43 The Launch
Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 5:52 am
43 The Launch
© Stephen Whiteside 24.11.2011
As luck (or Dulcie?) would have it, the piece of bark, while lying a good distance from the banks of the river, was resting very close to a small tributary. Horatio and Magnifico sank their sharp teeth deep into the edge of the bark, and began to drag it along behind them. The first few steps were hard going, but then the ground began to slope more steeply under them, and it became much easier. Steeper and steeper became the ground until the piece of bark almost began to slide by itself. Faster and faster it went down the bank, until Horatio and Magnifico were forced to jump out of its way as it catapaulted itself off a low rock and landed splash! in the little creek.
Quick, Magnifico, follow me!
Already the current had begun to take hold of the piece of bark, and they were at grave risk of being left behind. Horatio hurled himself from the bank and landed unsteadily on the corner of the raft. Magnifico followed. It was a mighty jump for a little mouse, but it wasn’t enough. He missed.
Horatio spun around and thrust his foreleg deep into the icy water. Magnifico stretched his foreleg forward as far as he could go, and felt Horatio’s claws lock firmly around his. Horatio dug his back claws deeply into the slightly yielding bark, and pulled for all he was worth.
It didn’t take much. As soon as the self-reliant mouse was within striking distance of the raft he pulled himself up onto it quite easily. The two moved towards the centre of their new craft, and shook themselves vigorously. They were soaking wet and freezing cold, but hey! Guess what? It was working! They were actually floating down the river on a raft! Well, it wasn’t quite the river yet, it was just a small creek, but they were floating, that was the point, and moving with the current, and soon they would be on the great broad river itself! The spirit of Dulcie was indeed looking after them. Oh, thank you, Dulcie! Thank you!
© Stephen Whiteside 24.11.2011
As luck (or Dulcie?) would have it, the piece of bark, while lying a good distance from the banks of the river, was resting very close to a small tributary. Horatio and Magnifico sank their sharp teeth deep into the edge of the bark, and began to drag it along behind them. The first few steps were hard going, but then the ground began to slope more steeply under them, and it became much easier. Steeper and steeper became the ground until the piece of bark almost began to slide by itself. Faster and faster it went down the bank, until Horatio and Magnifico were forced to jump out of its way as it catapaulted itself off a low rock and landed splash! in the little creek.
Quick, Magnifico, follow me!
Already the current had begun to take hold of the piece of bark, and they were at grave risk of being left behind. Horatio hurled himself from the bank and landed unsteadily on the corner of the raft. Magnifico followed. It was a mighty jump for a little mouse, but it wasn’t enough. He missed.
Horatio spun around and thrust his foreleg deep into the icy water. Magnifico stretched his foreleg forward as far as he could go, and felt Horatio’s claws lock firmly around his. Horatio dug his back claws deeply into the slightly yielding bark, and pulled for all he was worth.
It didn’t take much. As soon as the self-reliant mouse was within striking distance of the raft he pulled himself up onto it quite easily. The two moved towards the centre of their new craft, and shook themselves vigorously. They were soaking wet and freezing cold, but hey! Guess what? It was working! They were actually floating down the river on a raft! Well, it wasn’t quite the river yet, it was just a small creek, but they were floating, that was the point, and moving with the current, and soon they would be on the great broad river itself! The spirit of Dulcie was indeed looking after them. Oh, thank you, Dulcie! Thank you!
and I doubt they had read Cousteau