Grandpa's Toboggan

A story for ages 4-7

 

Grandpa’s Toboggan

By Esther
and Richard Provencher

 

DEDICATION:

For all young children who enjoy having
stories read to them at bedtime. Esther and Richard have four grown children of
their own. Writing stories for them was very satisfying and now continues.

 

STORY:

When grandpa saw Spencer playing with his
puzzle blocks, he sat beside him. “Okay for me to build too?” he asked.

 

“Okay PoPo.”

 

Grandpa took a handful of smaller pieces
and began building. A sleigh? A flying carpet? No, it was a toboggan. It was
long, but not too long. It was wide but not too wide. Colours were like a
rainbow up and down his toboggan.

 

“Can we go for a ride?” giggled. Spencer.

 

“Why not?” answered PoPo.

 

Today was pancake breakfast day. And
grandpa and grandma sure liked pancakes. Spencer did too. “Ready yet mom? I’m
hungry now.”

 

Soon, was like a word-present coming from
the kitchen. Mom was a good cook. And pancakes were Spencer’s favourite
breakfast.

 

After a great snack, back to the building
blocks. Spencer made a huge house, and a man with a funny hat. “Look PoPo, I
tried to make it like yours. With lots of colour blocks.”

 

Spencer knew PoPo liked hats. He had all
kinds of them. Flat ones and high ones. Today he wore his high one, that
flopped down his cheeks.

 

Then grandpa asked, “Little man would you really
like to go for a ride?” He said it in such a mysterious way.

 

Spencer leaned forward. “A ride?” he asked.

 

“Yes, on my toboggan,” PoPo whispered.

 

Spencer’s eyes opened wider than wide. He
looked down at PoPo’s toboggan creation. As he stared, it grew large enough for
two people.

 

Everything was so quiet. The cat came in to
see them and lay down and fell asleep. A sunbeam poured through the window
right onto the toboggan.

 

Grandpa said, “Sit down and we will go for
a ride.”

 

Spencer liked games. He blocked his eyes
then peeked.

 

“Keep your eyes closed, little man. Now
think about a great ride in the sky. Almost like being on a magic carpet.
Except we’ll be riding together on my toboggan.”

 

As the wind flew into Spencer’s face, he
yelled. “It’s true. We are on a toboggan ride!”

 

The imaginary toboggan flew into the night air
with windy gusts racing ahead of them. Their hair streamed behind, threatening
to tear from their scalp.

 

Spencer shouted with glee.

 

Grandpa kept saying, “Omigosh.”

 

“This is fun,” cried Spencer. “PoPo, how
come everyone looks the same below? When I walk on the sidewalk, people are
huge, and tall as trees.”

 

Grandpa said, “That’s because we are
looking straight down, and on earth we are looking sideways.”

 

Before long they crossed into a valley.
Trees brushed their finger tips as they held on tightly to the edges of their
toboggan. It followed up and down the contours of hilly ridges and valleys
painted in shadows.

 

“Is that a deer, PoPo?”

 

“Yes, it’s so beautiful.” Suddenly the deer
loped away waving bye-bye with its white tail.

 

“Is that an eagle flying beside us?” the
little boy asked.

 

“Yes,” said Grandpa.

 

“When are we going back home, PoPo?”

 

“It will only take a moment,” said Grandpa.
“Hold on tightly.”

 

“Okay Popo.”

 

“Now listen. Keep your eyes closed. Are you
listening?”

 

“Yes. Yes,” said Spencer, with a tired
voice.

 

“Okay, open your eyes.”

 

Now it was Spencer’s turn to say, “Omigosh.”
They were back in the living room, sitting on the floor. Just like before they
began their ride.

 

“That was fun, PoPo. “Can we do it again
when you come for pancakes?”

 

-- The End --

 

NOTES:

Esther and Richard enjoy writing as a
husband-wife team. She is from Cape Spears, New Brunswick. Richard is from
Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. They married in Sarnia, Ontario, on March 27, 1975 and
moved to Truro, Nova Scotia in 1986 where they still remain.