The Magic Forest
Lucy had been on countless trips in the car back and forth from her house and her grandparent’s house. She would watch from the window of her seat as there were many sights to see along the way. They would take the bridge that took them over railroad tracks. Sometimes, if there was a train to see, mom and dad would slow the car down so Lucy and her brother could watch it. They would pass by the building that had fountains that shot up water. But when the trees became a bit denser and the road a bit curvier, Lucy knew they were coming close to her favorite part of the trip: the Magic Forest.The forest that lined the edges of the curvy road had at one time just been a normal forest. But one day, Lucy saw something completely out of the ordinary. “I see a green elephant!” Lucy exclaimed. All of a sudden, time seemed to slow down and Lucy forgot all about the car she was in. She found that she was standing on the forest floor and the magnificent green elephant was standing high in front of her. “H-he-hello,” Lucy stammered nervously, “I’m Lucy.” She had never been so close to an elephant before. But the elephant spoke in a deep friendly voice, “Hello, pleased to meet you Lucy!” Lucy calmed down a bit, this seemed like a very friendly elephant. “What’s an elephant like you doing in a forest like this?” The green elephant smiled, “Well don’t you know? This isn’t a normal forest. This is the Magic Forest.” “The Magic Forest?” Lucy asked a bit confused. “Yes!” The green elephant explained, “In here you will find all sorts of different animals of all sorts of different colors.” “That’s amazing!” Lucy exclaimed. “It surely is,” Green Elephant said, “But for now, you ought to get back to the car to make it the rest of the way home. I’m sure you’ll be able to visit again another time.”
Lucy could hardly wait for the next trip to her grandparent’s house! She wondered if she would meet the green elephant in the Magic Forest again. On the way back she waited excitedly as they crossed over the bridge and passed the fountains. And when the trees became a bit denser and the road a bit curvier, Lucy knew she was back in the magic forest! Lucy’s eyes were wide open as she looked around as the car zoomed over the curvy road that took them through the Magic Forest. She was so hoping to see Green Elephant again! She looked all over for him, but that’s when she saw something else! “I see an orange kangaroo!” she called. Time seemed to slow and once again Lucy forgot all about the car she was in. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the orange kangaroo.
She was less afraid this time so she spoke up confidently, “Hello! I’m Lucy!” The orange kangaroo smiled at Lucy. “Pleased to meet you, Lucy!” “Do you know Green Elephant?” Lucy asked. “I surely do!” Orange Kangaroo said, “Come let’s go find him!” Lucy glanced behind her, “Shouldn’t I get back to the car?” Orange Kangaroo smiled, “I am sure it will be there when you get back.” So Lucy bounded through the forest following close behind Orange Kangaroo.
They soon found Green Elephant and Lucy was thrilled when they met up with even more friends! She got to meet Pink Hippo and Rainbow Flamingo. She was a little nervous when she met Purple Crocodile and Rainbow Tiger, but Orange Kangaroo assured her that they were very nice animals. Lucy stayed and played with all of her new friends! She went swimming with Pink Hippo and Purple Crocodile. She played hopscotch with Orange Kangaroo! And she even swung through the trees with Red Striped Monkey. She played until she could play no more. “Thank you for playing with me!” she said, “But I should probably get back to my car now.” “I’ll walk you there!” Green Elephant said. They walked together to the edge of the forest where the road ran through. Lucy turned to Green Elephant before getting back in her car and asked, “Can I come play with you all every time we drive through the Magic Forest?” Green Elephant smiled, “If you’d like us to be here, we will be.”
Every time Lucy was able to take a trip back or forth from her grandparent’s house she would look forward to seeing the magic forest! She would hold her breath in excitement as they crossed over the bridge and passed the fountains. Lucy could barely sit still when the trees became a bit denser and the road a bit curvier and she was back with her friends in the Magic Forest. She would stop and play with all of her animal friends. It seemed like each time she went she would meet someone new. Her mom and dad had even started helping her to spot new animal friends in the Magic Forest! Throughout the years, she went on too many adventures to count in the Magic Forest.
But as Lucy started getting older, something seemed to change. Her parents would still drive the car through the Magic Forest, but Lucy didn’t see her friends as often anymore. When she did see them, she didn’t stay to play as long. In fact, the older Lucy got, the less and less she stopped to play at all. Some of her animal friends would still come to road as the car drove past. But Lucy found that she didn’t always want to stop and play. As Lucy got even older, she saw less and less of her Magic Forest friends until one day, she didn’t see them at all anymore. On day years later, as her and her family were driving through the forest, her mother said with a laugh, “Look Lucy, do you see Green Elephant?” Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes. “Mooommmm!” she said, “I’m too old for the Magic Forest game.”
Lucy continued to grow up. She finished high school, went to college, moved away, got married, and even had kids of her own. It had been many, many years since she had been in the Magic Forest. But one day when she was on her way back from visiting her parents, she found herself driving over the bridge and passing by the old fountains. Her memory stirred when the trees became a bit denser and the road a bit curvier. Lucy smiled to herself as she started to drive down the curvy road of the Magic Forest. She turned her head and looked at her own children sitting in the backseat. With a smile she said, “Did you know this is a magic forest?” Their eyes grew wide and her daughter asked, “It is?” “Yes! See over there?” Lucy said, “I see a green elephant and an orange kangaroo!” Lucy looked towards the forest. She was a bit surprised but very glad when she saw her two old friends smiling and waving at her. She remembered the words Green Elephant had said to her many years ago, “If you’d like us to be here, we will be.” Lucy decided she would never be too old to go on another adventure in the Magic Forest.
The End
