A Day with Daddy

[The following story is dedicated to the memory of a wonderful father, Paul Floyd.]

Early one sunny morning, in a little house on Horncastle road, Gavin, Peter and John were fast asleep.  That was until Daddy appeared and woke each of them up with an explosive aeroplane tickle!  Peter smiled as he watched Daddy wiggle his eyebrows.

Then Daddy said, ‘Keep your pyjamas on, we’re going to the car!’  

‘Hurray!’ shouted the boys as Daddy took them one-by-one to the car on his shoulders!  In the back of the car, Daddy had prepared the most wonderful, exciting and cosy bed for the boys.  

‘Settle down now, we have a long journey ahead of us!’  Then Daddy said a prayer before starting the car and beginning the adventure.  Gavin, Peter and John were so comfortable they instantly fell fast asleep!

BEEP-BEEP! went the horn on the car as the boys awoke to find they had arrived at their destination.  

‘Here we are!’ said Daddy looking at Gavin, Peter and John with a great big smile on his face!  

‘We’re at the woods!’ shouted John excitedly!  

‘Yes we are!’ said Daddy, as he opened up the boot for the boys to get out.  ‘But watch out, there may be fierce creatures in these woods!’ Then, before they knew it, Gavin, Peter and John were being chased into the forest by a great big lion!!  But they didn’t mind, as they knew Daddy wasn’t a dangerous lion.  When he caught the boys he tickled them till their tummies hurt with laugher! 

Suddenly, they all heard a strange scratching noise coming from behind one of the trees.  They looked over to where the noise was coming from and out jumped a great big rabbit!

‘Hello, I’m Mr. Rabbit!’ he said as he cheerfully bounced towards the boys.  ‘Who would like to play a game of hide and seek?’

‘Me!’ All the boys yelled together at once.  

‘Okay then!  Close your eyes and count to ten!’  

After counting to ten the boys opened their eyes, but could not see Mr. Rabbit anywhere.  

‘This way!’ shouted Gavin.  Peter and John followed as Gavin lead them on a high-speed chase through the woods.  They looked high, they looked low, they looked up trees and they looked around trees.  Eventually Gavin spotted some bouncing legs going through some bushes.  As the boys followed they found themselves in the middle of a great big glade. 

Mr. Rabbit turned around and said to the boys ‘Ta da!’  Gavin, Peter and John were amazed to look around and see a gallery of wonderful paintings and sculptures.  

‘Who did all these?’ asked Peter.  

‘Why, don’t you know?’ replied Mr. Rabbit.  ‘Your Daddy did of course!’ 

 ‘I love them!’ said John.  

‘I want make pictures just like these!’ whispered Gavin.  

‘But where is Daddy?’ questioned Peter.  

Mr. Rabbit pointed to a ladder on a tree.  Gavin, Peter and John said goodbye to Mr. Rabbit as they left him and climbed the ladder.  

When they reached the top the boys found themselves in a wonderfully big tree house.  They stood still for a moment.  Suddenly out jumped Daddy from behind a curtain.  He was dressed as a brightly coloured clown.  

‘Daddy, you’re so silly!’ said John.  

Daddy grinned back at him then said to the boys, ‘Come on, follow me!’  and he ran through the door, out onto a wooden bridge.  The boys excitedly chased after him. 

They ran across many bridges between the trees.  Daddy made great big ‘whooping’ noises, which echoed through the forest.  The boys copied him, ‘Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!’ as they ran along!  Then they came to a sudden halt! 

‘Ready?” asked Daddy.  

‘Ready!’ said the boys.  

They all held hands, then jumped down the gigantic slide.  ‘Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!’ They landed in a big pile of leaves, right next to the car!  

Gavin, Peter and John laughed hysterically as they threw the leaves up in the air.  They looked around for Daddy.  ‘Where are you Daddy?’ shouted Peter.  

‘I’m right here!’ he said as he appeared from behind the car, back in his usual Daddy clothes.  He brought a picnic over to them containing all sorts of wonderful treats made by Mummy.  They gobbled them up as quickly as they had flown down the slide!  

‘Okay, let’s go home!’ said Daddy.  The boys happily jumped back into their cosy bed in the back of the car.  Then Daddy said a prayer, started the car and set off for home.  The boys chatted excitedly about the fun they had on their day with Daddy, before falling fast asleep!

