Story Time!

By: @Lymmerik

"Papa, will you read me a story?" Little Elizabeth asked her dad as he tucked her into bed for the night.

"Of course I will. Haven't I read you a story every night since you were born?"

"I can't 'member." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, which one?" Michael poked her thoughts.

"I want a new one."

"Well you get all nice and snug, and I'll be right back with a story that you will want to hear again and again!"

Knowing that of all the books he had read from were already used up, he didn't know what else to do but make up a story. Michael searched the bookshelf for an unfamiliar cover, and found a tourist information book that little Elizabeth wouldn't recognize called Scenic Water Overlooks of North America.

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"Isn't that a bit odd for story time?" His wife Angela asked.

"She wants a new story, and we haven't bought a new book for her in a long time."

"I'd like to be a fly on the wall when you read her that!" Angela poked.

"Laugh all you want! I'm actually going to make up a story about the pictures inside." He replied.

"You'll get a lot of questions, you know you will!"

"Isn't that how it always goes, then she drifts off to sleep?" Michael asked as he slid the book under his arm.

Michael returned to Elizabeth's room with the book's cover slightly hidden. He had no idea what kind of story he was going to make up for her. But as fate would have it...

"Papa, what did ya find?" Elizabeth inquired.

"Well, this book was written by someone named @Lymmerik, he is a travel writer. He writes stories about his adventures about rivers, lakes, and oceans, and has fun doing it!" Michael answered.

"Does he have a boat?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't read it yet, but we'll find out together, okay?"

"Okay, but if he has a boat, I hope he wears a life vest!" Little Elizabeth said.

Michael snickered and sat down on the bed beside Elizabeth. She yawned and pointed to her cheek for a kiss. Michael obliged and opened the book.

"Once upon a time..."

"Does it have pictures?" She questioned.

"It sure looks like it, look at this one on the cover. That old dead tree has a great view, doesn't it?"

"Wow, that sure is a long way down to the water, papa. Did he walk all the way down there?"

"Let's find out!" Michael exclaimed.

"Papa, if we had a boat, could we go there and look at that tree?" She asked.

"Well, if we had a boat, we'd be on the water, it would be hard to find that tree from the water."

"No, I mean could we go look at the tree first, then go in the boat?" She clarified.

"Sure thing sweets. We'll go look at the tree, then go in the boat, honey."

"Once upon a time..."

"Papa, can we climb up in the tree?"

"You want to climb that dead tree?" Michael asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Yeah, I guess." She said, yawning the words.

"Once upon a time..."

"Why did the tree die, papa?"

"Well, trees die because they get old, I guess." Michael explained.

"Like Nana died?"

"Yes, sweetie, kinda like Nana." Michael answered with a quiver in his voice.

Michael's mother had passed away of old age about a month earlier. Elizabeth couldn't figure out where she went. She kept asking where she was and couldn't understand why she left. It was a tough thing for a five year old to comprehend. Michael didn't avoid the subject, instead he was open and honest with her.

"Once upon a time..." Michael started again.

"I bet Nana would climb that tree with me, wouldn't she papa?"

"I bet she would, darling. I bet she would!"

By now Michael didn't have a clue about his story. He felt the innocence of his daughter's questions. His understanding of a five year-old's mind had been enlightened. There was always time for a story with Elizabeth, but he wondered where he left off on The Three Bears. Perhaps he could get through this one completely.

"Funny," He thought. "It's amazing what I learn from my daughter!"

He began again.

"Once upon a time, there was an old dead tree upon a mountain overlooking the water. It had been the oldest tree in the forest. It stood proudly up there raising its saplings...

"Papa, what's a sapling?"

Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings!

@Lymmerik