her lap and started the heart for me, showing me how she pulled each thread. Then I was sent off to the living room to finish it. I worked on that heart all week, pulling out many stitches that just didn't lay where I thought they would. Finally I finished and was very proud of myself. Mother finished off the back and I wrapped it in tissue paper.

On Valentines Day the teacher would pull 3 more names from the jar. These lucky kids would be the mailmen/mailgirls. The box was opened and the kids delivered the cards to each desk. While we were opening the cards and trying to figure out who sent them, the teacher would give us each a paper cup filled with hard sugar candy hearts, each having a saying on them like "Be Mine". When the day was over, teachers desk would be filled with gifts the kids had made for her. I was very proud to see mine sitting on her desk. At home Mother had put up a string in the kitchen for us to hang our cards on. As I figured out each name and wrote the letters above the numbers, I'd hang it on the string. That night after dinner mother would give us each a cup cake with a powdered sugar heart on it that she had made while we were in school.

Grandmother, said Cally, I want to have your Valentines Day! Can you help me make cards?  Of course Cally, let's look in my sewing box and see what we can find. Then Cally wrapped her arm around grandmother and said, Can you teach me to sew a heart on a hankie for my teacher?   Cally, it would make me so happy to know I had taught you to embroider, said grandmother. Let's get busy!

Children's Story: Grandmother's Vacation

Cally was so excited. This year they would spend Christmas vacation at Disney World in Florida. She had a new suitcase that she got for Christmas and had packed it herself. She went to sleep thinking about the up coming fun!

She woke early in the morning when she heard voices in the kitchen and the angry crying of her older brother. She slid down the stairs, wasting no time to put on her slippers. On her way through the living room she stopped in her tracks. Outside the window snow was falling so fast you couldn't see the car in the driveway.

Cally sat watching the weather outside and listening to the news lady telling about all the airports that were snowed in. Mother told her that by the time the airports would open the week would be over and everyone would be back to work and school. She didn't waste time crying like her brother. There just was nothing anyone could do so she went to grandmother's room. Grandmother always made the worse things feel better and right now she needed that more than anything.

Cally slid into bed next to grandmother and asked her if this ever happened to her when she was a little girl. Oh my, said grandmother, vacations were very different when I was a little girl. Traveling to the beach was only 100 miles away and that took all day, no airplanes back then. Really, said Cally, tell me about your vacation grandmother.

When I was a little girl our vacation was always the end of July. I remember that because we were always at the beach for my birthday. I don't think we were poor, just most people who lived in the city always struggled to live but we were always happy, had plenty of food and a row house on a city street. The last month of school was spent getting ready to go on vacation.

Father would buy new "used" tires for the car. He checked all the army cots and aired them out on the weekend. Mother packed everything from sheets, pots and pans and many cans of food that had been bought over the winter just for this trip. In May mother would pull out all the summer clothing and start the "hand down", older kids ended up with newer clothing and us little ones got to wear the repaired hand me downs from many summers before. I was grown up before I owned a pair of shoes that didn't have the toes stuffed with cotton.

On the first day of vacation, after the car was packed, all 6 kids would pile into the back and find a place on top of all the supplies. Of course there was no air conditioning in the car and no seat belts. Our old Ford crept down the highway very slow and made many stops along the side of the road to let it cool off or the water would boil out and cause great streams of steam and water blow into the sky. Mother would judge the halfway point in the trip and hand out sandwiches and a real treat! We each always got our own bottle of Coke, and although it would be warm, it tasted so good.

Finally by mid afternoon we would reach the beach in New Jersey. The house was always old, smelled musty and was full of sand, but no one noticed. Grandmother, asked Cally, why didn't you go to a Motel?  Grandmother laughed, Cally she said, a family our size couldn't afford a motel, we always rented a cottage so we could do our own cooking.
The boys got to unload the car and put up the cots on the screened in porch while the girls got to sweep out the sand and empty the boxes in the kitchen. We had one electric fan which didn't cool much of anything so on hot nights most of us would end up sleeping on the porch where the ocean would usually give us some cool breezes. Even after putting on the clean ironed sheets from home, the many years of sand in the mattresses would work its way through them, making you itch all night, so sleeping on the old canvas army cots was a treat.

