The Aldens put down their burdens and stared at the mess.
“Why would anyone leave a campsite like this?” Violet asked.
“Thoughtlessness,” Mr. Alden answered. “People don’t think about the effect they have on the environment.”
Henry slid off his backpack and set it on the ground. Then, he leaned over and picked up a soda can. Following his lead, everyone chose a spot to clean up. Before long, the campsite was cleared of debris, and the garbage pail under the maple tree was nearly filled.
“Now, we can make camp,” Henry said.
“The first thing to do is decide where the cooking and dining areas will be,” Mr. Alden said.
Jessie walked over to a circle of large stones. Charred wood lay inside. Nearby, there was a picnic table. “How’s this?” she asked.
“Perfect,” Mr. Alden said.
Henry and Benny unrolled a flat piece of canvas to protect their supplies from the weather. While it was spread on the ground, they fastened the six tent poles, four to the ends and two in the middle. Next, Henry found a large stone and pounded six pegs into the ground. Then, he tied a line that extended from the top of each pole to a peg.
“Okay,” he said. “Time to put up the tent.”
The children raised the first two corner poles.
“Hold them steady,” Henry directed as he tightened the lines.
They moved to the opposite corner and did the same. When the middle two poles were standing, the job was finished.
“Good job,” Mr. Alden said, “but not quite right.”
“What’s wrong with it, Grandfather?” Benny asked.
“It’s flat,” Mr. Alden pointed out. “What will happen if it rains?”
“The water will pool on top,” Henry said.
“And probably leak through,” Jessie added.
“I know what to do,” Henry said. He picked up his pounding rock and began driving a corner peg deeper into the ground. He did the same to three other corner pegs but not to the center two poles. When he had finished, the canvas sloped down from the middle. Now, water would run off of it.
Next, they had to choose a spot for their sleeping tent.
“How about under that tree?” Benny asked. “It’ll be nice and shady.”
“It would be cool there,” Grandfather agreed, “but if it storms—”
“Lightning,” Violet said.
“How about right here where I’m standing?” Mr. Alden asked.
The children examined the spot. It was clear—no rocks or roots or poison ivy beds—and it sloped just enough so that rain would run down and not pool.
“It’s a good place for our tent,” Henry said.
Watch pawed the ground. Benny squatted beside him. He saw a mound of earth with small holes in it.
“The ants thought it was a good place, too,” he said. “I don’t want to spoil their home.”
They decided on another location nearer the brook. While Mr. Alden and the boys pitched the tent, Jessie and Violet began unpacking supplies under the canvas covering the cooking area.
“We can’t just put things on the ground,” Violet said.
“No,” Jessie agreed. “Everything will get damp and ruined.”
They gathered big rocks and made two stacks several feet apart. These they bridged with the old park building board. It was a perfect table for the supply boxes and the first aid kit. The cooler fit underneath with room to open the lid.
The boys had done a good job, too. The sleeping tent was up and the backpacks and sleeping bags were inside.
“Now can we eat?” Benny asked.
“First we have to collect wood for a fire,” Henry said.
Benny ran over to the cooking pit. “There’s wood here.” He pointed to a small woodpile nearby.
“I suppose that’s enough for tonight,” Henry said. “We’ll gather more in the morning.”
“You make the fire,” Jessie said to Henry and Mr. Alden. “We’ll find some long sticks for the hot dogs.” She, Benny, and Violet ran off into the woods.
Henry made a wood teepee in the center of the pit and stuffed some newspaper inside. Mr. Alden got the matches from the tin box in the kitchen tent.
By the time the girls and Benny returned, the fire was burning nicely, and Henry had made a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, and shredded cheese, and set the picnic table.
The Aldens roasted their hot dogs.
“I’m going to put my salad on mine,” Benny said. He tore some lettuce into small pieces and cut up a tomato slice. He piled them and a spoonful of cheese on his bun.
“That’s a good idea,” Grandfather said, doing the same.
“Save room for Mrs. McGregor’s cookies,” Jessie reminded everyone.
“I always have room for those!” Benny assured her.
After supper, everyone cleaned up.
“We can burn the paper plates and napkins in the fire,” Henry said.
“And if we put the wet garbage at the outer edge of the fire,” Jessie said, “we can burn it when it dries.”
Finished with the cleanup, they sat around the fire.
“Let’s tell ghost stories,” Henry suggested but everyone was too tired to think of one.
Benny felt something whiz past him. He ducked. “What was that?” he asked.
“I think it was a bat,” Henry said. He pointed upward where small dark shapes swooped.
“They’re out catching insects for their supper,” Mr. Alden said. “They’ll be gone soon.”
“It almost hit me!” Benny said.
“Oh, it wouldn’t do that,” Grandfather assured him. “Bats have a very good sense of direction.”
“They have a kind of radar,” Violet told him. “They bounce sound off objects to locate them.”
“Just so they don’t bounce off me!” Benny said.
They all laughed.
Bright stars filled the sky. Everyone leaned back to admire them.
Using his jacket for a pillow, Benny settled against a tree trunk. “I think I’ll stay up all night and look at the stars,” he decided. But he had no sooner said that than his eyes closed, and in a minute he was asleep. |