Camping
`Daddy, we also want to go camping’. Anil and Triveni had just watched a film on camping. It was such fun!
`How can just the two of you go camping?’ asked mother.
`Well ‘, said father, `let me see. Perhaps you can camp at uncle Jevan’s next weekend.’
Uncle Jevan had an orchard a few miles away from the city. There was small wood in it. A stream ran through this wood.
Anil and Triveni made plans with Zaka and Malli, uncle Jevan’s two children. They made a list of all the things they would need. Triveni showed this list to Aunty Rani, Zaka and Malli’s mother.
`Mow children, this is not enough,’ said Aunty Rani. `You will also need a few pans to make coffee and warm your food. What about drinking water?
`We can use the water from the stream,’ said Triveni.
`No’ said’ Anil, `that water is not safe for drinking.’
`Anil is right. You must always carry clean drinking water wherever you go,’ advised mother. `However, I do think I am forgetting something important.’
They had listed tents, sleeping bags, clothes and toiletries. Uncle Jevan said they should carry some insect repellent as well. They had even arranged for some walking sticks and a fishing tackle. Whatever could they have left out?
At last the great day arrived. The four children were very excited. They were setting off on an adventure. Just like people in the story books and the film they had seen!
Uncle Jevan drove the four children to the campsite near the stream. He helped them pitch the two tents and set up their camp. The girls were to have the red tent, while the boys would occupy the blue one. After some last-minute instructions uncle Jevan waved goodbye, promising to pick them up the next evening.
The four children unpacked their rucksacks. Anil and Zaka flung things around the tent. Triveni and Malli arranged everything very neatly. All four of them set off to explore the wood.
They found many things of interest. They watched a badger burrow a hole. Zaka discovered a bird’s nest with speckled eggs. The squirrels were very friendly. They would scamper up to the campers and nibble at the food offered to them.
There were so many different kinds of birds. Malli had a book on birds, but even she couldn’t find the names of all of them. She recognized a parakeet and a hoopoe. There was an oriole, a woodpecker and a fly catcher.
The boys, Anil and Zaka, climbed a tree. They found some red berries growing on the tree. Zaka was about to taste one when Triveni said, `Zaka, don’t do that. They may be poisonous. Not all fruit can be eaten’.
By sunset they returned to their camp. The boys went of in search of firewood and dry twigs to make a camp –fire. The girls bushed themselves preparing for dinner.
Anil and Zaka piled the firewood on the ground. They carefully placed the twigs on it… `Oh, no!’ said Zaka, putting his hands to his head. `This is what we have forgotten. A match box!
Night was fast approaching. Malli was scared. Without a fire it would be very dark indeed. The four friends thought and thought. There was no way they could light a fire. The torch cells would run down if they kept the torch on too long. The finally decided to have a cold meal.
Suddenly Triveni clapped her hands. `I know what to do! I read it in a book. In olden days when there were no match sticks people used to strike two stones together to make a fire.’
`Yes,’ said Anil excitedly, `Father showed me how to make a fire with stones when we went on holiday last year.’
Anil and Zaka took a torch each and went in search of stones. `Hurrah! I have found them,’ exclaimed Anil.
They carried the precious stones back to the camp. They struck them together. A spark appeared. How ever, it failed to light the fire. They tried again and again. At last they managed to set fire to a piece of paper. They used this to light the twigs. What a proud moment it was for the campers!
Soon the girls served a hot dinner. The camp- fire blazed brightly. The children sat under the stars and sang their favorite songs. At last, tired but happy, they rolled out their sleeping bags slept soundly.
Tomorrow they would go fishing and explore the stream.
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