Sycamore Village
Their ship was crashing on the open sea and the rain and waves were pouring over them! Peter and Davie were yelling loudly to the crew.
“Lower the sails! “
“Hoist the rigging!”
“Hold on matey’s!!”
They were having a terrible time of it when all of a sudden the two boys crashed on the deck laughing and the storm seemingly gave way to sunshine and laughter.
Just across the yard two fine ladies dressed in pearls, high heels, and long flowing dresses called to the sailors.
“Would you care for a cup of tea, sirs?”
“We would greatly appreciate your company.” Chimed in the second.
“Aye!” hollered Peter, “Is it Lemonade?”
“Oh no!” Cried the first lady, “Only the finest tea.”
“But it has a rather large hint of lemonade,” followed the second, trying not to discourage their company from coming.
“Well, yes… rather.” Replied the first.
“Then we shall dock our ship, me ladies, and be there right away!” Peter called through cupped hands.
The ladies, Joy and Nola, hurried to get the tea table ready as the sailors swaggered up. A large pitcher of lemonade, oatmeal raisin cookies, and a bag of pretzels appeared, followed by four tiny plates and four even tinier tea cups setting carefully on four tiny saucers.
Joy and Nola beamed with satisfaction as the sailors plopped down at their table and looked around hungrily.
“Ah come on Joy, you said we didn’t have to use these tiny things anymore! That’s not even half a swallow!” grumbled Peter.
“We invited you to a tea party, not lunch.”Joy stated emphatically!
The boys grumbled, but wanted the food, so were inclined to stay. Before leaving they had two dozen cups of tea and four cookies each.
As they were excusing themselves to leave Peter pulled out his sword hooping and hollering, grabbed the bag of pretzels and ran for the ship! Davie smiled broadly and ran after him, leaving the ladies looking distressed and with quite a large mess to clean up.
* * *
Peter and Davie sailed their ship till the sun set low on the horizon. As the last beams slipped from view they climbed down their rope ladder to the ground and walked toward the glowing window of the ladies tea house.
“You comin’?” Hollered Peter.
Joy’s head popped out of the door way. “Just sweeping one last time, hold on, we’ll be right there!”
Peter and Davie kicked the dirt and grass with their bare toes as they waited. The crickets and frogs were already in full harmony and the stars where just starting to gleam through the sky above. Joy and Nola came out and closed the door behind them.
“We can’t leave any crumbs, because the raccoons and mice where getting in and making a mess!” stated Joy as they walked back to the house.
“Do you guys want to play a board game tonight?” asked Davie, thrashing his wooden sword at a bush.
“No way! Dad stopped by the library on the way home today, he said he got you boys a book on Knights and Castles and us girls some books on Ladies in Waiting.” said Nola, “Mom told me when I went in to get more water for our dishes.”
“Cool” shouted Davie and took off running.
The others followed behind, all running, and laughing as the cool night air settled in. Soon the house was aglow with lights and laughter as dinner dishes were washed and four happy children grabbed books and pajamas and headed to bed.
* * *
The table and chairs were moved outside and tall cone hats with netting a mile long were being strapped on as Joy and Nola gracefully lounged on the lawn in front of their castle.
“We really need some servants” said Nola, “ What are we supposed to do all day? Just sit here?”
“We could play some cards.” Joy said. “Ladies always enjoy cards!”
Nola hopped up from her chair, sending it toppling over backwards and ran into the castle to fetch some playing cards.
Just then Peter and Davie marched by beating their cardboard armor and waving their wooden swords.
“Ho! Ye Knaves!” Yelled Peter, “ Prepare for battle!”
Davie held up his hand signaling his troops to halt. “Would the ladies care to bid us fearsome warriors fare thee well?”
Peter held his horse steady while stomping wildly on the ground. “Come on then Captain we must be off!”
The fine ladies jumped up pulling lace trimmed handkerchiefs from there pockets. They blew kisses and bade farewell to the loyal knights of Sycamore Village.
“ Take Courage!”
“ May you come back in one piece!” called Nola
“ Forget not your fair ladies” Sobbed Joy
The boys marched on into battle and Joy and Nola sat back down for a game of cards. The flies where buzzing about and causing the fine ladies to do more fanning than playing and eventually they gave up.
“ I think,” Said Nola, “ That going to war would be more fun than this.”
“ Perhaps,” Said Joy tilting her head in a superior way, “ You have come upon just the thing my dear Nola.”
