What’s in my Soup?

by Richard and Esther Provencher

 

“SMELLS GOOD!” shouted Travis, licking his lips.

“Yah,” answered his younger brother, Matthew.

A large pot of soup POPPED and SPUTTERED on the hot coals of a campfire.  Sounds sizzled like pals, dancing and bubbling in the summer air.

“Hope there’s lots!” thundered Travis, his tummy anxious for food.

“Don’t worry,” Grandpa said, holding an armload of wood.  “There’s enough for one large bowl each.”

The view was beautiful from their campsite on the shores of Economy Lake.  Clouds clumped across the sky like marshmallows heading right for them.

Before anyone could say, “Let’s eat!” a sudden wave splashed inland.

“Yikes!“ Matthew yelled, as his feet were drenched. “That water is cold!”

“Yah!” Travis shouted.  He ran to the car for his rubber boots.

“Me three!!!” Grandpa hollered loudly.  “Looks like we may get a ‘DOOZER’ of a storm.”

The wind was in a nasty mood.  It began to push waves like snarling pussycats against the shore.

A Hairy Woodpecker joined other birds and animals taking shelter.

The wind swooped down and whipped off the soup pot’s cover.  And it sailed away like a Frisbee.

Spruce trees began to shake.

Sea gulls screeched.

As the wind began a boxing match with their dining tent, Grandpa held tightly to Travis and Matthew.  They watched as their woodpile slowly floated away.

Twigs and embers fell into the bubbling soup.  Some leaves even joined the party.

Waves marched against the shore, like a parade of soldiers.

Loud “SPLASHES!” covered everything.

 Matthew was excited and jumped onto his beach mattress.  “Travis!” he shouted.  “Want to use my raft?”

Grandpa was busy pushing Travis higher up a tree.  Water sloshed back and forth against his boots.  “We set up too close to the shore,” he mumbled.

The wind poured more water across the low land.  Everyone scrambled around in the foamy waves.

Suddenly, the storm ended as if someone pulled a bathtub plug.  Water quickly drained back into Economy Lake.

Travis looked like a spaghetti noodle wrapped around a tree limb.  Matthew sat in Grandpa’s lap holding tightly to his beard!

Somehow the pot of soup still sat upright in the soaked fireplace. And it was filled to the top.

Even if lake water was added, Travis, Matthew and Grandpa were still hungry.

“MORE SOUP TO EAT!!!” everyone shouted.

The sun soon returned from behind the clouds.  And before long, clothes and sneakers lost their soaking.

“It’s important to be dry,” Grandpa said.  But grumbling tummies were important too.

“Time to eat!” shouted Travis impatiently.

“Finally,” Matthew said, rolling his eyes.

Bowls and spoons were found among the fallen woodpile.  Behind the canoe, and one in the squirrel’s tree hideout.

 Matthew was served first.  Travis, being older, didn’t mind waiting.  Besides, his bowl was larger.

A huge portion was saved for Grandpa.  After all, he did have the largest tummy.  As he lowered his spoon, Grandpa shouted, “Look!”

Something jumped out of his bowl then fell back with a splash.  It looked like… There!  It leaped again.

“A little speckled trout!” Grandpa shouted.  There was only a moment to enjoy its beautiful colors.  Then it flipped high, before tumbling to the ground.

Grandpa tried to catch the wiggling fish.  It squirmed across the campground finally landing in the lake.

A noisy “SPLASH!” meant “Goodbye-bye folks.”

Grandpa dragged himself to the dining tent.  “I need a rest,” he said, flopping into his chair.  “Me too,” said Matthew, following behind.

Something was moving in Travis’s bowl!  “YESSS!!” he screamed.  Soup exploded in all directions as a loud “RIBBIT! RIBBIT!” filled the air.

“FROG!!” Travis shouted, and ran after the creature.

It leaped over a backpack, turned and hopped between Travis’s legs.  Travis tripped, trying to catch it.  But the frog soon “Plunked” into the lake.

Travis walked back, shaking his head.  Picking up his bowl, Travis stuck a finger in the bowl.

No trout swimming around, no jumping frog.

He was just about to lift the bowl up and take a slurp of soup when suddenly…”YIKES!”

Something came flying out of  his bowl.  And landed right on top of his nose!

A grasshopper stared at Travis.  At first, Travis didn’t dare move, but in the excitement he lost his balance and fell backwards over a log.

And the insect hopped all the way to the lake.

Travis scrambled like a bed bug and dived under the upturned canoe.  This might be a good time for a morning nap,  he thought.  Travis  was soon lost in dreamland like everyone else.

Not far away, a speckled trout peeked from the water’s edge.  Then a frog arose on the lake’s surface.  The grasshopper was braver and skipped to shore.

Each listened carefully making sure it was safe.

All they heard was “ZZZZZ’z” from three tired people.

The trout wiggled further onto shore.

The frog made awesome leaps toward the campsite.

And the grasshopper followed with short skips.

They wiggled, leaped and skipped right up to the open pot of soup.

AND ATE ALL THAT WAS LEFT!!!