TWIGMAN FINDS A SPECIAL ROCK

ONE DAY TWIGMAN FOUND A SPECIAL ROCK IN THE FOREST. HE LOOKED AT IT AND KNEW HE MUST TAKE IT HOME FOR HIS CHILDREN.

THE ROCK WAS VERY HEAVY BUT TWIGMAN WAS VERY STRONG AND HE STRUGGLED TO GET IT HOME BECAUSE HE KNEW IT WOULD BE WORTH THE TROUBLE.

WHEN HE PUT THE ROCK DOWN IN HIS FRONT YARD HIS CHILDREN ASKED ABOUT THE ROCK AND WHY HE HAD BROUGHT IT HOME. HE TOLD THEM IT WAS A WEATHER ROCK. THEY WANTED TO KNOW JUST WHAT A WEATHER ROCK DID. HE TOLD THEM.

WHEN WE LOOK OUTSIDE AND SEE THE WEATHER ROCK IS WET, WE KNOW IT IS RAINING.

WHEN WE LOOK OUT AND THE WEATHER ROCK IS COVERED WITH SNOW WE KNOW IT IS SNOWING.

IF THE WEATHER ROCK IS SMOOTH AND DRY WE KNOW IT IS O.K. TO GO OUT SIDE TO PLAY. THE WEATHER ROCK IS VERY USEFUL.

LEAFY SAID, "CAN'T WE TELL THOSE THINGS WITHOUT LOOKING AT A ROCK?" TWIGMAN SAID, "YES BUT THE ROCK MAKES IT MORE INTERESTING."

THORNY AND KNOBBY BOTH SAID, "THAT SOUNDS SILLY. WE DON'T NEED TO KEEP THAT ROCK!" FUZZY SAID, "I LIKE THE ROCK. CAN WE KEEP IT DADDY, PLEEEZE?" TWIGMAN SAID HE WOULD KEEP THE ROCK AND FUZZY DANCED WITH JOY WHILE HER BROTHERS JUST WALKED AWAY.

TWIGMAN MEETS A NEW ANIMAL

LEAFY TWIG SENT HER SON KNOBBY TO THE STORE TO BUY A DOZEN EGGS. SHE TOLD HIM TO BE CAREFUL TO NOT DROP THEM. HE SHOULD HAVE WALKED BUT HE RODE HIS BICYCLE INSTEAD.
order
ON THE WAY HOME THE BICYCLE SLIPPED ON SOME GRAVEL AND KNOBBY FELL. HE SMASHED HALF OF THE EGGS.

WHEN HE TOLD LEAFY WHAT HAPPENED SHE SAID, "YOU KNEW THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE NOT RIDDEN YOUR BICYCLE. WHY DID YOU DO IT?" KNOBBY SAID, "SOMETHING MADEMEDOIT". LEAFY SAID NO MORE.

THE NEXT DAY THORNY WAS PLAYING WITH HIS AXE. TWIGMAN TOLD HIM DO NOT CUT ANY TREE NEAR TO THE HOUSE. FOR SOME REASON THORNY DID NOT MIND HIS FATHER AND HE CUT A TREE IN THE FRONT YARD.

WHEN TWIGMAN SAW WHAT HE HAD DONE HE ASKED, "WHY DID YOU CUT THAT NICE TREE IN OUR FRONT YARD?" THORNY SAID, "SOMETHING MADEMEDOIT". TWIGMAN WAS ANGRY BUT SAID NO MORE.

LATER FUZZY WAS PLAYING WITH THE SEWING SCISSORS. LEAFY TOLD HER TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO CUT HER HAIR. SHE DID NOT LISTEN. SHE CUT A BIG CHUNK FROM HER HAIR. IT LOOKED FUNNY. WHEN LEAFY ASKED HER WHY SHE HAD CUT HER HAIR, FUZZY SAID, "SOMETHING MADEMEDOIT".

TWIGMAN DID NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT THIS MADMEDOIT THAT HIS CHILDREN WERE ALWAYS USING FOR AN EXCUSE. ONE DAY HE MET A STRANGE CREATURE IN THE WOODS VERY CLOSE TO HIS HOUSE. HE ASKED THE CREATURE WHAT KIND OF AN ANIMAL HE WAS. THE CREATURE SAID, "I AM A MADEMEDOIT." TWIGMAN SAID, "DON'T TELL ME. LET ME GUESS. YOUR FIRST NAME IS SOMETHING." THE CREATURE LOUDLY SAID, "BINGO! MY NAME IS SOMETHING MADEMEDOIT. HOW DID YOU GUESS. TWIGMAN SAID, "I HAVE HEARD ABOUT YOU MANY TIMES. WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME TO MY HOUSE. SOMETHING MADEMEDOIT SAID HE WOULD NOT LIKE THAT BUT HE WOULD ALWAYS BE VERY CLOSE IN CASE HE WAS NEED FOR AN EXCUSE.

