PIGMUS STORY 3 Drew Drew was feeling extra happy this Saturday morning because she was expecting her friends, Porky,Dress and Snorkel to come over and spend the day with her. She had told HER little friends who lived with her, Geraldine and Snow Cap, that they would have company and they were so excited. Geraldine, who is a bunny, was hopping all over the place and Snow Cap who is a little bear, couldn't sit still either. Finally, her mother called to her, " Drew, I think Porky is coming through the gate". Drew, Geraldine and Snow Cap rushed to the front door and sure enough,there were Porky, Snorkel and Dress walking up the garden path. Drew lived in Heatherstone Circle in a very picturesque little cottage. There were flower beds either side of the path leading to the house, a brilliant splash of colors in the sun. A bird table stood in the center of the lawn on the right. Drew loved to put bread crumbs and birdseed out and watch the birds, all kinds of them, fly down and peck away. Sometimes they took a piece of breaad crust away with them and sometimes splashed in the little can of water on the side of the table that was large enough for a robin to bathe in. Fortunately there were no cats around so she didn't have to worry that the birds might be chased away - or worse still, make cat dinner ! Porky and Snorkel were carrying a large cane hamper between them and Dress said, " We thought we could go for a picnic, Drew. What do you think ? We've brought enough for all of us. Hi Geraldine. Hi, Snow Cap". and both of these cried, " Oh YES! Let's go on a picnic, Drew. We haven't been on one for AGES". " Where shall we go?" asked Drew, " I'll have to tell my mother so she knows where I am". Porky grinned. " Tell her we're going so far away we probably won't be back today!" Drew looked shocked and then saw Porky grinning and knew he was joking. " Actually," he said, " we thought we would go down by the River, (that was Ripple River where they had looked for George, Nancy's little brother, that time he and Porky's brothers and sister went missing)." We can find a nice shady spot and watch the ducks, and eat and have some fun". " What did you bring for us to eat ?" asked Snow Cap. He was eyeing the hamper with a look that said he would really like to sample the contents right away! " We don't know what's in the hamper," Dress replied, " Our Mom packed it when we said we wanted to go on a picnic with you and said we could open it when we got to the River and see what's inside then". " It's heavy enough," grumbled Snorkel. "takes two of us to carry it". Drew, Geraldine and Snow Cap tried to lift it between the three of them and barely managed it. " Wow," puffed Snow Cap, " Must be LOTS of food inside, it's HEAVY!" "Let's go if we're going". cried Porky, so after Drew had received permission they all set off for the River which was a little ways from where Drew lived. When they got there, they put the hamper down under a tree and went hunting for a good spot to have their picnic. They walked along the river bank as it wound through fields and some wooded areas and came upon what they felt was the perfect place. There was a grassy area under a large willow tree that grew on the bank, its lacy branches making a canopy over the place so it was like entering a small private room with a view of the River. They would be able to sit and look at whatever was happening on the River and watch the sunlight playing over the water making it glisten and sparkle. They could hear the ripple as the water scurried over pebbles and rocks and made little pools where frogs splashed now and then with a loud PLOP! Imagine their horror when they went back for the hamper to discover it was gone ! Now WHO could have taken it, and worse, who WOULD want to take it? Krumble was an honest Village, at least, the people in it were and there was very LITTLE crime or nasty things that occured there. They hadn't seen a soul around when they had arrived, nor had they heard anything out of the usual, but then, they had wandered quite a way looking for their picnic spot and would have been out of earshot and out of sight of the place where they left the hamper. Porky and Snow Cap looked the most disappointed and worried - that was because they were the most interested in the food. " We had better see if we can find it" said Snorkel, "Mom's not going to be very happy if we lose her hamper". Dress looked worried. " It's not just the food," she said, " we don't know exactly what Mom packed for us and because it was so heavy maybe she put in plates and cups etc, and she most definitely WON'T be pleased if we lost them". The six friends quickly spread out searching along the river bank to see if they could find their lost lunch. They looked high and low but no sign of it. Drew