The Roly-Poly Pine Cone E-Book

Norbert Hils

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 58

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

For many years, a great pine tree stood deep in the Black Forest. It was so tall, it towered over all the other trees. It was a very special tree. Not only the animals, who found cover under and in the pine tree, sensed how special the tree was, but so did the children who came to play near the pine tree. One evening, a fierce storm began to brew over the Black Forest. Never before had a storm been able to harm the pine tree. This time, however, the wind shook the tree harder than ever before and suddenly, a powerful bolt of lightning struck its crown. When that happened, something changed in the tip of the great pine tree and that is when the exciting adventures of the roly-poly pine cone began.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

The Storm

The Mean Dog

Crossing the Creek

Arthur the Sparrow

At the Farmyard

The Hut at the Edge of the Forest

A Magic Arc

High Up in the Air

Hibernation

The Storm

A long time ago on a cliff high above the valleys and woods of the Black Forest, there stood a tremendous and mysterious pine tree. It towered over all the other trees around it, so that it appeared to rise up on a throne, like a queen of all the valleys and trees. The dense branches hung full of the most beautiful pine cones. Its roots were so big that a child could not have reached their arms around them and they grew into every crook and cranny on the cliff, so that no storm could blow the pine tree down. Sometimes children from the nearby farms came to play under the big pine tree. They climbed up the base and stretched out across the thick branches. When it rained, animals took cover beneath the huge branches. When the sun shone, squirrels hopped happily around the tree and played tag, while birds cheerily sang, each more beautifully than the next.

If you glanced into the distance, you could see valleys and mountains flowing into one another along the horizon, eventually fading away into the faraway haze. If you closed your eyes and listened, you could even hear the whispering of the wind as it gently brushed the tips of the trees, swaying them back and forth. The rushing of a stream could also be heard, as it crashed into a valley somewhere, trying to carry away with it the big stones that narrowed its bed. Sometimes the water gurgled joyfully and sometimes it was as still and quiet as a lake, mirroring the clouds in the sky. Now and then a little fish would flash by, while a little bird sat on a stone and quenched its thirst with the clear, cold water before continuing its flight.

In the evening, when the sun sank behind the mountains and the valleys and forests were already becoming lost in the twilight, the last rays of the sun lit up the great pine tree and it looked as if it were wearing a golden crown. Anyone who came upon the pine tree on the cliff could feel that this was a very special place.

One evening, thick black clouds gathered and the sky grew dark and threatening. The animals in the forest became very quiet, not even a single bird dared sing a song. Only the wind suddenly roared louder and louder, and the first bolts of lightning could be seen flashing across the horizon. The wind grew stronger and stronger, and the lightning came closer and closer. The trees bent and fought the wind that was now growling wildly. Even the great pine tree rocked back and forth. No storm had ever been able to harm it before, no matter how strong it had been.

But now, it happened. A giant bolt of lightning shot out of the dark clouds, lighting up the entire sky and in the very next moment, with an ear-splitting noise, it struck the tip of the tall pine tree. A blinding light lit the tree, and the cliff and all of the other trees were covered in light. Frozen with fear, the animals watched the extraordinary scene.

And then it was over, just as quickly as it had started. The storm calmed, the black clouds moved away and soon the stars could be seen twinkling in the clear night sky. The moon bathed the dark Black Forest in a gentle light that also displayed an outline of the mountains. The tremendous pine tree shone in the moonlight, as if nothing had happened. Everything seemed as before, except for the unusual silence that had arisen.

But wait, what was that? If you looked very carefully at the tip of the huge pine tree, you would have seen small sparks flying about. And although there was no wind at all, a few branches were moving at the very top. The bolt of lightning that had struck the great pine tree had transferred part of its mighty power to a little pine cone.

The pine cone suddenly began to change. It became rounder, almost plump. Two of its scales opened wide and from deep inside there peered out two big curious eyes. Two little arms appeared on its sides that looked like tiny branches covered in bark. Little legs that were a bit crooked could also be seen, but they were as strong as roots. And at the very top, right on its head, fine green twigs stood out in all directions.

Slowly, the shower of sparks faded away and darkness fell. Everything was as before - except that on a branch way up at the very top of the great tree, a little pine cone boy dangled back and forth. His eyes wandered in every direction, his arms and legs hung down as if they did not know what to do. After a while, the little pine cone boy looked up at the branch to which it was firmly attached. He began moving his crooked little legs back and forth and rocked to and fro, harder and harder until he managed to grab the branch above his head with his little arms, which were still quite stiff. A powerful jerk and, „Ow, that hurt!“ whined the little pine cone boy as he freed himself from the branch to which he had been attached. Now he was free. It was a strange feeling.

The little pine cone boy sat on the branch and rubbed the spot on his head from which he had hung until just moments before. He had spent his entire life in the safety of the great pine tree. Now, though, he felt a little lonely and even a bit afraid. A small drop of sticky sap seeped out of the sore spot where his head had been connected to the branch. Exhausted, he lied down against the mighty trunk and fell asleep. The clear night passed quietly and the stars beamed down on the great tree.

As the night slowly turned into dawn, fresh, clear air brushed the little pine cone boy‘s face. The chirping of the first birds could be heard in the distance as they greeted the new day. The little pine cone boy cautiously peered out of his little eyes and blinked. He stretched and turned his little arms and legs and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. After standing up, he ran down the thick branch he had slept on until he could see beyond the branches. He looked in every direction and was overcome by the view from the tip of the great pine tree.