THE TWIG FAMILY AND THE ICE STORM

ONE WINTER MORNING WHEN THE TWIG FAMILY WOKE UP EVERYTHING OUTSIDE WAS COVERED WITH GLEAMING SHINY ICE

FUZZY TWIG RAN OUT THE FRONT DOOR TO GET A BETTER LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL SIGHT. HER FEET FLEW OUT FROM UNDER HER AND SHE FELL DOWN.

KNOBBY TWIG YELLED FUZZY HAS FALLEN DOWN. I AM GOING TO HELP HER. LEAFY TWIG SAID, "BE CAREFUL!" KNOBBY RAN OUTSIDE. HIS FEET FLEW OUT FROM UNDER HIM AND HE FELL.

THORNY TWIG YELLED KNOBBY HAS FALLEN TOO. I AM GOING TO HELP AND HE TOO FELL DOWN.

LEAFY TWIG STARTED TO GO AND TWIGMAN TOLD HER TO WAIT A MINUTE BUT HER CHILDREN WERE IN DANGER AND SHE DIDN'T LISTEN TO HIM. SHE RAN DOWN THE FRONT WALK AND SHE ALSO FELL.

TWIGMAN WAS NOT SO EXCITED. HE GOT SOME ICE MELTING FERTILIZER AND BEGAN TO SCATTER IT ON THE SIDEWALK AS THEY WERE ALL CRAWLING BACK TO THE HOUSE.

THEY WERE ALL ABLE TO GET TO THEIR FEET WHERE TWIGMAN HAD PUT THE ICE MELTING FERTILIZER AND THEY ALL FELT PRETTY SILLY BUT THEY DID THANK TWIGMAN FOR MELTING THE ICE.

TWIGMAN WALKS WITH FUZZY

TWIGMAN LIKED TO WALK IN THE WOODS WITH HIS CHILDREN. HE WOULD TEACH THEM ABOUT ANIMAL TRACKS IN THE MUD AND IN THE SNOW. HE ALSO SHOWED THEM HOW TO KNOW THE NAMES OF THE MANY TREES BY LOOKING AT THE SHAPES OF THE LEAVES. TODAY HE WAS GOING FOR A WALK IN THE WOODS. ONLY FUZZY WAS GOING WITH HIM BECAUSE THORNY WAS WORKING AT HIS PART TIME JOB AND KNOBBY HAD SOCCER PRACTICE.

SOON TWIGMAN AND FUZZY CAME TO SOME ANIMAL TRACKS. TWIGMAN TOLD FUZZY THE TRACKS HAD BEEN MADE BY A COYOTE. FUZZY SAID, "DADDY, MY FEET HURT." TWIGMAN SAID, "WE HAVE NOT GONE VERY FAR. YOUR FEET CAN NOT BE HURTING YET."

THEY CAME TO AN INTERESTING TREE. TWIGMAN SHOWED FUZZY THE LEAVES THAT WERE SHAPED LIKE A CATCHERS MIT AND TOLD HER THEY WERE MULBERRY LEAVES. THE BIRDS LIKE TO EAT MULBERRIES." FUZZY SAID, "DADDY MY FEET HURT." AGAIN TWIGMAN TOLD HER THEY HAD NOT GONE FAR AND HER FEET JUST COULD NOT BE HURTING. THEY MOVED ALONG.

THEY CAME TO SOME MORE TRACKS ON THE GROUND. TWIGMAN TOLD FUZZY THE TRACKS HAD BEEN MADE BY A CANADA GOOSE. THE CANADA GOOSE WAS A BEAUTIFUL HUGE BIRD. FUZZY SAID, "DADDY MY FEET HURT". TWIGMAN LOOKED DOWN AT HER FEET.

IT WAS EASY TO SEE WHY HER FEET WERE HURTING. SHE HAD HER SHOES ON THE WRONG FEET.

TWIGMAN SAT FUZZY ON A LOG AND SWITCHED HER SHOES. HER FEET DID NOT HURT ANYMORE.

THEY WENT ALONG WITH A NICE WALK IN THE WOODS WHERE FUZZY LEARNED MANY THINGS AND FUZZY'S FEET DID NOT HURT AGAIN.

YAKIMA KEATS AND THE SPOKANE SPOOK

AS YAKIMA KEATS WAS TRAVELING TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER FOR SALMON FISHING HE CAME TO THE TOWN OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, WHICH IS LOCATED NEAR A WATERFALL ON THE SPOKANE RIVER.