was peering into a pool where some water lilies were growing when she heard two little PLOPS right beside her in the water. She looked down as two frogs swam up to where she was and clambered onto two lily pads. "What are you looking for?" asked one of the frogs. "We've lost our picnic hamper," replied Drew, " it's a big cane one and it's heavy and belongs to the Mother of my friends. I'ts just disappeared and we HAVE to find it or my friends will get into trouble. Besides," she added, " we are getting hungry and we were going to have such fun eating our picnic by the river here. We found the perfect spot to have it, too". The frogs looked at eachother then said, " We think we know where your hamper went to". " You DO ?" cried Drew, " Oh, PLEASE tell me ". She called out to the others hoping they were in earshot. " Porky, Geraldine, Dress, all of you, come here quickly, we might find our hamper". Everyone except Snorkel and Snow Cap came running at her call. "Where are the others?" asked Dress. Gerladine told them she had seen Snorkel with Snow Cap heading off across the field and wondered if they had seen someone and were going after them to ask about the hamper. When she explained what the frogs had told her they asked them why they thought they knew what had happened to their hamper. " Do you know Terrible Toad?" they asked. "No". the others replied, " we have never heard of him, who is he?" The frogs explained that in their River there lived a big fat toad who was called Terrible Toad because he was a bully and acted like he was King of the River - which he wasn't, they said - and they thought they had seen him dragging a huge box thing down to his house that was under that river bank some little ways further on. NOW what should they do? They talked about it and asked the frogs if they would show them where Terrible Toad lived and if they had any idea how they could approach him about their hamper. The frogs told them they would show them where he lived but they didn't want to go near him because they were afraid of him because he was such a bully. " Usually," said Dress, " bullies are cowards underneath and they only frighten people smaller than themselves, and you are smaller than him. I don't mean youaren't important," she added hastily, "it's just that bullies always pick on those they think are weaker than they are, but we are BIGGER than he is. We aren't afraid of him. We'll go to his house and tell him we have lost our hamper and ask him if he's seen it". The frogs were happy to lead them to another pond covered with water lily pads so it was hard to see into the water between them. The frogs said Terrible Toad lived in his house under the lily pads by the bank. Drew and Dress had brought their swim suits because they loved to swim in the River and the others didn't need one, so they all dove into the pond and sure enough, there, under the surface was a closed door built into the bank that had " KEEP OUT " written in large black letters on a big postcard tacked to the it. Dress was wishing Snorkel was with them and Drew was hoping Terrible Toad wouldn't be TOO big and that they would be a LOT bigger than he. Porky, who was so hungry he wasn't thinking about being afraid, he just wanted the food in the hamper and he was angry at Terrible Toad if he really HAD taken their picnic, so he went straight to the door and knocked loudly on it. They heard footsteps coming to the door and a grumpy sounding voice spoke out, " What do you want? Can't you READ? I don't like people disturbing me". They heard a rattle and clicks and then the door opened and a BIG Toad stood dressed in a plaid robe and brown slippers stood in the doorway. Behind him, they saw one large room that had a table in the center with two chairs round it, one of which had been pushed back, and a napkin had fallen to the floor. There was a bed in one corner and a couch along one wall, and a book case by another wall. What they espied immediately, was their hamper sitting large as life on the floor by the table. It hadn't been opened but rather, it looked like it was going to be used as a kind of end table for putting things on because it already had a coffeee pot sitting on it. Geraldine cried, " There's our hamper!" and Porky, whose tummy had been rumbling for quite a while was not in the least bit scared of Terrible Toad. He waved a hoof at him, ( Porky was bigger than Toad anyway, and stouter!) and said sternly, " You've stolen private property. The hamper's OURS and we want it back". While he was saying this he pushed inside and the others followed him so they crowded Terrible Toad back into his own house and he couldn't stop them because he was smaller than they, and he was only one and they were four. Terrible Toad looked mightily indignant. " How