The first night of vacation was all work. After putting away all the clothing and food and trying to get a meal made with only can goods, we got to sit on the porch and listen to the ocean waves hitting the beach. Our cottage was 4 blocks from the beach so seeing the ocean would wait for the next day.

Grandmother, asked Cally, why didn't you go to Mc Donalds to eat?  Grandmother laughed. The only food that you could buy was in expensive restaurants or on the boardwalk, but that was special and wouldn't happened until the last night of vacation.

By morning the car had cooled enough that father was able to drive to a store to buy donuts for breakfast. They always tasted so good, sitting on the front steps running my toes in the sandy soil and waiting to be told it was time to put on my bathing suit.

Finally just before noon we would be ready. Father would carry the glass bottles filled with water, the boys would carry the beach umbrella. The girls got to carry the towels, bags of fruit and the 2 sand buckets we had borrowed from a neighbor. After our 4 block walk we would go under the boardwalk and there it would be...across the hot sand was the cool ocean. It was a beautiful picture of many colorful umbrella's.

It was a day of great fun, jumping in the waves and digging in the sand. There were always men on the beach wearing white jackets and caps with a large box they carried on their shoulder. As they walked through the many umbrella's they would call out, "Get your fudgy wudgy here".  They were the beach ice cream men. But for us our lunch would be water and fruit. Getting anything bought on the beach just wasn't in the budget. Grandmother, asked Cally, what is a Fudgy wudgy?  Today you would call them a fudge popcycle, but on the beach in New Jersey they were Fudgy wudgie's, big and thick and creamy. Of course, I didn't get to buy one for many years but I still remember how good it tasted after sitting on the hot beach.

Each day before we left the beach we would be given a piece of an old window screen that father had cut apart. We would go under the boardwalk and sift the sand looking for treasures. If you were lucky you would find some change that someone on the boardwalk had dropped and it had fallen through the slats in the boards. Most of the time we found nothing, but the search was always fun and exciting. When someone did find a penny or dime it made the rest of us sift and dig harder!

The rest of the week we would spend going to the beach each day and in the evening we would sit on the front steps and play Simon Says. The last day of vacation was spent getting up early and going to the back bay to catch crabs in baskets we lowered into the water. Mother stayed home getting boxes packed for the trip home and making wonderful extra's that would be eaten with the crabs we caught. This also was my birthday party, each of us getting a store bought cup cake with a candle in it.

We all marched off to get washed up from our sweaty day of crabbing while mother cooked our catch. It was always a dinner we remembered long after we were home and back to school. Baked potatoes just tasted different when you were eating them with fresh crab meat and mother always bought real butter for this dinner, something we rarely got to taste.

Grandmother, asked Cally, if you didn't eat butter at home, what did you eat instead? When I was a girl, said grandmother, things like butter were much too expensive for most people. But that's a story for another day, lets finish with the vacation first.

After dinner, this being our last night on vacation, we all dressed in our best clothing and walked to the boardwalk. Father wore his Sunday suit and hat and mother wore high heels that would get caught between the boards. I think she must have spent most of the night walking on her toes. I remember my summer sundress so well. My grandmother made it for me. It was white waffle cotton with cherries on the hem and pocket and I had new white sandals to go with it that once belonged to my older cousin. If they belonged to your cousin, said Cally, then they weren't new! They were new to me, said Grandmother, all polished up with a new hole punched in the strap by father.

If I had to wear my cousins shoes, I'd feel poor said Cally. We knew and saw what poor was Cally. Some of our neighbor's were poor, but that's a story for another day, said Grandmother.

For us the boardwalk was a magic place! Father would hand each of us an equal amount of paper tickets that would get us on the rides. I can remember standing in line picking out the horse I wanted to ride on when the Carosel would stop and hoping no one else would get on it first. There was the Ferris Wheel, bumping cars and of course Father would take us little ones on the roller coaster and haunted house rides. I remember holding onto the saftey bar of the Whip so hard my fingers hurt!

After all the tickets were used we would start our walk back over the 10 or so blocks and this was when we would be allowed to eat what ever we wanted. There were so many things to pick from, but with our belly's filled with crab and potatoes and our cup cakes still waiting to be eaten, we were limited to what we could hold. Of course there were hot dogs that came steaming hot wrapped in a napkin with mustard and relish on them, or a paper cup filled with french fries, but I always got a paper stick with fluffy cotton candy wrapped into a large looking bee hive. By the time we got back to the end of the boardwalk there was always 6 very sticky children, still licking their fingers from the wonderful treats.

