“And here is the hand towel; I think I have put everything I need in this bag.”
“Good morning Siba, you are so active today; of course you are so excited, you have waked up early alone since you will go camping.”
“Of course mom! I am so excited; I want to explore the forest.”
“This is so obvious!”
Her mother left the room saying: “The little scientist will have an exciting journey.”
Siba opened the window and raised up her arms, the morning breeze caressed her hair and she shouted happily:
“Oh Forest! I am coming!”
The little birds that were on the near tree flew away as if they wanted to go with her.
Siba got the school bus and sat next to her best friend Hiba, she did not feel the long time the road took. Usually, when she talks with Hiba, everything passes quickly.
The school bus arrived, and the students came down. Siba petrified in her place looking around the forest and how it was rich and beautiful.
“Oh, my God!”
It was the first time in which Siba felt that she was a little creature.
She said to herself: "Why do not we live in the forest instead of the buildings and boring streets? This is the real nature, not the little gardens that we go to in the shopping centers."
For a minute she thought that she was dreaming, suddenly the voice of supervisor interrupted her dream asking them to set up the tents, put their things inside, and then go to a meeting in the camping square after half an hour exactly.
After half an hour, they were sitting as an opened square and the supervisor was standing in the middle. He started to talk about the importance of camping journeys, and that these journeys are a chance for the children to depend on themselves and explore the nature around them.
Siba was very eager for the last part of the supervisor's speech which was exploring the forest, yes; there were many puzzles and riddles hidden by this large forest, under its sand and inside the trunks of the trees.
The supervisor ended the meeting and the first mission was for the boys.
“Let's start, you need to collect the wood sticks to ignite the fire and prepare the food, do not forget to abide by the instructions and the rules that we have learned before.”
Siba took a container to collect the sticks, jumped towards her friend Hiba and asked her to enter the forest together so they can explore that mysterious forest:
“Do not run Siba, I have to take some photos for these charming landscapes and places.”
“We do not have time now; you will find something more beautiful to take photos for inside the forest.”
They walked in the forest; this was the first time in which they saw the squirrel jumping above the branches with his two swollen faces and wide eyes, he has stood with his claws around the branch waving with his fluffy tail to the left and right.
Hiba took some photos saying: “Ha ha ha, how nice it is.”
Siba was picking some small sticks as she was looking at the tall trees, for a minute she thought that she can reach the clouds if she climbed up the trees.
"Wow! How beautiful they are!!" Siba said.
Suddenly they heard a strange sound at the base of the tree, “Do you hear Hiba? What is this sound?"
There was a little hole and inside it there was a sound with light scribble, she saw two red eyes in the middle of the hole, at first glance, these eyes looked scary, she hesitated a bit to get closer, then she got closer but those two eyes disappeared. She decided to get closer, suddenly a white small ball jumped from the hole and ran very quickly in the forest.
She did not notice what happened because she fell down, the container fell down too and the sticks spread on the ground. She looked around; the white ball has run quickly, it was a nice rabbit.
Hiba shouted: “So it is a rabbit, I will follow him and take a nice photo for him.”
Siba breathed deeply and started to fill the container with the sticks again. Suddenly she saw something strange shining under the dry leaves; she extended her hand and removed the leaves, she found a red transparent stone; she held her breath and her eyes widened:
“Oh, my God! I think I have found a treasure, the forest has trusted me and started to reveal her secrets to me.”
She started to dig up the sand in the place where she found the amazing stone, unfortunately the supervisor whistled asking them to come back. She saw Hiba coming happily after she has taken many nice photos for the snowy rabbit, so they went back to the camp.
As they were coming back to the camp, Siba wanted to tell Hiba about what she has found, but Hiba was talking about the beautiful photos she has taken and the animals she has seen while she was following the rabbit, so Siba decided to tell het later.
When they arrived the camp, everyone was busy preparing the food; one was washing the cucumber and tomato, another one was cutting them, other girls were responsible for grilling chicken pieces and the supervisors cooked the rice.
Finally, the food was ready, they started eating. They were gossiping while they enjoyed hearing the rustling of the trees and the chirping of the birds.
The food was so delicious; it seemed that being together, working together, makes the food tastier. But she cannot stop thinking of that red stone that she has hidden in her pocket, waiting the right time to come back and explore it.
After they have finished eating and cleaning, the supervisor stood referring to the forest and shouted enthusiastically:
“It is time to explore. Explore the forest and collect everything you find unique and exciting.”
Then the supervisor put a flag in the middle of the camping square and asked everyone to go in any direction, but with one condition that this flag should be seen by them all so they could figure out the way back and did not get lost in the middle of the forest.
Siba looked for Hiba to go with her to discover the treasure, but Hiba was with the supervisors taking some photos, she couldn't wait for her, she ran very quickly to the forest till she found that tree and started to dig up the sand where she found the stone, she found another yellow stone that had some brown lines, she held it in her hand with astonishment!!! “Oh, absolutely it is a treasure,” Siba said.
