A short read with mystery and humor, followed by points to discuss with your child.

Here is a brief excerpt from an upcoming work. The scene is a snow-covered landscape in a remote winter resort somewhere in the Midwest. Two friends, Phil and Frankie, are walking along the deserted trail, when they suddenly hear a strange sound that gets their imaginations running wild…

“Sure is quiet out here.” Phil said.

“Yeah, not a house, or a building anywhere in sight .”

“Look at the trail, Frankie .  Looks like nobody has been out this way in quite some time.”

“Yeah,  ours are the only tracks.  Of course we did get a fresh snow last night.  That would have covered any tracks from yesterday.”

“That’s right.  Probably there were a lot of tracks here before that snowfall last night.”

“Yeah, after all this is the main trail.  Probably lot’s of people walk this way all the time.”

“Of course.  You’re sure this is the main trail, aren’t you Frankie?”

“Sure I’m sure.  At least, I was sure.  Anyway, It’s not like we’re actually lost.”

“No, not actually.”

“I mean, even if we don’t know where we are right now, we know the lodge is just over that way.”

“Probably just a mile or so away, don’t you think?”

“Sure a mile or so, maybe. “

“Sure is quiet though.”

A sudden sound stopped the boys in their tracks.  It was a loud sound, unfamiliar and somewhat like a deep musical note blown on some fantastic kind of horn.

Phil looked at Frankie, “What was that?”

“I don’t know.  Sounded like the call of a moose.”

“Do you have moose around here?”

“No.  I was just kidding.  There are no moose around here.  At least I don’t think there are.  Anyway, what if it was?  Aren’t mooses vegetarians?”

“Yeah, that’s right, they are.  So what do you think it was?”

“I don’t know.”

“There it goes again.  Say, what’s bigger than a moose?  That sure is a loud sound.”

“I don’t know.  I think it’s coming from up ahead,  just around this bend.”

“Maybe it’s one of those woolly mammoth things.”

“You mean those things like hairy elephants?  Aren’t those extinct?”

“Yeah, that’s right.  I guess I’m just letting my imagination run away with me.  Besides the people at the resort would  have noticed a thing like a big hairy elephant roaming around in the woods.  I mean, what are the odds that you and I could  arrive last night and out of a clear blue, without even looking for it, be the first one’s to discover a giant animal like that, trumpeting and stomping around here in the woods?  The mere thought of such a thing is ridiculous.”

“You’re right, that would be ridiculous; our first day here and we discover a mammoth roaming the woods.  Somebody else would have seen him first.  Anyway aren’t elephants vegetarians too?”

“Yeah, but did you ever see  one of those Tarzan movies and the way the elephants pick up the poachers or the ivory hunters or whoever they’re angry at with their trunks and just kind of toss them around like they were a child’s doll?”

“You don’t suppose it thinks we’re ivory hunters, do you?”

“I don’t know.”

“I mean, we don’t look like a couple of poachers or ivory hunters, do we?”

“Not to me we don’t, but maybe the mammoth has never seen a Tarzan movie.  Frankie look!”

“A cabin!”

“Do you think that sound came from in there?”

As if in answer to Phil’s question, the sound repeated.

“I guess that answers that.”

“What do you suppose it could be?  That cabins too small for a mammoth.”

“I don’t know Frankie.  I guess we’d better go find out.”

“Might be some kind of wild animal that’s hurt in there, calling to its mate.”

“Or its pack.”

“Its pack?  You mean as in wolf pack?  Phil, I don’t think there are any wolves around here either.”

“Yeah, and you also thought mammoths were extinct, but we still haven’t figured out what could be making that noise.”

“Do you think maybe it’s a small mammoth?”

“You mean like a baby, calling for its mother?”

“That’s it, like a baby calling to its mother.”

“If it is, then for our sake I hope the mother is nowhere nearby. “

“Gosh, you’re right!  I don’t see anything.  I think we’d hear her crashing through the trees if she were charging us.”

“We’re almost there Frankie.”

“What if it’s an injured wolf?  I’ve heard  wild animals that are injured and feel cornered can be the most dangerous.”

“We’ll soon find out.  Duck down below these windows.  We’re almost to the door.”

“Phil, I think I saw those trees move!  Wait… wait… I guess it was just the wind.”

“Keep your voice low Frankie.  Don’t want the wolf, or the mammoth–“

“Don’t forget the moose!”

All right.  The wolf, or the mammoth, or the moose, or whatever  is in there, to hear us.  My hand is on the door.  It doesn’t seem to be locked.  I’m going to gently push it open.  Stay to the side and give whatever frightening beast is in there plenty of room to charge out.”

“Right. “

“Ready? “

“I can’t look.  Tell me when  to run.”

“You’ve  got your eyes closed Frankie?  Okay.  Here goes.  The door is swinging open and I can see… I can see… To be continued!

Discussion points:

1. What do you think might be making the sounds that Phil and Frankie are hearing?

2.Have you ever heard or seen something that you could not explain at first? What are some of the things you thought it could be?

3. Phil and Frankie are funny characters in this story. One of the things about them that is funny is that they make a lot of mistakes that put them in humorous situations. Have you ever made a mistake about something that you could laugh about later?

4. The setting in this scene is a lonely, snow-covered trail. What were Phil and Frankie worried about before they heard the strange sound?

5. Do you think Phil and Frankie’s worries about being lost made them more likely to be afraid when they heard the strange sound?

6.Telling and sharing stories is a great way to spread joy. The story you tell can have the characters you choose, and be set where you want it to be. You can set a story right in the neighborhood where you live, with real streets and building that you know, or you can make up a totally new place; it is up to you!

7. Your story can be funny too, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some ideas for starters: You can tell about a character or characters who discover something or someplace new. You can tell about characters who help someone find something that they have lost. You can tell about characters who help rescue someone from a dangerous situation. You can tell your story with words, like the one you just read, or with pictures you draw and very few or even no words. You get to decide how you want to tell your story. Where will you go, where will you take your audience, and what new and interesting characters will you introduce to your audience? Craft a story to share with the persons in your home, your friends and family.

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