Mischief Managed
Mia was gazing out of the little window. Mommy had gone for a walk along the path into the woods, and Daddy was asleep. Mia was left bored with nothing to do. She stared out of the window trying to count the apples on the tree in the backyard, when she saw a shaggy white poodle on the back porch. Her eyes shone with excitement.
Mia grabbed her jacket, slipped on her boots and rushed out. She followed the poodle as it trotted around the muddy backyard. Suddenly, Mia had an idea. She took off her boots, so as to not track mud into the house, and darted back in.
Moments later she returned with a Frisbee, but something was missing. “Good heavens!” Mia exclaimed when she realized that the dog had run away with one of her boots.
She watched as the poodle sped off into the forest wagging its tail gleefully. She dashed back into the house and slipped into her sandals. “Wait for me! I need my shoe back!” she hollered.
She ran as fast as she could along the path she had seen the poodle take, until she caught sight of the little fur ball kicking her shoe around behind a tree. Slowing down she began to pant, but the poodle darted off again. She jogged to keep up with the poodle.
As she crossed a bridge, over a small river towards the forest, she saw a confetti bomb lying on the ground. But, the poodle didn’t give her any time to think about this oddity. It kept moving at a brisk pace.
Mia tried to figure out what path she was taking, for she and her family often went walking in the forest, but it seemed totally unfamiliar. The poodle however, seemed to have a destination in mind, for it never hesitated as it deftly navigated around the maze of trees.
Mia barely had time to notice the orange, yellow and red foliage characteristic of autumn. A comfortable light breeze rustled through the branches shaking off the last few leaves on some trees.
Mia slowed down as the path narrowed. She stopped near a log obstructing her path. It was thick, long and precariously balanced.
The poodle had already walked through a small hole in the log that went all the way through. It had crossed over to the other side dragging her shoe along.
Mia hissed in exasperation. The hole was too small for her to crawl through. She had two choices, either to climb over the log or jump over it. The slimy moss and mold growing on the log made her skin crawl. Jump, she firmly decided, but she knew it wouldn’t be easy. The log was almost as broad as the length of her leg.
She looked ruefully at her sandals. The jump would have been safer and easier in shoes. “Dratted poodle,” she mumbled as she she tried to find the best spot to jump from. After a few minutes of examining the place, she found a suitable spot. Where the log was narrowest and the ground was firm.
“Made it!” she exclaimed. Unfortunately her triumph was short-lived.
She scanned her surroundings, searching for the poodle, but she had been so focused on jumping over the log, she had lost track of it. When she couldn’t see it anywhere, she panicked. The path was completely unfamiliar, and she knew how difficult it was to navigate the woods. She could walk for an hour only to realize she was deeper into the forest or worse, going in circles. Now, how would she get home? The sun was fast approaching the horizon, so it would be dark soon.
Mia remembered the story Mommy told her about bears in the forest when she heard a growl. Startled, she slipped as she lost her footing. She groaned as she got up again. She thought Will I find the poodle again? I don’t know the way back. Oh, when will I get home? I wish I had never come out here.
She jumped as a snake slithered across the muddy path. Mia screamed. She didn’t even have boots on. What if the snake had bitten her feet? She buried her face in her hands. Then when she looked up again, she noticed something. The snake’s body had left a mark in the soil.
Examining a few feet of the path ahead, she saw footprints, which looked like they could belong to the poodle. She heaved a sigh of relief and thanked her stars for the light afternoon rain that had dampened the top layer of soil.
Following the footprints, she reached a blind bend after which she spotted the poodle between a watering hole and an entrance to a tunnel. The poodle kicked the shoe into the tunnel.
“Really?” Mia glared at the poodle in annoyance. She thought, Well, at least he didn’t choose the watering hole.
Desperate to get her shoe back after the trouble she had been through, but shaken by the sight of the snake, Mia inched towards the entrance.
After she had walked for a minute or two, a flock of bats whooshed past her. The hairs on her neck stood up as she walked further down the dark passage. Just as she was about to turn back, she saw some rays of light filtering in though a hole a hundred odd feet away.
As Mia reached the end of the tunnel, she gasped. Colorful balloons decorated the opening to the passageway. Cautiously, she peeked outside, and was astonished to see clearing in the woods covered in mats on which lay a scrumptious spread of sandwiches, cookies, donuts and cakes and so much more. The branches of the trees around the clearing were linked with streamers. Mia rubbed her eyes. Had she fallen down the rabbit hole into the Mad Tea Party?
An unmistakable growl frightened her out of her skin. Screaming she headed for the safety of the tunnel, when a bunch of fairy lights turned on. As Mia tried to figure out if she had walked into a fantasy or a nightmare, Mommy, Daddy, Linda, and a bunch of her classmates appeared from behind trees.
“Happy Birthday Baby!” Mommy smiled as she ran to her daughter and hugged her. Mia was relived to see her Mom’s face.
“Surprised?” her best friend Linda asked.
"Surprised! My brains feel like scrambled eggs.” Mia complained.
“We made the poodle smell your clothes and find you. She’s your birthday gift by the way. Oh, look, here she comes.” Mom glanced at the little furry poodle as she tied the Happy Birthday Mia streamers to a couple of sturdy tree trunks.
“Looks good?” Mommy asked Mia.
“Very,” Mia replied, amazed by how much trouble everyone had gone through to plan such a lovely surprise. It was the most enchanting birthday party she could ever have imagined.
The poodle came and sat in front of Mia. Mia stroked her cuddly fur. “Hmm… I’m going to name you Felix,” she announced.
Linda asked, “Enjoyed your long walk?”
“Snakes, bears, bats and boot pinching poodles. What’s not to enjoy?,” Mia rolled her eyes. “Oh no, my shoe, I forgot for a second.” Mia was about to run back inside the cave.
Linda said, “Oh, don’t bother. I got you new shoes. Remember those Clarks dress boots you really liked.” Linda handed them over. “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you,” said Mia.
Then suddenly, Linda ran into the tunnel.
“Wait there are bats in there!” Mia exclaimed.
“Yeah right,” Linda said picking something up. She returned with a paper bat in her hand. Mia flinched. “You mean to say these things looked real in the dark. Cool.” Linda was thrilled.
“Well, I was kind of shaken up by the snake before…” Mia began while Linda laughed.
“Don’t be mean, it’s my birthday” Mia grumbled.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. How can I make it up to you?” Linda asked.
“Teach me to make the bats,” Mia demanded.
“Sure. Oh no!”
“What?”
“Look,” Linda pointed.
“Felix!” Mia shouted. “You have no manners. You didn’t even wait for me to cut my own birthday cake before digging into it, you pig.”
Felix ran into the tunnel, took out Mia’s shoe and placed it in front of her. Everyone laughed.
