Bedtime Story 23/5/2018

It's getting to the time of year that the weather will hopefully be getting nice and warm and walks through the woods or along the beach become a favourite pastime for many.  I can remember family walks as a child - I was often found collecting "treasure" as I went, just like the little girl in this story!

Listen to this week's story as a podcast by clicking here.

Polly's Treasure

Polly loved going for walks with her mum, dad, big brother, Ben and big sister, Penny.  She loved feeling the warm sun on her face, watching the fluffy clouds roll across the blue sky and exploring brand new places.  But most of all, Polly loved collecting treasure.

In fact, Polly loved collecting treasure a little too much.  So much so, that she was always lagging behind everyone else.  "One of these days, you'll end up lost!"  Penny would say.  But Polly never listened.  She just loved to collect things!

One bright, sunny morning, Mum and Dad packed a picnic into a rucksack and announced that the whole family were going on a walk through the woods.  Ben, Penny and Polly hurried to get themselves ready.  Polly grabbed a little, pink bag.  "What's that for?"  Ben asked.

"To put all my treasure in, of course!"  Polly beamed.

The family set off and before long, the houses and shops of their village gave way to wide open fields.  Polly noticed a particularly pretty bluebell, growing on a verge.  She stopped to pick it, gently placing it in her bag.  Mum, Dad, Ben and Penny carried on walking ahead, but Polly didn't mind.  They were only a few steps in front of her.

Soon, the pavement changed to a dusty track, leading up through the fields, towards the woods.  Polly noticed a very shiny pebble on the ground.  She picked it up and paused a while, feeling its smooth edges and enjoying its coolness against her skin.  She popped it into her bag with the bluebell.  Mum, Dad, Ben and Penny were a little further ahead, now, but Polly knew she could easily catch up if she jogged.  She was enjoying herself, taking her time, looking for treasure.

The sun shone down and something glinted on the path.  Polly gasped: "REAL treasure!"  It was a small, pink gem.  It had probably fallen off a bag or a piece of clothing.  Polly picked it up and put it in her bag with the pebble and the bluebell.  Mum, Dad, Ben and Penny were just entering the woods.  They were quite far ahead, but Polly could still see them, so she wasn't worried.  

When Polly entered the woods, she smiled at the shards of sunlight breaking through the trees and painting strips of white all around.  It was cooler underneath the trees and there were lots of interesting things to look at.  Polly noticed a twig on the ground, with a pretty little bud on the end of it.  She thought it looked a little bit like a magic wand, so she stopped, picked it up and put it in her bag, along with the gem, the pebble and the bluebell.  Mum, Dad, Ben and Penny were slowly becoming figures in the distance.  Polly thought maybe she ought to try to catch them up.

Just as Polly started to walk a little faster, however, she spotted a rather unusual looking leaf, lying curled up on the ground.  It was dark green, with lighter green spots.  It was so strange looking, that Polly couldn't resist adding it to her treasure collection.  She opened up her bag and dropped the leaf in with the twig, the gem, the pebble and the bluebell.

Polly closed the bag and looked up.  Suddenly, she couldn't see Mum, Dad, Ben or Penny.  Where were they?!

Polly looked all around her.  The friendly looking woods, with bright sunlight dappling the trees, suddenly seemed dark and scary.  Her family were nowhere to be seen and Polly suddenly wished she could trade all of her treasures for a glimpse of them.  She started to run, her feet crunching on twigs as she went.  Her heart hammered in her chest and her breath came out in short bursts.

Then, finally, she spotted them.

Mum, Dad, Ben and Penny were all standing still in a little clearing, glancing all around them, with worried looks on their faces.  Mum spotted Polly first and cried out her name.  Polly went rushing into her arms, as though she hadn't seen her in a year.

"Where on Earth did you get to?"  Mum exclaimed.  "One minute you were just behind us and the next..."

Polly sighed.  "I got distracted, looking for treasure," she confessed.  "And then when I thought I'd lost you all, I was really scared."

Polly stared into her little, pink bag.  Suddenly, none of her treasures seemed that important, anymore.  The best treasures in the world were right in front of her.

From then on, Polly stayed close to her family as they continued their walk.  When they finally stopped in a pretty little clearing, to share their picnic, Penny asked to see the treasure her sister had collected.  "Wow, you've got some nice things," she smiled, looking into the bag.  "Are you going to get some more on the way home?"

Polly laughed as she shook her head.  "I think I've got quite enough treasure, now," she smiled.  And as the sun continued to break through the trees, the family walked together - all of them - smiling and laughing the whole way.

THE END