There was a young girl who wished to see the world. She wanted to observe new things. She told her mother about her wish. Her mother promised that they would visit the mountains and the forests. And thus, the young girl set off on an exciting journey.
Off they went, wandering about the mountainside. In the afternoon, they decided to go for a walk in the woods. On their way, they met a brook. It drizzled water all over her. It was roaring, as if saying, "I am a brook, mighty and sprightly." The girl smiled up at the brook and replied, "Hello, Ms Brook! It was nice spending time with you. But I must go, because I want to see the forest. Can you believe it? I'm going to visit the woods." She waved at the waterfall and took off, a sparkle in her eyes.
As the first trees started making an appearance, she got excited. The very first tree that she chanced upon was a majestic, handsome oak, standing tall and proud. Deeper in the woods, the trees seemed to get haphazard. She thought they were whispering. So, of course, she greeted them, "Hello, Trees in the Woods! How are you doing on this fine day?" The whispers increased; she could now make out their words. They were answering her, "Very well, young lady, very well, indeed!" She grinned and continued on her path.
By and by she made friends with a gerbil, a rabbit (a bunny!) and a langur. She talked to them merrily, her laughter echoing through the nearby parts of the forest. It was then that she crossed paths with a rather interesting individual. It was, in fact, her favourite animal - the leopard! He regarded her with his beady eyes, the speckled coat shining most marvellously in the afternoon sun. She beamed at him, "Oh, Mr Leopard!! You look so very handsome." The leopard, intrigued, replied, "Why, thank you, miss. Might I ask who is escorting you?" "Escorting me?", she asked, her nose scrunched up in the most adorable confused face the leopard had ever encountered. "The elder who is accompanying you? Your mother, perhaps?", he replied, hiding a smile. And she remembered about her mother who was still back at the brook!
Seeing the anxious look on her face, the leopard reassured her, "Do not fret, little one! My friend, the eagle, will lead you back to your den." Her smile returned. She shyly put her arms around the leopard's neck and thanked him for helping her. (The Trees of the Woods could say that they'd seen all there was to see in this world, after the leopard grinned like the Cheshire Cat!)
Meanwhile, the young girl followed the eagle, chattering away all along the way. She would, of course, take breaks to admire the eagle's elegant and powerful flight. Finally, she thanked the eagle and skipped her way to the (rented) cottage.
She found her mother sick with worry. She took the young girl into her arms without a reprimand, thankful that the girl had made it out of the woods unharmed. Who knew what sorts of animals lived there....
The mother indulged the little girl by exclaiming at all the right places in the story. Her daughter had taken a flight of fancy, it seemed.
As to the little girl, she went to bed with a smile on her face and joy in her heart. She'd had the best day of her life after all!
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