She removed the sand to find a silky bag that had a rope from the top, she picked it up quickly and opened it to find smooth blue small stone inside it.
She continued looking for here and there, under the sand but she did not find anything but a large black feather, she put everything she found in her backpack and came back to the camp, all the way back she looked carefully hoping to find any trace for the real treasure.
Once she arrived the camp, she headed for the tent of the supervisor to tell him what she has found, but she saw him opening a bag that is similar to the one she has found and he was putting a stone inside it saying:
“I must find them”
She moved backward before he saw her, she was astonished, what happened? Did he discover the place of the treasure and take it before her? But what should she do? Absolutely he would keep it for himself then he would sell it and gain money of it.
As she was thinking deeply, Hiba came close to her and interrupted her thinking:
“What did you bring from the forest?”
Siba whispered in Hiba's ear:
“I have found something strange near a huge oak tree, you will not believe how wonderful it is, it...”
But suddenly, the supervisor interrupting her, calling them to a meeting, so Siba said: “Ok, I will tell you later, but do not tell anyone.”
Interest and curiosity appeared on Hiba's face and said: “Ok.”
The meeting has been held; every girl began to show what she has collected, Siba was looking with curiosity at the bones that others have collected. Siba imagined that they belonged to small animals have been eaten by bigger animals. Others have collected colored and black mushrooms, the supervisor explained the difference between the poisonous mushrooms and non-poisonous mushrooms. Some girls showed strange insects put them in transparent plastic bottle.
She felt that she was watching a scientific film.
Hiba took out the flat stone that had a trace of a creepy animal; she thought that it was one of the fossils she knew about in science lessons, but the supervisor clarified that it was just a stone of dry mud, it was previously soft and an animal stepped on it so it had this footprint which meant it was new and cannot be called a fossil. The supervisor pressed it with his fingers to prove that it was not a fossil. Hiba was disappointed, she wished that she has found something valuable.
It was Siba's turn to show what she has found; she hesitated then put her hand in her pocket and brought out the black feather. Her friend Hiba was so astonished, she expected something more exciting.
The supervisor did not comment and only said:
“Mmm… I think it is a crow's feather. It is very clever bird. The scientists have studied its behavior, in one of the experiments they say that the crow uses a wire after folding it to get his food.”
After all girls have displayed their different discoveries, the meeting ended, they would start the collective games. Siba noticed that the girls were busy playing and called her friend Hiba who asked her with astonishment on her face:
“A crow's feather?! Is this the big discovery?!”
“Of course not, I cannot show what I have found, I think the supervisor is looking for the treasure I have found.”
“Treasure!”
“Yes, amazing treasure!”
Siba started telling her about the stones and the bag she has found while she was running behind the rabbit, and how she noticed that the supervisor had the same stones and the same bag, and that they should go to look for the treasure.
Hiba thought: “We must tell the supervisor that we are going.”
“How shall we tell him while he wants to reach the treasure? Come on, be brave and adventurer.” Answered Siba
“Ok, I will come with you, but I have to bring my backpack.”
“Do not bring it, they will notice us, I have my backpack and it is enough.”
Siba and Hiba sneaked into the forest and walked until they reached the huge oak tree, Siba opened her backpack and spread everything in it on the ground and picked the stones and the bag to show them to Hiba. Suddenly the crow flew towards her and almost wounded her hand then flew again. The stones scattered on the ground:
“Oh my God, it is so stupid, I am sure that the supervisor is wrong, this bird is not clever, it almost hurts my hand.”
She looked at the crow that was standing on the tree looking at them with his sharp eyes; she was scared since he was watching them, she collected what has scattered on the ground while watching it intermittently, when Hiba said:
“We have to put a plan to search, maybe we have to look at the rest of the oak trees, maybe the rest of the treasure is under one of them near here, let's hurry up.”
They moved from one tree to another looking for the treasure but they did not feel the distance they have passed in the forest. Suddenly Hiba realized and said:
“We have moved away from the camp.”
“Do not get afraid Hiba, I know the way back.”
“Do not get afraid Hiba, I know the way back.”
The time passed quickly and they did not find something exciting, Hiba was so exhausted; she sat to drink water from a canteen that was in Siba's backpack and said:
“It is enough Siba, we have to come back, but how?”
The two girls looked around, but they did not see the flag of the camp or anything that can help them know the way back.
Siba tried to remember the way as she was walking:
“Yes, this large rock is in the right side, yes, yes, I remembered we have to move left between the two trees and keep moving forward”
“Where are we Siba?” Hiba asked after a while
“Oh, I don't know, it seems that there is more than one large rock!”
“It is all your fault?”
“It is all your fault?”
“Stop blaming me, and let us think of how we can get out of this trap”
So, they tried to find the way back but it was useless.
So, they tried to find the way back but it was useless.
Suddenly, Hiba thought of something: “Siba, I think, if we climb the tree we can find the way back to the camp from above!”