DARE you push your way into my house. I'll have you arrested for intruding on private property, and anyway, I FOUND this hamper. NO ONE was anywhere NEAR it and NO ONE came to pick it up so I took it. Finder's keepers. I found it so I'm keeping it." The others looked dismayed. It was true, they HAd left the hamper and no one had been near while they looked for their picnic spot, and it was true, they HAD barged into Terrible Toad's home without permission and what should they do now? Drew had a bright idea. She had noticed that inspite of his surly manner and aggressive behavior, Terrrible Toad didn't really seem THAT sure of himself, so she said politely, "Mr Toad, ( she sure wasn't going to call him Terrible Toad to his face!) we are sorry we crowded into your home without asking, but we really do need to have our hamper back because it belongs to this girl's mother, ( pointing to Dress), and we need to return it to her. Also, we haven't eaten since first thing this morning at breakfast and we're very hungry. It seems as though you haven't opened the hamper yet,would you care to join us in our picnic ?" Terrible Toad's mouth fell open. " You're asking ME to eat with you? " It seemed like he might cry, " Nobody has EVER asked me to eat with them. Everybody hates me so I keep them out. You are the first person to ask me to do something with them". He kind of choked up as he talked and the little group felt embarrassed at his admission. Drew continued gently, " How about we all take the hamper to the spot we found and we can all eat together and watch the River? Besides, maybe Snow Cap and Snorkel are back and they will be wondering where we are". Terrible Toad agreed to join them and he and Porky heaved the hamper up between them and they rose to the surface and set it on the bank. The hot sun soon dried off the youngsters and they set off for the picnic place which wasn't very far away from Terrible Toad's home. When they had settled under the willow tree Dress was about to open the hamper when a call sounded through the stillness. " Dress, Porky, Drew , Geraldine - are you guys around?" It was Snorkel's voice and he sounded urgent. Porky called back, "We're over here, Snorkel" and soon, Snorkel and Snow Cap came hurrying under the willow tree panting. " We need to go at once". Snorkel told them breathlessly. " Snow Cap and I were looking for the hamper across the fields". he stopped suddenly, " Oh you FOUND it! Where was it ? Never mind, I don't have time to hear that right now. As I was saying, we were searching for it when we met one of Snow Cap's friends who told him that his sister's bunnies had somehow got out of their rabbit hutches and scampered off into the field behind their house. He knew Snow Cap had a friend who was a bunny and could she help them find the lost bunnies. The little girl whom the bunnies belonged to was VERY distressed because she was afraid the dogs next door would go after them and please could Snow Cap and her friend come right away? Drew looked at Geraldine and asked her if they should all go to help catch the runaways and Geraldine nodded because she said the more there were the easier it would be to keep them from spreading out all over the place. Quickly, Snorkel and Snow Cap were introduced to Terrible Toad and Drew asked him if he would be so VERY kind as to watch over their hamper once more while they went after the bunnies. Terrible Toad said he would be happy to help that way as he knew he wouldn't be of any use otherwise because he couldn't keep up with them. So Snorkel, Dress, Porky, Drew and her friends all went racing across the field to Betty's home where the rabbits had run away. They found Betty crying because her favorite bunny whose name was Crispen was among the ones who had somehow squeezed through their wire netting, but she brightened up when she saw Geraldine and asked her if she would call the rabbits in rabbit language even though they know human words, and tell them to come home. Drew suggested they all go to the field where Betty ahd last seen them scampering off and spread out in a straight line then all walk forward a step at a time, and when they caught sight of a bunny Geraldine could talk to them. The person at each end of the line could then close round to meet the other one and make a circle with the bunnies in the middle. There were four bunnies gone besides Crispen and they were very young and very frisky and Porky was wondering if he would EVER get to eat his lunch. He was sure everyone could hear his tummy making loud hungry noises, but in truth, they were more concerned about catching truant bunnies before the next door neighbor's dogs did, and weren't thinking about lunch at all! So Betty, her brother Tom and all of them, ran to the edge of the field