When they arrived home, in the evening, the boys were all so tired they did not even wake up.  One-by-one Daddy carried Gavin, Peter and John to their beds.  Mummy smiled when she saw her happy and sleepy boys!  Together, Mummy and Daddy tucked up the boys.  

As they watched them sleep Mummy said to Daddy, ‘Aren’t you a wonderful Daddy!’

Jamie Can Fly! (Chapter 8)

‘Pick up the green ball, you may need that,’ said Clarence who starting walking across the puffy clouds in the direction of the sun.  Jamie did as he suggested and picked up the green ball, which contained the message.  He then ran to catch up with the clurtle who, even though he was old, was still a fast walker.

            ‘Where are we going?’ asked Jamie.

            ‘We need to get to the departure door, the one directly above Val d’Isère,’ replied Clarence.

            As they walked across the vast cloudscape Jamie enjoyed the feeling of his feet walking on the clouds.  It was like treading upon lots and lots of thick cotton wool.  He would have quite happily curled up and had a nice long sleep on it.  However, there was no time for that now.  Clarence seemed eager to get to the departure door without even stopping for rest.

            ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ asked Jamie.

            ‘Not by any means my dear boy,’ said Clarence with a chuckle.

            ‘Hang on a minute,’ said Jamie.  ‘Why are we walking?  I can fly!’

            ‘Yes my boy, you can.  But I cannot!’ replied Clarence.

            ‘Oh… Well what if I carried you?’

            ‘Carried me!  Do you know how heavy I am?  No, no, no!  That would not work at all!’

            ‘Can’t I even try?’ asked Jamie, who was always determined to attempt to do new things, even if they did not seem possible.  Then, before Clarence had a chance to reply, Jamie had his hands wrapped around the edge of Clarence’s shell.  ‘Now I just need to work out how to hold on to you whilst pointing.’

            ‘My boy, what are you doing?’ blurted Clarence anxiously.

            ‘It’s alright, I think I’ve got it!’ Jamie pointed his index finger whilst still holding on to the shell with the rest of his hand.  There was a shake!  There was a spin!  On Jamie’s face there was a grin as the two of them were lifted up into the air above the cloudscape.  ‘We’re doing it Clarence!  We’re really doing it!’

            Clarence struggled to say anything.  He was speechless.  Jamie lifted them higher and higher before he paused to ask, ‘Which way now?’

            ‘It’s… it’s that way, over towards the tall blue cloud.’

            Jamie looked in the direction of Clarence’s pointed foot.  In the distance he saw what it was Clarence was referring to.  It was the shape of a very tall Christmas tree.  It sparkled and shone the most beautiful blue colour.  Jamie could not wait to get near it.  So, with the flick of his finger, WHOOSH! off they went!

[Chapter 9]

Jamie Can Fly! (Chapter 7)

Clarence jumped on Jamie to push him down.  There was a loud CRASH!  Jamie lifted his head, which had been momentarily buried in the cloud beneath him.  'What is that?' asked Jamie as he glanced at the motionless object that lay before him.

Clarence, still on Jamie's back, cautiously replied, 'It looks like a rock, dear boy.'

'A rock?  Where did a rock come from?' asked Jamie who then jumped to his feet and slowly crept towards the curious looking object.

The rock was a bluey-purple colour and it sparkled as if it were covered in glitter.  It was the size of a football but definitely not soft enough to kick.  As he took a closer look Jamie noticed a large crack running right the way down the middle of it. He then reached down to pick it up.

'Careful old boy!' came the words from the elderly clurtle who gazed at the rock with intense fascination.

'Don't worry, I'll be careful,' replied Jamie as he scooped up the rock in his small hands.

Just as he gripped it, the rock split and the two halves fell down on the cloud revealing its contents.  It was a warm pink colour on the inside, and in the middle (at the place where you would find a stone if you were to cut open an avocado) there was a perfectly spherical green ball.  Jamie and Clarence stared, for few moments, at what lay before them. 

'What do you think it is?' asked Clarence who was now looking to his new young friend for answers.

'I'm not too sure, but it looks like it has writing on it,' said Jamie as he reached down and picked up the green object.  ‘It has my name written on it!’ gasped Jamie.

‘Well what does it say?’ asked the ever-impatient clurtle.