THE PEOPLE OF SPOKANE TOLD HIM NOT TO GO OUT IN THE STREETS AT MIDNIGHT. HE ASKED WHY AND THEY TOLD HIM ABOUT A GHOST CALLED THE SPOKANE SPOOK. IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CITY A TOWN LEADER HAD FALLEN INTO THE RIVER ABOVE THE FALLS.

AS HE WAS BEING CARRIED BY THE SWIFT CURRENT OF THE RIVER TOWARD THE WATERFALL HE CALLED TO THE PEOPLE ON THE RIVER BANK, "THROW ME A ROPE! THROW ME A ROPE!" NO ONE HAD A ROPE WITH THEM AND HE WAS CARRIED OVER THE FALLS TO HIS DEATH. HIS BODY WAS NEVER FOUND.

EVERY NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT THE GHOST OF THE POOR MAN WALKED THE STREETS OF SPOKANE SAYING, "THROW ME A ROPE! THROW ME A ROPE!" THE TOWNS PEOPLE WERE AFRAID OF THE GHOST AND NO ONE WOULD GO INTO THE STREETS AT MIDNIGHT.

YAKIMA WAS NOT AFRAID OF GHOSTS AND HE DECIDED TO SEE THE GHOST FOR HIMSELF. YAKIMA HAD BEEN IN TEXAS WHERE A COWBOY HAD GIVEN HIM A LASSO WHICH HE CARRIED ON HIS EVENING WALKS. HE PRACTICED SPINNING IT ALL THE TIME.

AT MIDNIGHT THE GHOST APPEARED SAYING, "THROW ME A ROPE! THROW ME A ROPE!" YAKIMA DECIDED TO LASSO THE GHOST AND TRIED TO THROW HIS LASSO LOOP OVER THE HEAD OF THE GHOST.

THE GHOST SAID, "I SAID A ROPE DUMMY! NOT A LASSO!" AND DISAPPEARED.

TWIG CHILDREN RAKE LEAVES

IT WAS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN THE LEAVES FALL FROM THE TREES AND THE TWIG FAMILY YARD WAS COVERED WITH A HUGE AMOUNT OF LEAVES FROM THEIR TREES. TWIGMAN TOLD HIS CHILDREN IT WAS THEIR JOB TO RAKE THEM UP. KNOBBY ASKED IF THEY COULD BURN THEM. TWIGMAN TOLD THEM THERE WAS TWO REASONS WHY THEY COULD NOT. NUMBER ONE, FIRE WAS DANGEROUS AND IF IT GOT OUT OF CONTROL MANY NICE THINGS COULD BE DESTROYED. NUMBER TWO, THE SMOKE FROM BURNING LEAVES WAS BAD FOR THE AIR.

WHEN SATURDAY CAME THE CHILDREN STARTED TO RAKE. KNOBBY TOOK THE WEST SIDE OF THE HOUSE. THORNY TOOK THE EAST SIDE. FUZZY TOOK THE FRONT YARD BECAUSE IT WAS SMALLER.

AFTER A WHILE FUZZY GOT VERY TIRED AND DECIDED TO LAY DOWN TO REST ON HER PILE OF LEAVES. SHE FELL ASLEEP.

SOON KNOBBY HAD A BIG PILE OF LEAVES AND HE CARRIED THEM TO THE FRONT YARD TO PUT ON TOP OF THE PILE FUZZY HAD STARTED. THORNY DID THE SAME THING. FUZZY WAS SO TIRED SHE DID NOT WAKE UP EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH A HUGE PILE OF LEAVES.

THE BOYS ASKED TWIGMAN WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO WITH THE LEAVES. TWIGMAN SAID PUT THEM IN PLASTIC BAGS AND WE WILL HAUL THEM TO THE MULCHER TO BE GROUND UP. THE BOYS SACKED UP ALL THE LEAVES. THEY DID NOT SEE FUZZY AND SHE GOT PUT IN A BAG. SHE WAS REALLY SLEEPING SOUND.

WHEN THEY HAD THE LEAVES ALL BAGGED LEAFY TWIG ASKED, "WHERE IS FUZZY?". THE FAMILY KNEW THAT SHE MUST BE IN ONE OF THE BAGS ABOUT THE TIME SHE WOKE UP AND BEGAN TO YELL, "HELP, LET ME OUT OF HERE!"

THEY OPENED THE BAG AND OUT JUMPED FUZZY. SHE WAS REALLY ANGRY WHEN THEY TOLD HER SHE ALMOST GOT GROUND UP INTO TINY PIECES. BUT SHE DID NOT STAY ANGRY VERY LONG WHEN LEAFY TOOK HER INTO THE HOUSE FOR A BIG DISH OF ICE CREAM.