Nola perked up, “So you wanna find some sticks and ambush the boys?”
Neither lady waited for a response. Dresses, hats, pearls, high heels, and handkerchiefs where dropped in a heap and sticks were brandished with fervor. A fierce battle ensued, with much yelling and thudding of swords. Laughter and cries of treason filtered through the meadow as the sun shone down hot on the children’s backs and necks.
* * *
Three days of battles, card parties, court jesters, and fine parades slipped by in the summer heat until a pile of books was discovered upon bedtime one cool evening with pictures of African safaris, animal traps, ferocious lions, and much more filling the pages. The four siblings squealed in delight as they pulled pajama shirts on over their heads and climbed into bed. Four brown haired, sweet faced children dreamt of incredible arid lands filled with fantastical creatures. They caught lions, and elephants and and fought off swarms of disease-infested flies. The next morning all Peter, Davie, Joy, and Nola could talk about were their plans for transforming Sycamore Village into an African safari. The morning chores were done at an unusually fast pace and finally Mother gave her consent and off bounded the four eager youngsters. Davie and Joy gathered large sticks and built a cage to keep lions in. Nola went in search of her butterfly net and bug catcher, and Peter was finagling with a rope on the tree house.
“what’s that for Peter?” Called up Davie. “Come down here and help us build this lion cage.”
“I”m making a noose trap for a monkey. See, if I lay the noose on the ground and lay leaves over it like this - .” He dumped a large handful of Catawba leaves over the rope on the ground. “Then I will be up in the tree waiting - .” Danny grunted as he climbed up the rope ladder.
Davie and Joy were both standing, hands on their hips, staring up into the tree as Peter climbed and explained.
“ Ah!, now when the monkey wanders by,” Peter continued now at the deck of the fort. “I yank on the rope from up here and the noose tightens around its leg and I will secure the rope around this tree limb.”
Davie shouted excitedly “ And you’ve caught a real African Monkey!”
“Yep.” Said Peter importantly.
“We are going to catch a lion and sell it to the zoo.” Said Joy, “ Then we can go and visit him every day and be his friend.”
“That’s fine for you,” Peter frowned, “ but I’m going to have my monkey take me back to his troop and teach me how to climb trees and eat bananas.”
Just then Nola came tramping up with her butterfly net and sundry other items banging against her side and legs.”And I’m going to catch poisonous snakes and frogs and pin them on cards and set up a museum!” She said, dropping her load on the ground.
“Who’s going to scare up the animals?” Asked Joy
“I have to hold the rope,” Said Peter. “ Not me.”
“I need to organize my containers,” Nola said squatting down to arrange the heap she had just dropped.
Joy turned to Davie “ One of us needs to stay near the cage to shut the door when the lion comes.” she said in a knowing way.
Davie frowned, “well I suppose making a ruckus will be more enjoyable than crouching in the BUG infested grass.” He emphasized the word bug and then raced away. Joy cringed and toed the leaves around her feet into a wide circle.
Davie found an old metal lid and a spoon from the girls play house and was zig zagging through the grass banging them together and yelling loudly. “ Come out ferocious lion!, Come out Monkey.”
“Come out poisonous snakes and frogs!” yelled Nola, when Davie didn’t include them.
* * *
By the end of the day the children had caught three lions, a dozen poisonous frogs, one large snake, an elephant, two monkeys, and a tiger. The desert safari soon included a zoo with all manner of animals, many expeditions to wild lands had been made, and a lovely museum was put together, complete with labeled cards and pins, although there was nothing but leaves pinned to the cards. A full two weeks went by before the four children were whisked away into new adventures, even though many books came and went throughout the evenings. Eventually the Summer cooled to Fall and the days grew shorter. The playhouse was cleaned out for winter, and the treehouse was abandoned for fireside read-alouds, puzzles, games, sledding, and skating. Once the living room became a circus and the elephant the children had caught many months ago was borrowed from the zoo to perform for the ringmaster along with a talented tightrope walker. Another time the hallway became a racetrack where many fine drag racing crews competed and cheered each other on. There is always endless amounts of fun when there is imagination, and even more so when there is someone to share it with. (Or in this case four someone’s to share it with) It wan’t long after mud pies were found in the bathtub that pirates could be heard in the tree tops again, and tea parties were being laid out on the lawn for weary seafaring men.
Sarah
Comments
Post a Comment