where the rabbits had disappeared and made a straight line across as they went through the gate and started to slowly walk forward. They all looked really hard and Geraldine who knew rabbit ways well, spotted a flick of white bobtail and then another and another, and she called, "Crispen, Betty wants you to come home". in rabbit language and one of the bobtails stopped bobbing and a pair of ears stood up above a clump of grass and two bright eyes looked at the line of searchers. Whiskers quivered and all of a sudden there was a flurry of small furry creatures hopping in and out and over the little mounds of earth that the gophers had thrown up from making their tunnels underground. Quickly the friends formed a circle around where the bunnies were and there was a high old time trying to catch the frisky little ones as they dashed and darted and hopped to and fro. Betty caught Crispen and scolded him soundly and the others were picked up and all were returned to their hutches and securely fastened INSIDE! They were all out of breath and thirsty so Betty's Mom thanked them for helping Betty and gave them all large glasses of pink lemonade. " Do you think," said Porky wistfully, " do you think we could go and see what we have in the hamper now? I am SO hungry?" Drew laughed and so did the others. She patted him on the shoulder. " Poor Porky", she said, " yes, we better get back or Terrible Toad will have eaten it all before we get back". They all burst out laughing when they saw the look on Porky's face at the thought of their precious picnic having been eaten. " Come on," said Snorkel, " let's go back and see what he's up to". " Who is Terrble Toad?" asked Betty. They told her about the hamper being taken and asked if she would like to go with them, Tom too, if he liked.Tom said he had other stuff to do but Betty said she'd like to go and meet Terrible Toad so they all found their way back to the willow tree where Terrible Toad was patiently sitting by the hamper and dangling his hind feet in the water and occasionally flicking out his tongue to catch a fly. Everyone was happy to see the hamper was safe and Terrible Toad invited them to come to his home and eat but they said they would crowd him too much as there were nine of them, but thanked him and said they hadn't had the chance to even sit and watch the River yet and relax. So Dress went to open the hamper and inside were paper plates, plastic knives and forks and spoons, but there was no sign of food. Just a number of different colored boxes of different sizes, each numbered one to eight and another one. Lying on top of everything was a long envelpe on which was written " EATING INSTRUCTIONS". Porky groaned, " Don't tell me we can't just light in and EAT. I'm STARVING". Snorkel was tearing open the envelope. He took out a sheet of paper and read out loud what was written on it. Dear Picnickers: I packed this hamper to add to your fun day and there is plenty of food but there is a condition to opening the boxes. There are eight of them and each is numbered as you can see. The trick is to guess what is in each box because you are to eat them in the order that you guess. So you might be getting desert before you get the first course. Or you might find you are eating vegetables with candy. I am trusting you to be honest and have fun deciding the order the boxes should be opened. There is also one Surprise box and that has an S written on it and I want you to toss a coin ( I know Snorkel always has change in his pocket) and keep flipping it till there is only one of you left calling it right. Whoever opens it can keep the surprise. Have FUN guys and enjoy your picnic. Mom Hardy Snorkel laughed, " Trust Mom to add her two cents worth. Well, we should do as she says since she was kind enough to pack us lunch. Let's see, there are eight of us which is just perfect because we will be flipping for opening the Surprise Box. It's a good thing you are both here, Betty, and Mr Toad because then we can all guess one box each and we will eat whatever's inside as we guess and open them" They all got into the spirit of it and even Porky, who was ravenous,thought it great fun and they roared with laughter as they tried to guess what each box held. This is the order they opened them and what was inside the boxes: 1. chocolate chip cookies 2 apples and oranges 3 packets of chewing gum and other candy 4 can of assorted nuts 5 cans of pop ( which was likely what made the hamper so heavy to carry). 