The ride home always seemed much longer but each of us would be holding our bags filled with sea shells and the treasure's we had found under the boardwalk. Home after vacation always meant getting ready to return to school, but I would spend hours thinking about that wonderful week at the beach and glueing my shells onto coffee cans for Christmas presents, saving just a few special shells for myself.

But grandmother, asked Cally, where did you go for Christmas Vacation? That's also a story for another day, said Grandmother. Now lets go help your mother unpack all the suitcases.  I wish we had some seashells Grandmother, then we would have something to do today, said Cally.

Jake's Big Decision, a Children's Story

Jake’s Big Decision #5

Winter in the cave was wonderful. When the bears were sleeping, Jake spent a lot of time telling and retelling his family about his adventure at the human’s farm. When the bear family was awake they enjoyed Papa bears story about his encounter with the human’s one hunting season. All the children liked the part of his story when he rose up on his hind legs and scared off all the human men and their yapping little dog. Skipper and Sissy were getting a picture of fear of the humans and of their fathers’ safety in the human’s cage.

It didn’t seem long this year until Papa bear woke and told everyone it was time to leave the cave. Saying goodbye to Skipper and Sissy was very hard but it was time for them to start a new life. Once again the bears walked Hattie and Jake back to the hollow tree and again they found it empty. Jake and Hattie would be alone now, but the bear family and the children promised to return soon for a mid summer reunion.

Jake took Hattie for short walks along the river. Mostly they stayed close to the hollow tree. They were getting old now. Jake was not looking forward to winter but he hoped they would be invited back to the cave. Digging a winter home would be very difficult for him now.

Summer was usually wonderful. Food was plentiful and fresh greens were especially tasty. But this year, Hattie was finding the chore of picking the daily meal almost too much for her. Skipper and Sissy came home several times that summer. With them came their new mates and a lot of excitement. Jake was especially glad to see them after missing one entire winter of their lives. The Bears also stopped by to visit one day. As in the past, they invited the rabbits to join them in the cave for the winter. The younger bear was not yet ready to leave home like the bunnies had, so he would also spend the winter in the cave again. He had grown this summer and was almost the same size as his mother.

Soon the berries were gone from the bushes and leaves started to fall off the trees. It was time to go back to the cave for the winter. As Jake watched his wife struggle to provide meals each day, he thought ahead for the next year to come, the next summer when they would be even older. He had an idea, one that he wasn’t sure Hattie would like. He had put off talking to her about it long enough. Now it was time.

One afternoon when they were sitting by the river enjoying the smell of honeysuckle, he told Hattie that he had been thinking a lot about old Ben and the human’s farm. He now realized why Ben didn’t mind his freedom being taken away. He was happy and well cared for by the human children. Jake told Hattie he feared they wouldn’t be able to care for themselves by next summer. He thought it might not be so bad living on the human’s farm.

Hattie was certainly surprised by Jakes’ suggestion! Of course, she hadn’t seen the farm or the kind way Ben had been treated. She only had fear to judge the suggestion with. Jake didn’t mention it again. He allowed Hattie to think about it. He did remind her of all the things they had learned about fear and how they had been wrong.

One morning Hattie surprised Jake. She was ready to head to the farm. She was ready to be caged up and taken care of by the human children. It was a sunny day. She didn’t want to face traveling in the rain and mud like Jake had. It was time to leave the hollow tree.

They had all day to make it to the farm. They stopped often to rest, finding a bush or log to hide in. Soon Jake saw the fence to the pasture and the roof of the barn off in a distance. Since it was late in the day, the cows had already been taken to the barn so making it across the pasture would be easy. The door to the barn was standing open so they hopped in and hid behind the hay. After filling themselves with the fresh hay, they both fell fast asleep.

When Jake woke up it was already starting to get light outside. He began to look for the trap. Hattie followed close behind. As he turned into the horses stable, there it was with a juicy red apple sitting inside. Jake entered the cage half way, keeping the door from snapping shut. Once Hattie was inside, he hopped the rest of the way in. The door closed with a snap. This time he wasn’t shaking. He and Hattie enjoyed every bit of the apple.