‘It says, Fly to Val d’Isère Jamie! Fly there now!’  Jamie’s puzzled expression invited an informed response from Clarence.

‘Why, that’s it my dear boy!  You’re to fly to France!’

‘France?  How do you know that?’ asked Jamie, keeping his eyes fixed on the green ball.

‘On my many journeys across the cloudscape I have often looked down upon those magnificent snowy peaks.  They say that swarms of people explore them by sliding down them with the help of planks of wood strapped to their feet!’

At this point Jamie realised what Clarence was talking about, ‘I know what you mean!  You’re speaking about the French alps – the snowy mountains where people like to go for their skiing holidays.’

‘Skiing?’ asked Clarence who appeared to be unfamiliar with this popular leisure activity.

‘That’s right, skiing.  It looks a bit like these clouds here.  People have fun when they speed down the mountains on their skis and snowboards.’

‘That does sound dangerous,’ said Clarence.

‘Well it can be, but most of the time it’s good fun!’  Although Jamie had never actually been on a skiing holiday himself, he knew a lot about it from his uncle Roger who went every year and never failed to recount his adventurous tales to Jamie, who always listened with great interest.

‘Well my boy, it seems as though your mission has arrived.  Best get a move on eh!’ said Clarence with a fresh lift in his voice.

‘But I don’t understand?  Where did that rock come from?  How does it know my name?  Why does it want me to go to Val d’Isère?’ Jamie’s tone was beginning to grow anxious with each unanswered question.

‘Don’t you worry my dear boy,’ responded Clarence in his calming way.  ‘The answers will come.  They will come indeed!’

[Chapter 8]

Jamie Can Fly! (Chapter 6)

The clouds felt cool against Jamie’s cheeks as he glided through them.  For a moment all he could see was whiteness, brighter than a snowy day.  His eyes squinted as he emerged from the clouds to be confronted by the bright glaring sun resting upon them. 

‘Wow!  It’s beautiful!’ remarked Jamie as he slowed down to hover above, what looked like, a vast mountain range made of clouds.  ‘I feel like I could walk on them!’

‘You can walk on them!’

‘Who was that?’ said Jamie as he spun around in the direction of the unexpected voice.

‘Don’t be alarmed!  It’s just me.’

As Jamie looked down he saw a small creature, resembling a turtle, staring wide-eyed up towards him.

‘Who… or, should I say, what are you?’ asked Jamie.

‘Ah, my dear boy, it’s been a while since I’ve seen the likes of someone as curious as you up here!’  The creature spoke in a soft friendly tone of voice.  It was a voice that reminded Jamie of his dear old grandpa.  ‘Of course, you won’t have seen anyone like me before, I’m sure,’ said the creature as Jamie continued to listen.  ‘I am a clurtle.’

There was a short pause before Jamie replied, ‘I’ve never heard of a ‘clurtle’ before?’

‘Of course you haven’t, for this is your first experience of the cloudscape.’

‘The cloudscape?’

‘Yes, the cloudscape.  Not the landscape, like you know, but the cloudscape made of the clouds!  Up here you will find miles upon miles of clouds to roam and wander through.  And amongst these clouds you will find all sorts of wonderful things!  How do I know all this, I hear you ask.  I know this because I, Clarence the Third, have lived here for more than three hundred years!’

‘Clarence the Third – is that your name then?’ asked Jamie.

‘Yes, after my father and after his father before him,’ replied the clurtle with a twinkle in his eye.

‘And you’ve lived here for three hundred years?’

‘More than three hundred years my dear boy!’

‘Wow!  That is a long time.  I’m not even 10 years old yet!’

Clarence chuckled as he beckoned Jamie down with his foot.  ‘Come down here my boy.’

Jamie used his finger to point his way down to where Clarence was sat, even though he was a bit nervous of falling through the clouds.

‘Don’t look so worried,’ said Clarence.  ‘It’s safe enough for you here!’

‘It’s amazing!  It feels so soft and secure.  I thought I might fall through it,’ said Jamie as he landed gently next to Clarence.

When you’re on the cloudscape there is no need to fear!  Well, almost no need to fear… LOOK OUT!’

[Chapter 7]

A note from Nev...

