THE TWIGMAN FAMILY BOAT RIDE

IT WAS A BEATIFUL SUNSHINY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. TWIGMAN SAID TO HIS CHILDREN. "WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THIS AFTERNOON?" THORNY TWIG SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO GO FOR A BOAT RIDE. KNOBBY TWIG SAID, "CAN WE DADDY? CAN WE DADDY? PLEASE!" FUZZY TWIG SAID, "PULLEEZE! DADDY! PULLEEZE!" TWIGMAN SAID, "O. K. BUT WE MUST ASK YOUR MOTHER IF SHE WANTS TO GO ALONG." LEAFY TWIG DID NOT WANT TO GO ON THE BOAT RIDE. SHE WANTED TO STAY HOME AND WATCH THE FOOTBALL GAME ON TV AND SHE TOLD TWIGMAN AND THE CHILDREN TO GO AHEAD WITHOUT HER AND HAVE A FUN TIME.

THEY ALL WENT TO THE RIVER AND CLIMBED INTO THE SMALL FISHING BOAT THAT HAD AN OUTBOARD MOTOR. THEY WERE RIDING ALONG AND HAVING A REAL FINE TIME. THE DAY WAS PRETTY AND THE WATER WAS SMOOTH. THE BIRDS WERE SINGING AND THE FISH WERE JUMPING. EVERYTHING WAS JUST TOO NICE.

THEY CRUISED AROUND A SHARP BEND IN THE RIVER AND A HUGE ROUND ROCK WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREAM JUST AHEAD. IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WOULD BE A DISASTER. THE BOAT STRUCK THE ROCK BUT TWIGMAN WAS ABLE TO KEEP IT RIGHT SIDE UP AND THEY WENT ON THEIR WAY.

SOON THEY HEARD A LOUD ROAR. WHAT COULD IT BE? THORNY TWIG WHO WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT YELLED IT IS A WATER FALL! WE ARE GOING OVER! WE WILL ALL BE KILLED! EVERYONE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE THE END AND LEAFY TWIG WOULD LOSE ALL HER FAMILY. SHE WOULD BE LEFT BY HERSELF AND BE VERY LONELY.

TWIGMAN ACTED QUICK. HE SWUNG THE BOAT AROUND WITH THE HANDLE ON THE MOTOR. JUST IN TIME! THE BOAT HEADED BACK UP STREAM. EVERYONE LET OUT A HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF. TWIGMAN KNEW HE HAD MADE A MISTAKE BY TAKING THE CHILDREN ALONG A RIVER WHERE HE DID NOT KNOW THE DANGERS.

THIS TIME THEY WERE ABLE TO GET PAST THE ROCK WITHOUT HITTING IT AND THEY ALL ARRIVED SAFELY HOME. WHEN LEAFY TWIG ASKED IF THEY HAD A GOOD TIME, TWIGMAN SAID, "IT WAS NOT THE BEST FUN WE EVER HAD." FUZZY TWIG SAID, "I WAS SCARED!" THORNY TWIG SAID, "IT WAS INTERESTING, VERY INTERESTING!" KNOBBY TWIG SAID, "I WANT TO DO IT AGAIN!" MAMMA LEAFY TWIG SAID, "THAT IS NICE." TWIGMAN SAID, "NOT A CHANCE! ONE OF THOSE TRIPS IS ENOUGH ANYONE!"