Just as Jake had promised, the barn door opened and in came the human children. They had grown but they were just as excited as Jake remembered when they saw the trap filled with two rabbits.

The human father carried the trap out to the cage that Jake had once occupied. He gently tilted it until Hattie and Jake had slid into their new home. Soon the children had filled the cage with a water bottle and fresh food, just as they had before. When all the excitement was over, old Ben poked his head out of his hole. He was very surprised to see Jake. Hattie hopped in and out of the box several times getting use to it, nibbled at the food and enjoyed listening to Jake telling the story to Ben.

Winter set in quickly. Hattie was happy with her new home and the human children coming to visit each day. They were warm and safe. They didn’t have to worry about taking care of themselves anymore. They had exchanged their freedom for the comfort the humans gave and the company of old Ben.

The End

JAKES HOME COMING, A CHILDRENS STORY

Jakes Home Coming #4

Once Jake was on the ground he knew he had to be very careful or he could find himself locked up again in one of the human’s traps. He carefully made his way through the fence and across the pasture. This time the cows were in the barn, making it an easy trip. Once Jake was under the pasture fence he looked for a safe place to sleep until morning. Now that the snows had melted he found a hollowed out log and crawled inside.

Jake woke to a thunderstorm. It didn’t matter to him, he was going to make it to the river and find Hattie before night fall. It was a hard trip. Just the mud he was carrying on his feet made him tire easily. He stopped many times to rest. The only good thing about the trip was the rain was keeping other animals inside. He worried less about running into danger.

By the time Jake finally reached the old hollowed out tree he was muddy and exhausted. He poked his head inside. To his delight his family was safe and sleeping. He lay down along side of Hattie and fell into a deep sleep for the first time since he had left his family in the late winter.

Morning was such a happy time. Jake had to get use to bunnies that had doubled in size and now had names he had to remember. They took a long walk along the river’s edge so Jake could clean himself up. All day was spent sharing the stories of the winter that had just past. Jake was surprised to learn of the bear families kindness and Hattie was just as surprised to hear about the humans and old Ben.

It turned out to be a wonderful summer. Jake taught the bunnies so many things, knowing they would be leaving the next time summer came around. One more year and the bunnies would be adults, ready to make homes of their own. He worried about Skippers unwise choices. He was always poking around places that were not safe, no matter how many times Jake & Hattie had warned him.

One morning the Bear family came to visit. They were enjoying sharing the day when all of a sudden the birds in the trees began to shout, Sissy came running for Jake and all the other animal neighbors came out to see what the racket was.

They all ran to the rivers edge where baby bear was laying on his belly, hanging onto the branch of a bush half way down the river bank. When Jake peered over the edge of the bank he saw Skipper dangling by his one leg just inches from the waters swift flow. Papa bear pulled his son to safety and tried to climb down the bank to rescue Skipper but he was just too big and heavy. With each step he sent rocks flying down towards the screaming rabbit.

Just then the king of snakes slinked down the rocks and onto the limb of the dead tree where Skipper hung shaking, as drops of river water splashed onto him. Hattie couldn’t look. Surely Skipper would end up in the mouth of the river or the mouth of King snake. Everyone ran for cover leaving the rabbits and bears to look on helplessly.

Mr. Snake had something else in mind for Skipper. He wrapped himself around the rabbit and dragged him along the branch, pulling him up the bank and dropping him at the feet of his father. Without a sound, he skittered away into the grass.

Hattie was so shocked she stood in silence, forgetting that skipper lay on the ground exhausted from his adventure. Papa bear picked Skipper up and gave him a good shake to make sure he was alive while Jake hopped off trying to find the snake in the grass to thank him.

Night was beginning to fall so the bears left for home. Skipper was put to bed knowing his punishment would come in the morning. Jake didn’t find King snake to thank him and he was still in shock from the days happenings when he lay down to go to sleep.

The rest of the summer Skipper spent playing outside the tree where he could be seen by Hattie. It wasn’t much of a punishment because Skipper was now so fearful of the river that he wouldn’t go near it even when Jake was with him. He did have a lot of questions about Mr. Snake. Questions that Jake and Hattie were having trouble answering.