THORNY TWIG MAKES A KITE

THORNY DECIDED ON A WARM SPRING NIGHT,
TO MAKE FOR HIMSELF A FLYING KITE.
WHEN HE GAVE HIS FATHER THIS SUDDEN NEWS,
TWIGMAN SAID, "WHAT WILL YOU USE?".

THORNY THOUGHT FOR A MOMENT AND HE THEN SAID,
I KNOW HOW TO DO IT FROM A BOOK I READ.
PAPER AND STICKS AND STING AND GLUE,
AND A LITTLE HARD WORK BUILDS A KITE THAT'S NEW.

THE VERY NEXT DAY THORNY STARTED THE JOB.
KNOBBY THOUGHT HE WAS CRAZY AND MAYBE A SNOB.
BECAUSE THORNY HAD TOLD HIM TO SHUT UP AND GET.
BUT FUZZY JUST QUIETLY SAID, "CAN I FLY IT?"

THORNY SAID, "MAYBE, WE'LL JUST WAIT AND SEE,
THE FIRST ONE TO FLY IT WILL HAVE TO BE ME."
AND FUZZY WAS HAPPY AS A LITTLE LARK,
WHEN THEY TOOK THE KITE TO THE CITY PARK.

WHILE THORNY WAS FLYING THE KITE IN THE AIR,
ALL WAS NOT WELL. THEY SOON HAD A SCARE.
THE KITE STRING BROKE AND THE KITE TUMBLED DOWN,
BUT IT DID NOT HIT ON THE GRASSY GREEN GROUND.

IT LANDED IN THE BRANCHES OF A TREE REAL HIGH,
AND THERE IT STUCK TIGHTLY, FUZZY STARTED TO CRY.
SHE SAID, "I LOVED THAT NICE KITE QUITE A BIT,
AND I NEVER EVEN GOT A CHANCE TO FLY IT."

FUZZY TWIG AND THE FIRE DRILL

ONE DAY WHILE FUZZY WAS IN HER SCHOOL CLASS ROOM MRS. SNAPPYBRANCH, THE TEACHER, TOLD THE CLASS THE FIRE FIGHTERS FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE COMING FOR A VISIT.

THE FIRE FIGHTERS TOLD THE CLASS MANY THINGS ABOUT FIRE SAFETY. THEIR INSTRUCTIONS TOLD THE CLASS ABOUT HOW TO LEAVE THE SCHOOL BUILDING IN CASE OF A FIRE AND TOLD THEM ABOUT FIRE DRILLS AND WHY THEY WERE NEEDED. EVERYONE NEEDS PRACTICE SO THEY WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO IF THERE IS FIRE DANGER. THEY ALSO TOLD THE CHILDREN ABOUT HOW TO LEAVE THEIR OWN HOMES IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT.

THEY THEN HAD A FIRE DRILL AND THE FIRE FIGHTERS MADE SURE THE CHILDREN KNEW JUST HOW TO GET SAFELY OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.

FUZZY TWIG WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN THE FIRE FIGHTERS AND TALKED TO ONE OF THEM. FIRE FIGHTERS LOVE LITTLE CHILDREN AND THIS ONE WAS PLEASED TO TALK TO FUZZY. SHE ASKED HIM IF THERE WERE GIRL FIRE FIGHTERS. HE TOLD HER YES. THEY DID HAVE SEVERAL LADIES WHO FOUGHT FIRES AND SOME OF THEM WERE EVEN MOTHERS WITH SMALL CHILDREN. THE NEXT TIME THEY CAME TO SCHOOL FOR A VISIT THEY WOULD BRING A LADY FIRE FIGHTER WITH THEM. THIS MADE FUZZY HAPPY AND SHE DECIDED TO BECOME A FIRE FIGHTER WHEN SHE GREW UP.

WHEN FUZZY WENT HOME SHE TOLD HER FAMILY SHE WANTED TO GROW UP TO BE A FIRE FIGHTER. THORNY JUST SAID, "HA!" KNOBBY SAID. "THEY DON'T HAVE LADY FIRE FIGHTERS, IT IS TOO DANGEROUS." FUZZY SAID, "THEY DO TOO. THE FIRE FIGHTER SAID SO. SOME OF THEM ARE EVEN MOTHERS! SO THERE TOO!" TWIGMAN SAID IT IS NICE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO BECOME AND CAN WORK TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. LEAFY TWIG SAID IT WAS VERY NICE TO EARN YOUR LIVING BY HELPING OTHERS, EVEN IF IT WAS A DANGEROUS JOB. FUZZY WAS PLEASED HE PARENTS LIKED HER IDEA AND FROM THAT TIME ON WHEN SHE PLAYED GROWN UP, SHE ALWAYS PLAYED SHE WAS A FIRE FIGHTER.