The two girls tried to climb the tree, Hiba held a branch trying to reach the treetop, but the branch has broken. She fell down and her ankle has twisted: “Oh, my ankle, what are we going to do now? I am scared!"
“Calm down Hiba, do not be scared; they must be looking for us now, but we have to let them know where we are?”
Hiba thought a bit and said: “Yes, we can light fire; the smoke will rise up in the sky, so they will know where we are, did not we learn how to light fire in scouts lessons?”
“Do you see how smart thoughts come out when we calm down?” answered Siba.
“Take the matches out of my backpack, and I’ll bring the wooden sticks and straw.”
Siba came back carrying the straw and wooden sticks; Hiba took out the matches and said hopelessly: “The matches are wet; it seems that I did not close the canteen well after I drank.”
“Oh, No. what are we going to do?! Oh yes, Do you remember the lesson of lighting the fire?”
Siba took two stones from the ground: “We will hit the two stones together so they generate a spark to make a fire.”
Siba started to hit the two stones together, but it was useless, so Hiba said: “I think this will not work, the stones have to be very solid and smooth to generate a spark.”
“Ok, I will try to light the fire by friction, I will make this stick turns around the wooden stick quickly.”
But she did not succeed; her hands got some wounds because of that rough stick:
“Oh, it seems that theoretical lessons are different from practical application a lot, what shall we do now? We are lost in the midst of this terrifying forest.”
Suddenly Hiba shouted: “Snaaaake”
Siba stood and held a long stick, looked at the direction where Hiba referred, she saw a golden snake, Siba was so scared and asked Hiba not to move since the snake was crawling away from them and whispered:
“Be calm when you face the snake, remember what we have learnt.”
It was just some minutes; the snake moved away from them, Hiba started crying:
“We will die in this terrifying forest”
“Do not panic, take a deep breath, and gather your thoughts to find a suitable solution.”
Hiba tried to control her fear then said: “I have an idea, they are absolutely looking for us now, and one of the most important rules of the scouts: “Tell others where you are,” we will make a flag and wave it. Let’s collect some long sticks, tie the scouts scarf at the top of the sticks and wave it.”
“Ok, it is a good idea, but the stick must be long enough.”
“We can tie several sticks together to get the long we want.”
“We will need a rope to tie them together.”
“You must have a rope; it is one of the basics of the scouts.”
“Yes, yes, that is right.”
Siba raised the stick after she has tied the scarf on the top and started waving it. Siba was waving and waving but she despaired of her useless attempts:
- “that won’t help, they won’t be able to see us in this darkness, and no one will come to save us, we must find another way to let them know where we are, maybe if we make loud sounds, do you remember the lesson of "How to ask for help?”
Hiba shouted as if she found a treasure: “The whistle, we will use the whistle.”
Siba opened the backpack and looked for the whistle but she could not find it:
“Where is it? I have put it here by myself.”
“You may forgot to put it back when the crow attacked us.”
“Oh, my God, Now we have only the spoon, plate and the lamp....”
“Siba I have an idea, I will hit the plate with the spoon twice then you will light the lamp towards above, then we repeat this step till they find us.”
“Ok, great, let's start.”
After many attempts, a voice came from afar: "Are you here?"
Siba and Hiba shouted happily: "Yes, we are here, we are here"
Finally the supervisors arrived with the scouts’ team. Siba was so happy. Hiba hugged the supervisor saying: “Oh Mrs., I thought we will spend the night in this terrifying forest.”
The supervisor asked them: “Why are you here?”
But they did not know what to say, they were so embarrassed.
When they have arrived the camp, the supervisor wrapped a band around Hiba's foot and disinfected the wounds in Siba's hand and put a plaster:
“Now you must tell me why did you go to the forest?”
Siba decided that she must tell the truth, so she brought out the stones and the bag from her pocket and said: “I was looking for the treasure and asked Hiba to help me.”
The supervisor looked with astonishment and said:
“It is impossible! Where did you find these stones and this bag?”
“Under the oak tree in the forest,” then Siba told the supervisor all about her adventure.
“Ha ha ha, it seems that your imagination is rich”
“But, why are you laughing?”
“After we have arrived the camp, I emptied my belongings, and the two silky bags were there with the different stones inside them. I wanted to show you these stones to teach you the types of rocks and precious stones. After the meeting I came back to find that one bag has disappeared, I noticed that there was a crow standing in front of the tent, and when I approached him, he flew, but not too far. I did not expect that he has stolen the stones. “He What?!”
“Yes, it is known that the crows like shiny things, they stole them to decorate their nests. I think what you have found, has fallen down from the nest of the crow.”
Hiba winked her friend: “So he is not stupid as you think, he was defending the furniture of his nest.”
Everybody laughed.
Despite of her disappointment and failure to find the treasure, she was satisfied by the adventure she had, it was just like the one she has seen in the movies, but this time she was the hero.
Isn’t that spectacular.