Jake knew the snakes were not his friends on a regular day but he was beginning to understand that there were times when his worse enemy could be counted on to help him. He thought he had learned everything but this past year had taught him some new things, good things about his neighbors, and even the humans.

There were already signs of fall. Leaves were drying out and mornings had a chill in them. This year Jake wouldn’t be making the same mistake of the past. He wouldn’t need to leave and find a winter home. The bears had invited them to share the cave again. Jake was very grateful that he didn’t have to dig a hole even with the help of Skipper. Jake and Hattie were beginning to feel age coming on them. It would be a good winter with the bears protecting them in the dry cave and this year they would all be together.

Hattie was ready to spend this last season with her children. She would be sure to make them ready to build their own families. Sissy had become a little beauty this summer. Her tan fur had streaks of gold in it. Skipper’s river experience had tamed his adventurous nature. Hattie knew she and Jake would be alone next summer, growing old together. She knew how special that was remembering only last winter when she thought she might never see Jake again.

But for now it was time to get ready to meet up with their friends and just enjoy what winter would bring.

Jake’s Big Decision #5

CHILDREN'S RABBIT STORY #3

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Hattie leaves the cave #3

It had been a long winter in the cave for Hattie. The bear family slept most of the time. With Jake missing, Hattie felt very much alone. She was very happy one morning when Papa bear woke and announced it was time to leave the cave. Spring was arriving!

There had been a big change over the winter months. The babies had grown and were now almost as big as Hattie! She knew, once outside of the cave, her babies would be investigating their new world. She couldn’t be calling them baby anymore. If only Jake was with them he would have good names for the children. Hattie lacked imagination when it came to names. Finally she decided to call her daughter Sissy and her son Skipper. At least those names she could remember.

The bear family was going to walk back to the hollow tree with Hattie so she and the bunnies would have a safe trip. Hoping that no one had moved into the tree already, they set out for the river. Hattie knew this would be the first place Jake would look for them if he had made it through the winter.

It was a pleasant walk back to the river. The air was a bit nippy but the trees had buds on them. Green was beginning to peek through the brown of winter everywhere she looked. Hattie couldn’t help but think about her trip to the cave, carrying the babies, cold and exhausted. Her heart was jumping with the hope of finding Jake.

Finally they reached the river where the big hollow tree stood. Hattie felt so joyful to find it empty except for the hole being filled with leaves from the winter wind. The bear family said goodbye but promised to check in on Hattie soon. The rest of the day she spent cleaning out the tree and keeping track of Sissy and Skipper.

When the bunnies were asleep, Hattie began to think of all her responsibilities without Jake. There was so much to teach the children to keep them safe now that they were bigger and took off alone. Jake would have taught his children boundaries, the animals that were friends and those that were not, things not to eat, holes not to look in and the danger of the tempting river. It was a big job! Hattie drifted off to sleep thinking about the first lesson she would have to teach the next day.

Spring brought rain the next day. This would be good for a first day of learning. It would keep Sissy and Skipper inside and not distracted by the warm air outside the tree and the songs of the birds. The river was Hattie’s biggest concern. She started her lesson by telling the bunnies about animals they would see swimming in the river. She warned them that rabbits didn’t swim. They would get caught up in the currant and drown if they were to fall into the water. She could see she had struck a bit of fear into Sissy. Skipper was not listening to the warning. She only saw excitement in his eyes. How would she ever find a way to teach him fear?

The next morning when the rain had stopped and the sun was shining bright, Hattie walked the bunnies to the rivers edge. There they saw Mr. and Mrs. Duck watching their ducklings take a swim. Hattie explained that ducks have coated feathers that kept them afloat unlike a rabbit. She held onto Skipper and dunked his feet into the water. His fur flattened and stuck in between his toes. He could see his skin through the soggy fur. Hattie told him his whole body would look like that if he fell into the river. She also added that he wouldn’t get a chance to look at himself because the river would sweep him away very fast and drown him.

As the days passed, Hattie taught the children about the snake families and all the other wild animals she could think of to warn the children about. She taught them to not stick there heads in holes. Bad manners could get them more then an angry lashing from some animal that lived there.

