Read Chapter 4 of Mike & Maisie's camping trip.....now uploated and ready to read.

Chapter 1 

Maisie looked at the clock, it was already quarter past eight, she was going to be late.  Very late for the trip that she was about to take with her cousin Mike, her aunty Flo and Uncle Clem.

Each year at the start of spring, aunty Flo always arrived with beautiful flowers for mum and a spare seat in the car for Maisie.  This was to give mum a chance to have some quiet time with dad.

Maisie heard the car pulling into the driveway as she ran for her bag.  "Maisie", called mum.  "I'm coming" yelled Maisie.  "C'mon" said Mike.  "Every year, always the same Maisie, we are always waiting for you.  It will be dark before we get to our camping spot, hurry up".  Mike was right, every year it was the same.  Maisie was always running late but that was because she would never pack her bag the night before like mum said. 

"I'm coming" yelled Maisie as she ran out her bedroom door, down the stairs almost tripping over her toys as she neared the bottom step.  "I'm ready.  I've been waiting for you to arrive all morning" said Maisie.  "Yeh right" said Mike, that's just what you say every year Maisie".

Maisie didn't care, she didn't have a care in the world because this was the best time of year for her.  Maisie knew that when they arrived at their camping spot, Mike would help uncle Clem with the tents and she would help aunty Flo prepare the dinner.

Dinner on the first night was always uncle Clem's famous thick sausages with carrots and beans out of aunty Flo's garden.  Aunty Flo was well known for her vegetables.  Each year she would enter them in the competition at the local market.  Aunty Flo always won.

Mike and Maisie raced out the door towards the car.  "Bye mum, bye dad" yelled Maisie.  "See you in a week".  Mum and dad waved goodbye as they pulled out of the driveway.  "Wahooooo" said Mike.  "We are now on our way" and with that the rest of them echoed Mike's sentiments.  "Wahooooooo" they all said.

“I spy with my little eye, something beginning with U.C.S.” said Maisie.  “What?” said Mike. “You can’t have 3 words, that’s cheating.  Show me the rule book” said Maisie.  “Where is the rule book that says I can’t have 3 words, hmmmmm, well, well?  There isn’t one is there” said Maisie.  “Oh Maisie, that’s cheating” said Mike.  “Oh cheating is it” said Maisie, “cheating! I’ll give you cheating Mike, I’ll give you cheating…… Alright, that’s enough now” said aunty Flo.  “We will be at our camping spot soon enough.  Try and play together nicely until we get there please.  Remember, you will need to save all of your energy to help set up camp.”   Both Maisie and Mike thought about it and agreed.  It really wasn’t very fair of Maisie to try and make it so hard for Mike.  “I’m sorry Mike” said Maisie.  “Let’s play something else”.  “No time” said uncle Clem, “we’re here”. 

Slowly the car pulled into the long windy drive that took us to our usual camping spot.  This was right next to the river where the big oak trees swayed in the breeze.

The water was clear, the birds were singing and the sky was blue.  It was perfect thought aunty Flo.  “At least we can have campfire without getting rained on” said aunty Flo.  “Ok now” said uncle Clem.  “Let’s get everything unloaded before we start anything else”.

Mike untied the ropes that were used to hold down the tarp that was covering their camping items in the trailer.  Maisie helped aunty Flo to unpack the items in the boot of the car.  This was mainly their food and blankets.  Aunty Flo wanted the food in the boot just incase any bugs decided to grab hold of the tarp to join the ride.  She was worried that they would climb underneath the tarp and somehow eat their way through the boxes into our food.  Uncle Clem thought aunty Flo was being silly but as aunty Flo said, at least she won’t be eating stewed bug!

It was quite late in the day by the time they had finished unloading their camping gear and set up their tents.  Mike and Maisie always shared a tent, right next to aunty Flo and uncle Clem.  That way, if they heard any funny noises, they could call uncle Clem who would come running in.  Aunty Flo always said that the site of uncle Clem in his long john’s and cap would be enough to scare off even the meanest animal.  Aunty Flo was right, uncle Clem looked rather special in his nightware.

Maisie and aunty Flo started to prepare dinner while Mike and uncle Clem lit the fire.  “Wow” said Mike.  “Look at those sparks!  Just be careful now” said uncle Clem.  “Don’t go too near, you don’t want any of those sparks getting on you”.  Mike stood back and watched as uncle Clem brought the campfire under control.

“Ok aunty Flo” said uncle Clem, “the fire is ready.  Where are those vegetables of yours?”  Aunty Flo brought over a large pot which contained vegetables out of her own garden and of course, uncle Clem’s famous thick sausages.

“Mmmmm” they all said as the pot started to heat and the aroma of the food moved through the air.  “It won’t be long now” said aunty Flo and with that, Maisie and Mike ran for their plates.  They knew that this dinner was going to be very nice and they couldn’t wait to tuck in.

Chapter 3

 “Psst, Maisie, wake up.”  “Maisie”, yelled Mike, “wake up.”  “What, what”, said Maisie.  “What is all the yelling about?”  “Quick”, said Mike.  “Have a look at this.”  Maisie jumped out of her sleeping bag and looked through the mesh window of the tent.  There between the trees, she could see a small white rabbit.  It was sitting on a rock looking up towards the sky. “What do you think that rabbit is looking at Mike?  I don’t know Maisie.  Lets go and see.”

Mike and Maisie raced out of their tent, past uncle Clem reading his paper and aunty Flo who was preparing breakfast.  “Hey you two, slow down” said uncle Clem.  “You will knock something over if you’re not careful.” “What about your breakfast”, yelled aunty Flo.  “Leave them aunty Flo”, said uncle Clem.  “They will be back soon enough when their tummy monsters start screaming for food.”

