Cliff's Walk

                               Cliff's Walk

                                                                         By Grandma  - Shelley Hopkins

Cliff and grandma went for a walk.  It was a hot and sunny day.  First they visited the chickens in their neighbors backyard.  A red rooster ran to the fence, clucking and bobbing his head.  He then said, “Cock a doodle doo.”   Two chickens waddled over.  Cliff laughed as the rooster nibbled at his outstretched hand.  The chickens were fun to watch.  One chicken pushed her bill through the fence, and the other chicken wandered off to eat blackberries.  Cliff and grandma said goodbye, and continued on the walk.  

They walked on the sidewalk.  Grandma looked down and saw her shadow.  “Look Cliff!”  Cliff looked down and saw his shadow on the ground.  Grandma’s shadow moved when grandma moved.  Grandma’s shadow hands waved in the air.  Cliff giggled.  

Cliff had an idea. He ran in front of grandma, and his shadow disappeared.  His shadow was part of grandma’s shadow.  Grandma laughed.  Grandma said, “Where is Cliff’s shadow?  Where are you shadow?  I’m going to move…..to the right.”  She jumped to the right, and her shadow jumped too.  Now Cliff and grandma could see his shadow again.  Cliff jumped in front of Grandma again.  His shadow disappeared.  Grandma said, “Cliff’s shadow, where are you?”  She pointed her shadow hands to the left and jumped away.  “There is your shadow!” 

Now grandma and Cliff and Grandma’s shadow and Cliff’s shadow all walked down the road together.  At the next house a man was working on his truck.  The front hood was open.  The man waved at Cliff. “Hi young man."  Cliff walked over and touched the truck.  It was very large and shiny.  The tires were big, this was a good working truck.

At the next house Cliff saw a pile of logs.  “Grandma, broken tree.”  Grandma looked.  “The tree has been cut into logs.”   Cliff looked closer at the sticks and logs.  He found a stick just his size.  The stick was perfect for swinging and hitting the logs.  Cliff liked the sound of the stick hitting the log, bam, bam, bam.  He hit the ground.  Bam bam bam.  He swung at the tall grass. Swish, swish.  

The mail truck drove by.  Grandma always held Cliff’s hand when a car or truck was on the road.  They watched the mail carrier stop in front of a mailbox.  She opened the box and slid a package in.  She also slid in two envelopes.  She closed the mailbox and drove to the next house.  She opened the mailbox again and put an envelope inside.  She turned around at the end of the street and drove up to Cliff and Grandma.  “Hello.  How are you?” 

 Cliff said, “Mail, correo.”  The mail carrier said, “What did he say?”  Grandma laughed.  Cliff is learning Spanish.  He said "Mail" in Spanish.”  The mail carrier smiled. “You are very smart.  Can I give you some animal crackers?”  Grandma nodded, “yes."  Cliff said “Thank you.”  The mail truck drove on to the next house and the next street.  

Cliff and Grandma were getting tired and hot. It was time to go home and drink some cold water.  Now their shadows followed behind them.  Cliff heard a dog bark.  The dog was behind a fence.  They walked some more.  

Cliff heard another dog bark.  This was a tiny dog, and he was not behind a fence.  He ran fast.  Cliff stuck out his hand for the dog but Grandma said, “No, we don’t want to pet strange dogs.  We have to ask the person first.”  But, there was no person.  The tiny dog barked louder and louder.  Grandma and Cliff walked away and the dog followed.  Did he want to play?  Cliff wanted to pet the dog.  The dog only wanted to bark. Grandma said, “Go home doggie.  You need to stay in your own yard.”  The dog turned and ran back to his yard.  Cliff said, “Good doggie.”  

Cliff was so tired and so hot he could not walk anymore.  Grandma picked Cliff up and carried him in her arms.  It felt like a walking hug.  Soon Cliff and Grandma arrived at Cliff’s house.  They sat on the porch and drank good ice cold water.  Grandma said, “Cliff, what was your favorite part of the walk?”  Cliff had to think. Was it the chickens?  Was it the shadow?  Was it the stick and cut wood?  No, it was everything, the whole walk!

                              The End