One morning she looked out of the hollow tree and peered right into the eyes of the human’s cat. She grabbed her children and backed as far into the tree as possible. This was one animal she had forgotten to warn them about. It was a good thing that he was an old fat cat. He stuck his paw into the hole but his fat head wouldn’t fit. He tried very hard to claw them. Just as he was trying to push himself into the tree along came Mr. Raccoon. Hattie heard the hissing and growls from the two, each giving a warning to the other to stay away, but in the end, Mr. Raccoon was the victor and sent the cat running off towards home. She was very grateful that the raccoon had come along and watched out for her and the bunnies. Usually she would stay clear of him just like she would avoid the cat.

It was a hard job trying to keep up with the children all alone. By the end of the day Hattie was so tired she usually fell right to sleep. One night something was causing her to be restless. She thought she felt Sissy snuggling next to her. She opened her tired eyes just a slit. To her surprise a very tired and dirty Jake was beside her! Her heart danced with delight. She could see he had a hard journey, so she didn’t make a sound. She just fell back to sleep with a very content feeling having all of her family home.

Next:

Jakes Home Coming #4

CHILDREN'S STORY BLOG ADVENTURE #2

Jakes Escape

Jake had set out to find a safe place to dig a winter home for him, Hattie and the baby bunnies. It was a job he had put off and now it was late in the fall season. The first frost had passed and snow showers had become a daily happening. He had searched the banks of the river finding every possible place already had someone occupying it. It was impossible to dig near the mountain with all the tree roots so he set out towards the mainland where the humans lived.

Days came and went, the weather turning much colder. Jake was hungry now, unable to find anything not frozen to eat. He was feeling sick and weak. He had to dig a hole for them and he had to find a place to do it, now! He knew he had to stay away from pastures because the humans would plow them up early in the spring, destroying the hole and possibly trapping them inside. He came to a wire fence and worked his way through a loosened end. He could see the house and barn clearly now. Although it was dangerous to get this close to the humans it would be possible to get food from the barn and water. This would have to do for this winter. They would just have to be careful until they could return to the river bank in the spring. The ground would be soft near the barn to dig a quick shelter for his family.

Before he could do another thing he had to make it past the cows and into the barn where he might find food. He quickly ran across the field, just missing being trampled by a huge cow. Just as he was about to enter the barn he heard the voices of the humans inside. Shaking from the cold and lack of food he huddled in some hay just outside the door of the barn, waiting for all to be clear and safe for him to enter.

He fell asleep from his exhausting journey and awoke to darkened skies. The cows were already in the barn and the door was closed. Jake slowly searched around the outside looking for an opening to squeeze inside. He was in luck this night. A small hole made by another animal appeared in one corner of the building. He peered inside and slid his body through the hole.

He made his dinner out of the dry fresh hay and oats laid out for the cows and horses. It felt good to not be hungry anymore or cold from the wind and snow. His nose picked up the smell of a sweet apple, most likely dropped by the horse or the humans. He began to look for it, the sweetness drawing him closer to it. He was one step away from having this wonderful find. As he hopped forward, about to sink his teeth into it, a flap of steel wire clamped down closing him inside a walled cage.

Franticly he tried to open the door. It was no use, he was trapped. The apple no longer interested him. He had heard about traps from his neighbors. Those caught in one, never returned to their families. All his happiness of being warm and well fed sunk with the memories of his babies and Hattie. He was sure he would become dinner for the humans the next day.

It was a long night for Jake. All he could think about was his poor decision to wait too long to make a winter home. He didn’t think Hattie would be able to make it through the winter alone with no male to protect her and the babies. It was not full daylight when the door to the barn opened. The man and his children tossed about fresh hay and opened facets that filled tubs with fresh water. Soon the horses were led outside followed by the cows. The humans were busy cleaning the stables until one child’s eyes feel on the trap. She shrieked with delight in her voice when she saw Jake scrunched in a ball of fear.

The trap was carried outside of the barn. Jake kept his eyes closed, fearing what was about to come next. Soon the door of the trap was opened. He found himself being shaken out of the trap into a large cage separated into sections by wire. At the end of the cage was a wooden box with a hole in it. The cage was filled with fresh hay. The human’s had filled a bowl with oats and cabbage. There was a bottle of water attached to the wire wall. Jake just sat still wondering what would happen next. Soon the humans left. Snow swirled around the cage.