Mike and Maisie went around the back of the tent and peered through the trees at the rabbit.  Still the rabbit was staring up into the air.  Mike stepped out through the bushes and to the fright of both the rabbit and Mike, the rabbit fell backwards off the rock.

“Oh my goodness” said Maisie, “are you alright?”  “I am fine” said the rabbit, “I am fine. You gave me a fright that is all”.  “Well we certainly got a fright too” said Mike.  “We were watching you from our tent and were wondering why you were standing on that rock looking up towards the sky”. “Oh you were, were you” said the rabbit.  “Why?  Why do you want to know?”  “For no reason in particular” said Mike, “we just thought you looked a bit odd that’s all”.  “Odd” said the rabbit.  “You come out here, interrupt my personal space, almost knock me out in the process and want to know what I am doing?”  “There is no need to be rude” said Maisie.  “We only want to be your friend, but if you don’t need any friend’s that’s ok, we will leave you in peace.  Come on Mike, let’s go. Obviously this rabbit isn’t interested in becoming our friend” said Maisie.  “Now, just wait a minute” said the rabbit.  “You scared me, that is all.  I would be honoured to have you as my friends” said the rabbit.  “My name is Sebastian and I live beyond the pond of 1000 dreams – well over there behind that lake, but it sounds better when I say pond of 1000 dreams.”  Maisie and Mike giggled at the rabbit then they introduced themselves and told Sebastian how they were camping in the area.  “Just over here beyond these trees” said Mike.

As they all turned to look, they could smell the sweet aroma of Aunty Flo’s breakfast which meant that if they didn’t hurry back they wouldn’t get any.  “Would you like to join us for breakfast, Sebastian?” said Maisie.  “Oh I would love to” said Sebastian, “that would be a real delight.”  “C’mon then” said Mike, “I’ll race you through the trees to the tent” and with that they all ran like mad back to the camp site to get their breakfast.

Mike and Maisie introduced Sebastian to aunty Flo and uncle Clem and then they all tucked into the great feast aunty Flo had prepared for their breakfast.

“Eat up now” said aunty Flo, “you need all the nutrients you can get for your little bodies to grow big and strong.” 

Sebastian felt quite honoured to be joining such a nice family for breakfast.  He knew that he had found great friends in Mike and Maisie and was looking forward to showing them where he lived.

“After breakfast Sebastian, will you tell us what you were doing on that rock?” said Mike.  “All in good time” said Sebastian, “I have other things to show you first.”……..

Chapter 4

 After breakfast, Sebastian, Mike and Maisie set off into the nearby forest.  “There is someone I must go and check on” said Sebastian.  “Come with me.” 

Off they raced running through bushes of green shrubs and wild flowers. “Wait, wait up Sebastian” said Mike.  All of a sudden Sebastian stopped.  He stopped and became deadly silent. “SHHHHH” said Sebastian.  “What’s wrong?” whispered Mike with a worried look on his face.  “Look” said Sebastian, “through there” pointing through a thick scrub of bush.  Mike and Maisie both leant forward to peer through the bush.  Through the bushes they saw what looked like an emu with it’s head buried in the sand.  “Oh my, what on earth is that emu doing” asked Maisie. 

They all stood and looked on in silence as the emu stood ever so still with her head buried in the sand.  “Well you see” said Sebastian, “these other kids keep teasing her, so in fear, she puts her head in the sand much like an ostrich does.  Sooner or later they give up and go on their way.  Some days she can stay there for hours until she feels safe to pull her head out and then she runs home.  I have found her this way many times but she is too frightened to speak to me.” 

Maisie became quite sad for the emu, “how sad and lonely she must feel” said Maisie.  “Yeh” said Mike, “that is really cruel”.  Maisie, ever so quietly, tiptoed over to where the emu was standing, “hello there” Maisie whispered, “hello”, she said again.  Still the emu did not move.  Maisie gently touched the emu whispering quietly that she was now safe and it was ok for her to lift her head. 

Slowly the emu started to lift her head out of the hole.  She was shaking with fear but when she looked at Maisie she saw there was no reason to be scared anymore. “Hello, my name is Maisie, this is Mike and that is Sebastian.  Are they gone?” said the emu.  “Is who gone?” said Maisie.  “Who did this to you?”  Maisie stood there trying to show support for the emu who had gone through so much.  “There is no one else here except us.  You don’t have to be afraid of us,” said Mike.  “What is your name?”  The emu had one more glance around to make sure there was no one else there with them.  “My name is Lesslee” she said.  “Well Lesslee, it is wonderful to meet you.  Do you know why those other kids do this to you?” said Mike.  “They don’t like me” said Lesslee, “they don’t know me and they don’t like me”. 

Well, would you like to join our circle of friends?” said Maisie.  “Yeh” said Mike, “it is growing real fast.  We met Sebastian this morning and you now, and we thought we were going to have no one to play with on our camping trip.” 

Lesslee was so excited that she had found some friends.  “I would love to be your friend”, she said.  They all became very excited that their little group was growing.  “We could have a secret club you know, we could call it the Kool Kamper club” said Mike.  “That sounds great” said Sebastian, and with that they all started to dance around together and as they did, they formed their own little song;  

We are kool kampers everyone, kool kampers in the sun, kool kampers just for fun.We are kool kampers everyone, and kool kampers stick together………  

And that is exactly what the four of them did.  They stuck together and had the most exciting camping trip the could ever have dreamed of.