Last week I particularly enjoyed my session with the year 2 class at Burstow Primary School in Surrey, who won a session for Children's Book Week.  Until that day I had never considered telling a story about a dolphin who lived underground!  I know what you're thinking, 'How can a dolphin live underground?'  Well that is the joy of creating stories - there is no limit to what our imaginations can do!  Together, we decided how this story could happen and what adventure our dolphin would get herself into.

So remember - with the imagination nothing is impossible!

Jamie Can Fly! (Chapter 5)

There was a WHOOSH! as Jamie sped down to where the itching powder lay.  In a flash he picked it up, gripped it under his left arm then pointed with his right finger as he flew up and stopped just a few metres above Tank, Eric and Vern.  There was a gasp, then a brief murmuring from the crowd as they anticipated what would happen next.

Jamie then spoke out valiantly as he said, ‘Everybody!  I know you are amazed.  I am too!  Every day these three put me through the most horrible things.  Why?  I don’t know!  I don’t understand why they choose to pick on me.  And, today, they wanted to cover me in this!’  Jamie held up the tub of itching powder for all to see.

Tank was still trying to understand how this had all happened so fast.  A few moments ago it was him who was holding the tub to the crowd.  Now, just a short while later, Jamie was not only free from the ropes but it was now he who was holding the itching powder.  Tank and his sidekicks cringed as they saw the tub being held precariously above their heads.

‘Shall I give them a taste of their own medicine?’ Jamie asked.

There was a short pause as the members of the crowd turned to one another as if to check that his or her neighbour had the same idea.  They then shouted a united, ‘YESSS!!’

The crowd jumped and giggled with excitement as Jamie began to open the lid.  As his hand gripped and twisted it round, the faces of Tank, Eric and Vern turned completely pale.  Tank nudged his accomplices and whispered, from the side of his mouth, ‘Quick, run for it you morons!’

Off they went, running up the street, away from Jamie and the crowd.  Jamie held the tub tightly under his arm as he pursued them.  It was not long before he was directly over their heads once more.  The boys may have been fast with their running, but they stood no chance against Jamie who could now fly as quickly as a bird.

Poor Mr. Evans, the local postman, was nearly knocked off his bike as the great crowd rushed past him to follow the action.  Mr. Evans had been feeling a bit under the weather with a terrible nose cold.  He now believed he was losing his mind as he looked up to see, what appeared to be, a young boy flying straight up the middle of the road.

 Tank, Eric and Vern had not stopped running.  Neither had the crowd.  And neither had Jamie stopped flying over their heads.  As he followed them the three boys all looked nervously back at Jamie.  It was at this point that they reached a skip with a long plank of wood leading up to the top of it.  Of course, this plank was meant for a wheelbarrow.  However, at this moment in time, it was not a wheelbarrow going up it but three unsuspecting boys.

BANG!  WHACK!  THUMP! was the sound, as one after the other Tank, Eric and Vern landed at the bottom of the skip in a great heap, as though they themselves were a pile of rubbish.  The crowd now surrounded the skip, all gazing in wonder at the three dishevelled boys. 

Jamie, now directly above them, continued to remove the lid from the itching powder.  ‘It’s about time you understand what it feels like to be humiliated in public!’ 

The three boys helplessly held their hands up in an attempt to protect themselves from what was to come.  But it was to no avail, as Jamie proceeded to tip the entire contents of the itching powder tub all over them.  The crowd gasped as the boys cried out in unison, ‘NOOOO!!!’

Jamie’s expression said it all – a mixture of delight, relief and satisfaction.  The crowd continued to stare in wonder as they watched three boys.  First, it was Eric’s nose which started twitching.  Then, Vern’s shoulder started jumping up and down.  Tank’s belly began to jiggle and all of their fingers started to wiggle before,

‘Ouch!’

‘Eeeek!’

‘Ooooh!’

‘Aaaahhh!’

            It was impossible to follow the speed of their hands as each one of the boys frantically itched his entire body.

            ‘Aaahh!  It’s agony!’ screamed Eric.

            ‘I can’t stand it!’ shouted Vern.

            ‘I’ve got an itchy bottom!’ blurted Tank, forgetting that the whole school was watching and listening to him.  They all let out a huge roar of laughter.

            Satisfied with his payback, Jamie grinned before he pointed his finger towards the highest clouds he could see.  Then, at great speed, Jamie shot off – up into the sky!

[Chapter 6]