6 chicken sandwhiches and roast beef sandwhiches 7 slices of angel food cake 8 lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes in plastic bag ( Now which order would YOU have eaten the food in???) They were glad the pop was opened half way through because they were thirsty after chasing bunnies. There was plenty of food and Terrible Toad had never had such a wonderful time in his life. Now and then, a frog would leap up on a lily pad and look at them having their picnic and were astonished to see everyone apparently enjoying Terrible Toad and having FUN! In fact, after he returned to his house later on, he didn't seem so fearsome or scary and little by little the frogs in Ripple River got to know Terrible Toad and called him Granpa Toad instead of Terrible Toad. They learned to love him and he was so happy to be loved he lost all his grumpiness and never yelled at anyone again. He took down his notice on the door that said KEEP OUT and in its place he had a large piece of cardboard that said WELCOME on it, and noone was ever afraid to knock on his door again. After they had finished eating their very late lunch Snorkel reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter. " Okay," he said, " we better divide into pairs and when I flip the coin two of you can call heads or tails and whoever is right can wait till the others have called. Then all the ones who won that round can call till we have only two left and the winner gets to open the Surprise Box". Dress and Betty paired up, Snow Cap and Geraldine, Mr Toad and Porky and Snorkel paiired up with Drew. Betty called heads and Dress called tails and heads won. Then Snow Cap and Geraldine both called tails so they had to do it over. Geraldine called heads but tails won. Porky and Mr Toad both called heads and when they called a second time, Porky won with heads and when Drew and Snorkel called, Drew won with tails. Then Betty and Porky called because they had both called heads and this time Porky won with heads again and when Geraldine and Drew called, Drew won with heads too. So now it was Porky and Drew. Snorkel was very generous because he said that whoever won the last call could keep the quarter as well as open the Surprise Box. The two winners tried again by both calling tails and then Drew won the final call with another tails. They gave her the box with the big S written on it and waited in anticipation as she opened it. It was an oblong box that felt not too heavy and not too light and didn't rattle when it was shaken. Drew tried to guess what it might be but she couldn't, so she put her finger under the flap at the side of the box and lifted the lid up. Inside, wrapped in tissue paper was a folded brightly colored paper object. When she opened it out it became a beautiful kite complete with string wrapped round a short stick and a long tail attatched to the end of it. Everyone was delighted and wanted Drew to fly it right away seeing as there was a strong breeze and no one was in the field behind them. Mr Toad had never seen a kite before and looked in awe as Drew tugged on the string and the kite rose in the air. Higher and higher with its colored tail streaming out behind and the sun catching the red, blue and yellow pattern on the kite's body. Drew ran across the field and the kite soared on the breeze and then she let everyone else have a turn at holding it and trying to make it fly higher and faster. Geraldine and Snow Cap needed some help but they did very well and and squealed with delight. They had great fun for a while and finally it was time to go home. They all said goodbye to Mr Toad who thanked them very very much for letting him join their picnic and because he felt he would not be alone now and you know what ? He wasn't, he had made some friends and learned that he could keep doing this as he did with the frogs later. Drew, Snow Cap and Geraldine parted from their friends as they each went off in the direction of home and the three of them, tired and happy, walked up the garden path through the flower beds and into the house and showed the kite to Drew's folks who had her promise to show them the next day. They wanted to fly it too and see how she kept it in the air! They found it hard to beleive that Geraldine and Snow Cap could also fly the kite but the next day they did - and every time they flew it they remembered their picnic and Granpa Toad and chasing bunnies for Betty. *********************************************** Goessoftly Retired Therapist www.goessoftlyishere.com (No Copies Allowed) | PIGMUS STORY 1. Heather | PIGMUS STORY 2 Nancy | PIGMUS STORY 3. Drew | PIGMUS STORY 4 Holly | PIGMUS STORY 5 Nobody | PIGMUS STORY 6 Mollie | PIGMUS STORY 7 Heidi | PIGMUS STORY 8 . Veronica | PIGMUS STORY 9. Nichole | PIGMUS STORY 10. Stephanie | Sunny | Merry Flipper | | THE HEALING PROCESS | DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER | POETRY | Biographical Entries | THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE | STORIES FOR LITTLES (Pigmus and friends) |

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