A nose poked out of the wooden box in the section next to Jake. It was another rabbit named Ben. He told Jake to get inside the box before he froze. Jake found the box to be warm with a bed of straw. Soon he fell asleep. At least he was still alive and that would give him a chance to find a way out.

As the days passed he found Ben to be a pleasant old fellow. He had been in the cage for a long time, although the humans often took him out and held him. They were well fed and warm but this new home couldn’t be enjoyed with thoughts of Hattie and the babies on Jake’s mind. Jake couldn’t wait to tell Hattie that being caught by the human’s didn’t always mean they would be on a dinner menu. He was really surprised at how kind the children had been to him.

The wind was beginning to feel warmer. Jake could see some greens beginning to emerge on the ground. He wasn’t like Ben. He had a family to find. Getting out of the cage became his daily issue. He gnawed at the wire constantly, hoping to break it enough to slide out of his jail. Spring was here. The snow had turned into heavy rains. Jake kept chewing and pulling at the wire without any results.

The human children came often and took Ben out of his cage, holding him and letting him jump about the ground and eat the new growing greens. They would open the door on Jakes cage and pet his head and back but he was not taken out and had no chance to run away. He began to think of ways to run past their hand and jump out the door. One day while chewing and pulling the wire, the rain swollen wood that held the wire broke off in one spot. This gave Jake new hope. He worked day and night, pulling and twisting the wire, hoping the humans didn’t discover the rotted wood.

Soon Jake had managed to break away a second and third piece of wood. He pushed against the wire, poking his head through the opening. He wasn’t sure if it was large enough to get his body through. He didn’t want to chance getting stuck but now the humans could clearly see the break in the cage. He couldn’t wait for morning. He had to do it and hope he could get out.

Jake pushed the wire out as far as it would go. He slid his head and front legs through and pushed and pushed and pulled. He was stuck! There he hung, half in and half out. He stopped wiggling to think. He had seen mice flatten themselves and get through holes half their size. Like the mice, Jake sucked in his belly and stretched out his legs behind him. With one small wiggle Jake sent himself falling to the ground!

He was FREE! He didn’t stop to say goodbye to Ben. He headed in the direction of the river where he hoped to find Hattie and the babies.

Soon to come:
Hattie leaves the cave

CHILDREN'S STORY BLOG

Rabbit Adventures #1
A lesson for Hattie

Hattie & Jake had spent the spring & summer living in the hollow of a tree along the rivers edge. Each day they had taken the baby bunnies for a walk, teaching them about life and showing them things of beauty around the forest.

Jake knew he should leave his family and search for a place to dig a winter home in the ground before it froze but each day was such a happy time seeing his family grow that he kept putting off the task. The hollow of the tree had made a good home but with winter coming he knew they had to go below the surface of the ground or they would freeze.

One morning Hattie became alarmed when she poked her head out of the tree and saw the first signs of a winter frost. As she stepped out on the once warm and soft leaves they crunched beneath her feet from the spray of the first frost. As soon as the sun peeked out she sent Jake on his way, reminding him that time had passed and it was now an emergency to dig a hole in a safe place.

Each time Jake found a safe place and began to dig, out would pop an angry animal barking at Jake to move on because this spot was taken. This would be a harder job then he had expected it would be.

Each morning seemed to get a little colder. Hattie huddled in the center of the tree stump with her babies, keeping them warm beneath her furry arms. Soon the winter winds began to blow and she saw swirling snow start to fall.

One morning she heard the sounds of the humans’ guns in a distance. It was hunting season. She knew this meant that winter was upon them. There was no sign of Jake’s return. A few more days passed. She heard the squirrels talking about storing acorns for their winter supply. The blue jays squawked about a storm that was approaching. Hearing this Hattie knew she couldn’t wait for Jake any longer. Her heart was heavy with worry about Jake, but now she had to find a place to protect her children.

She remembered seeing caves in the side of the mountain on one of their summer walks. Jake had warned to stay away from them because Mr. Snake and his relatives had made the cave their summer home. Hattie knew the snake families would also have gone underground for the winter and right now, the caves seemed like the only place she might find warmth enough for her babies to survive the winter storms.

It seemed much farther, maybe because she was carrying the babies and was slowed by the deep tree leaves that had blown off the trees in the night wind. By the time she reached the mountain the sun was going down. She had to hurry and find an opening or they would be caught outside with only bare bushes for protection.

