The Adventurous Tour

It was a perfect hot summer day. The sky was as blue as the ocean with white soft clouds floating like cotton candy. Tom, Sam, Jack and Ron were very excited. They were best friends and were going sailing that day. Tom’s dad gave them a boat named Flying Ranger which they liked very much. Their mothers packed some delicious snacks and juice for their journey. They were like kids in a candy store and waited eagerly to set sail and begin their adventure.

They joyfully began their journey. Their boat was sailing swiftly in the wind. They saw big white birds flying overhead. Their cries echoed(回响) in the clear summer sky. The sea was calm, with small waves gently swaying. The boys joked and laughed as they controlled the boat, feeling the freedom of the open sea.

“Oh, no! Look at that large shark. It is coming towards us! Help!” Suddenly, Jack screamed. They couldn’t immediately grasp what was going on. By the time they tried to turn the boat in the other direction, it was too late. The shark bit their boat and it started sinking slowly. They jumped into the water and shivered like leaves. They shouted, “Help!” But there was no one around. Fortunately, the shark also left with the boat sinking.

Finally, they swam and reached the shore of an island. The island was vast with white sand and tall coconut trees standing like bodyguards. The boys were happily exploring the place. All of a sudden, an enormous black scorpion(蝎子) appeared. The boys were shocked and their mouths fell open. The scorpion was as huge as an elephant and looked like a big monster with its sharp nails. The big scorpion started advancing towards them. The boys were frightened and began to run for their lives. They ran as fast as deer and took shelter in an old cave.

The challenges of being a businessman can come with many highs and lows. For a 10-year-old business owner, an unfortunate event led to a huge amount of support from the community and strangers. It even resulted in a boom in his business.

One weekend, David Hove of Toronto was selling homemade pancakes on his street. He thought of the idea as a way to make money to buy himself an expensive gaming system — an Xbox. After a number of hours, the boy went inside his home for a bathroom break. He left his pancake stand unattended for a couple of minutes, and when he returned, his pancake stand was gone. Someone had stolen his table, a cooler and even his water bottle. All that remained was the handwritten sign that reads “Homemade pancakes. $3.50 each.”

The boy’s father, David York, was surprised that somebody should steal a kid’s pancake stand. “My son was so heartbroken. How can anyone do that to a ten-year-old kid?” He reached out to neighbors asking if anybody had any clue who the thief was, but in vain. He posted on social media with the hope that perhaps the thief would return the pancake stand and maybe apologize to his son, who, he stated, developed a “distrust in humanity” because of what occurred.

A local TV station picked up the story and broadcast it. “It pains my heart to see my son going through this,” said the father in the news report. “He came up with the idea to do something that gives himself an income and it’s teaching him life lessons.” He also appealed for the return of the stolen items in the news.

To the great delight of David Hove and his family, the story had a happy ending.

Thanks to the generosity of the community and strangers, David was soon able to be back in business.

Finding a Friend

Two years ago, a dog ran into my yard. When he started to wag his tail and bark, I thought he was nice. But when my hand got close to his forehead, he lashed out and bit me. The next day when I woke up I was lying in the hospital bed with stitches on my right arm from my wrist to my elbow. Even though the dog had to go to the pound, the fear and the scares he gave never left.

You can imagine with my fear of something like this I was an easy target for bullies. I didn’t want to become friends with anyone at my school.

I knew the day would come when the teasing would become too much and I wouldn't be able to take it any longer. On a Friday it happened and I ended up running to my house instead of taking the bus home. I went straight into the woods. I listened to the hush of the trees and admired the beauty of the falling leaves, letting all the frustration go.

Suddenly I heard whimpering (呜咽). I saw the last thing I wanted to see, a dog. From instinct I stood up, legs tense, but the dog didn’t move. Even with my fear of dogs, a part of me wanted to go and comfort the wounded dog. Eventually my heart overpowered my conscience. Carefully I reached out my right hand. My scar started to tingle, remembering the last time I was this close to a dog. Then, before I was ready the dog stretched out his neck, pushing his head into my hand. At that point I knew we needed each other.

The dog happily followed me home. Even after a few days with Scruffy (which is what I chose to name him), the statement “Dogs are man's best friend” was proven true.

One day, I was taking him for a walk when I noticed a sign on a telephone pole. The sign read:

Lost Dog

Medium height, brown eyes, male, scruffy light brown hair. Answers to the name Copper. If seen, please call me at 544-0222, or bring him to my house at 18 Sugar Hill Road, Easton, NH.

Thank you,

Annie Samson

Next to the writing there was a picture of Copper.

Undoubtedly, that was a picture of the dog sitting right beside me.

The next day I brought Copper to Easton to find his owner.