Yes! We sure do!
Without further A-do . . .
"Book First
Miss Little Red Riding Wolffe
by Grandpa
For three dear little ladies, who will always be . . .
Little girls in their father's, and grandfather's heart . . .
Cynthia Joy
Melissa Joy
&
Sweet Eriel
From grandpa Claude -
Picture of Dressed-up Miss Riding wolffe
Horse chaufer, Mr. Neigh!; The thorny Landing; A Stuck Boat; and other interesting details . . .
Long, Loonngggg ago, when grandpa looked up at the crickets, who stood higher than him, there lived a sweet child with her aged, old horse (He lived in the barn, silly!), and her mom and dad. They lived in a tiny, ancient village, - nestled in a huge, green valley. (It was really, really a long time ago, because the animals still talked with people!)(It's different now!)
Anyway, back then, horses were hired to drive the cars. So it was, that one bright shiny day, Miss Red Riding Wollfe went out of her little house by the little creek (It is white, with green trim, and a grass-thatch roof (That mice love to nest in!), and it has little windows, with no glass (Glass hasn't been invented yet), and one door. There's green trim around the door and windows, too. (Pretty, huh?)(That's the house that has windows, silly!)(Not the creek!)), and right up to the horse-chauffer, Mr. Neigh!
"Pardon me (She always spoke politely to Mr. Neigh!, especially when he looked busy, (He always looked busy!)," "Mr. Neigh!, but today mom said that I could go to grandma's house - - if you will drive me there. Oh! Please, Mr. Neigh
[Picture of Mr. Neigh, in the meadow, with the Wolffe's house and mountains in the background]
Please say you will!"
But, Mr. Neigh! just kept crunching the sweet, lush grass (He loved to play 'deaf'!), and to look old, and too tired. Miss Wolffe was just ready to ask again, when he winked one twinkly eye, and said, "But, little miss, I'm sooo verrrry tired! I've had to munch grass all morning! (His mornings started about two hours before lunch time!), and, well, I just seem to be too tired, just now. Perhaps you can return . . ."
"Oh! Pleeeeesssee!," cried Miss Little wolffe, with no regard for interupting him. "I'm so excited - I made lemon cookies for my grandma - her favorite. Can't you take me?"
Now, how can an old horse say 'no' to that? So, Mr. Neigh! sighed very sadly, and said, "OK. Meet me at the garage by the barn. We'll take the good ol' Green Hornet to Grandma's today." (That was his little friend's favorite car, because it was green, and when it was moving down the road, the sound it made was like green hornets that she loved to watch, as they went about building their beautiful paper houses).
She ran to the kitchen, packed her sour lemon cookies into a little basket, and ran out to the garage. Mr. Neigh! already was backing the "Green Hornet" out. She jumped in.
"Sooooo, we're going to grandma's today. Did you send Blue Jay ahead to let your grandma know you're coming? If you didn't, maybe she won't be there," he said."
"Oh! I forgot!," Little Red Riding Wolffe cried. "Do you think she'll be gone?"
"Oh, I doubt she'll be gone for long - if she is. We'll just go and find out," said Mr. Neigh! (He really was happy to take her, but you don't let dear little girls think that you actually 'like' taking them places - 'cause they might get spoiled!)
So, Mr. neigh! elegantly drove the old car along, like old, dignified horses most always do.
They followed the tiny creek through the valley between green meadows, until it joined a large stream, just before entering a tall, old, dark forest.
[Picture of the Green Hornet on the road into the forest.]
Just where the forest got really big and dark, the road turned and went right into the big stream! But, that's OK, because a little ferry boat takes cars (And their horse drivers and passengers), right across the deep stream! Sure enough, there was the little ferry boat, waiting just for them! It tooted the tiny whistle on its top, when it saw them coming (It was lonely, since not many cars crossed there).
Mr. Neigh! expertly drove Green Hornet onto the little boat, and said, "OK, my dear Mr. Sails, let's go! My little passenger has fresh sour lemon cookies for grandma, and you know that we can't keep her waiting!" (Mr. Neigh! always talked in his business voice when he was chauffeuring!)(Speaking in a "business' voice made it more 'official,' you know!)
"Why yes!," replied Mr. Sails (He spoke in his "business" voice, too!), "I believe you're right on time for scheduled departure! (That's grown-up talk for being on time!) Sooo - - - let's go!"
He reached up and gave two short yanks and one long pull on the little rope tied to the tiny steam whistle - - - "Toot! Toot! whhheeee-A-Toooot!" it shouted!
Then he held the big wood steering wheel (In boat-talk, it's called the "helm), in one hand, and with the other big hand, pushed the engine handle a little. The little engine made a louder noise, and slowly the boat moved away from the roads where it went right up to the edge of the stream.
Picture of Mr. Sails,on the Little Ferry Boat, the Green Hornet, Mr. Neigh! and Red Riding Wolffe, and the Salmon Family.
He pushed the engine control more. The engine made an even louder noise, almost drowning out all other sounds, including talking.
That's when it happened! They were almost in the center of the stream, where the water ran the fastest, and deepest. The current pushed the boat hard, trying to push it down stream. But, all of a sudden, the boat stopped! I mean . . . it just stopped!
Like a giant hand had reached out, grabbed it, and held it motionless! Mr. Sails reached out and pushed the engine control even more. The engine noise began to hurt their ears, it was so loud. But, they were stuck!
[Picture of the Ferry Boat arriving on the other side, with the road going into the dark woods.]
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