She felt her way around the side of the mountain until she came to an opening. As she entered she could still feel the wind so she slowly went deeper into the rock until she finally felt some warmth and her fur was no longer being blown away from her face. She could see the roots of trees growing through the stone. She hurried and broke off some roots, feeding the children and tucking them under her body for a night of rest. She felt relieved that she was protecting them but saddened when she thought of Jake, not knowing what had happened to him or where he might be.

Hattie had just drifted off to sleep when she was awakened by a gruff sound that bounced off the walls of the cave. She knew that sound had come from another animal but wasn’t sure what kind. It was over powering so she knew it had come from an animal much larger then herself. All of a sudden the peace she had felt was gone and now she shivered against the rock in terrible fear. She wanted to grab up her babies and leave but she knew taking them out in the night was no safer. The cold wind could mean an end for them. She decided to wait until morning and sneak out of the cave.

It was a long night. Hattie was near exhaustion when a hint of light entered the cave. She quickly woke the bunnies sending fear into them so they wouldn’t make a sound. They quietly made their way back to the entrance of the cave. To Hattie’s horror the entrance was blocked with snow. It was good, providing water for them but it was also bad, trapping them inside with the owner of the gruff voice. The bunnies began to shiver. It was much too cold to stay at the cave entrance. They would have to work their way back into the cave. She warned the babies about making any noise.

Days passed. They would make trips to the snow wall for water and a place to eat the roots torn from the mountain sides and then return to the belly of the cave, hiding as best they could. Often the gruff sound of what lurked farther inside the cave would ring out against the rocks.

As the days passed Hattie’s short naps were catching up to her. She was having trouble staying awake. One night warmth came over her. She hadn’t felt that warm since the days of summer when they were all happy and playing by the river’s edge. With those happy thoughts she drifted off into a deep sleep. She woke up feeling so rested at last. She reached out to feel for her babies and was startled to feel her hand touch a bristly fur instead of the soft down of her bunnies. She fearfully opened her eyes. She couldn’t make out what she was seeing all cuddled up against her babies. It was larger then a raccoon or opossum. Oh NO! This could only mean one thing. She had moved into the den of a bear family!

There were some neighbor’s that you could ignore and be safe, some that you could be friendly with and many who you knew to avoid. Bears were something Hattie had been taught to fear. Just their size alone was trouble but everyone knew that bears were vicious. One swat of a paw would flatten a bunny.

She carefully tried to move her babies away from the belly of the bear but just as she did the eyes of the animal sprung open. She froze with fear. She knew this was the end. She hid her children behind her and waited for her fate. The big fellow sat up casting his shadow over her. He stretched and yawned and let out a growl. This was not the gruff sound that Hattie had heard in the past. It was much smaller telling her that this fellow was not alone. The fear was too much for her. She passed out, hearing and seeing nothing.

Hattie slowly began to come around. She heard the voices of her children and felt the coolness of wet leaves on her head. Was she gone and this was just a dream? She was almost afraid to open her eyes. Slowly she peeked through her eyelashes. She saw the pointy snout and beady eyes of Mrs. Bear looking at her. She smelled pine coming from the soft bed of pine needles she was laying on. She heard the happy voices of children playing.

Mama bear’s paw was bigger then Hattie’s entire body. She gently removed the wet leaves from Hattie’s head and whispered to her to wake up. Hattie jumped from the pine needle bed, grabbing her babies and backed herself up against the wall, once again shaking uncontrollably. Mother bear was shocked and then realized that Hattie was reacting to what she had been taught.

“You are free to leave”, said mother bear. “Your fear comes from what you have been told or what you have heard”, she said. There is a river that runs through the mountain. Papa has gone to fish for our breakfast. He is bringing back greens that grow in the water for your family. We will sleep for most of the winter. You are welcome to stay and be safe from the winter cold.

Soon Hattie’s fear lifted. They enjoyed their meal together. Hattie shared her worries about Jake and how they came to have no winter home. Soon the bear family was sleeping again. Hattie and the babies spent the winter safely in the cave. This would be a new teaching for her bunnies. They would not fear size alone or the difference in appearance. Hattie settled into her winter home with the bear family waiting for spring and the hope of finding Jake.

Coming soon:
Rabbit Adventures #2
Jake’s escape