The Big Adventure Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Copyright Page

  This is Jack. Today Jack is in a happy mood.

  It’s the school holidays and he is going camping with his family!

  Jack’s parents pack the car. It is stuffed to the very top.

  ‘Have we got everything?’ his dad asks.

  ‘I think so,’ says his mum.

  ‘What about the marshmallows?’ Jack asks.

  ‘Yes.’ Jack’s mum smiles.

  ‘Don’t worry. I wouldn’t forget the marshmallows.’

  Jack grins. Toasted marshmallows are his favourite camping treat!

  They drive a long way until they reach the campsite. It is next to a beach.

  Jack can hear the roar and crash of waves in the distance.

  ‘Can we go for a swim?’ he begs.

  He can’t wait to get into the water.

  ‘Not just yet,’ his dad says.‘We have to put up the tent first.’

  Jack helps his mum and dad put up the tent.

  It is very hard work. And Scraps definitely isn’t helping!

  Jack’s job is to hammer the pegs into the ground. Soon he is very hot and very sweaty.

  Finally the tent is up. They sit in the shade and have a cool drink.

  ‘Can we go to the beach now?’ asks Jack.‘Please?’

  ‘Yes!’ Jack’s dad says. ‘Put your bathers on. I’ll grab the towels.’

  Soon everyone is ready. They walk along a path that winds through the scrub.

  Jack chases Scraps up a sand dune. When he sees the sea, he cheers.

  He can’t wait to jump into the cool blue water.

  Jack and his dad splash in the waves while his mum reads a book.

  They throw a tennis ball for Scraps.

  ‘He’s a good swimmer, isn’t he?’ Jack says.

  ‘He sure is,’ Jack’s dad says. ‘OK, time to get out now.’

  ‘Aw, can’t I stay in a bit longer?’ Jack asks.

  ‘No, Jack,’ his dad says. ‘The current here is very strong.’

  ‘It’s dangerous to go in the water without an adult, OK?’ his dad adds.

  ‘OK,’ sighs Jack.

  They trudge up the sand to get dry. Jack’s dad lies on his towel and closes his eyes. Jack’s mum is dozing, too.

  How boring! Jack thinks.

  How can they sleep when there is a whole beach to explore?

  ‘Can I go for a walk with Scraps?’ Jack asks.

  ‘Hmm, I don’t know,’ Jack’s mum says. ‘I’d rather you stayed here.’

  ‘I’m not a little kid anymore, Mum!’ Jack says. ‘And I’ll have Scraps with me.’

  ‘All right, but don’t go further than the rockpools,’ she says.

  ‘And don’t go into the water,’ his dad mumbles sleepily.

  ‘I won’t,’ says Jack.

  Jack wanders along the beach picking up shells. Scraps chases seagulls.

  Soon they reach the rockpools. They are full of interesting things. Jack sees spiky black mussels, little brown crabs and even an orange starfish.

  But then, in the distance, Jack sees something even more interesting. A small dark cave in the cliff.

  Jack turns to look at his parents. They are still sleeping.

  The cave isn’t much further than the rockpools, he thinks. I’m sure it’s OK if I just take a quick peek.

  Jack and Scraps run up to the cave. Inside it is very cool and very quiet. The sea sounds a million miles away.

  ‘Wow! Isn’t this great?’ Jack says to Scraps.

  Scraps barks and the echo barks back at him. He whimpers and hides behind Jack’s legs.

  ‘I thought you were braver than that!’ Jack giggles. ‘Hey, let’s pretend we’re cavemen.

  This can be our house.’

  Jack looks around for things to decorate their cave. He makes a bed out of a big piece of seaweed. Then he finds some shells they can use as bowls. He collects bits of wood to make a pretend fire.

  ‘Doesn’t it look great, Scraps?’ he says. ‘I wish we could stay here forever!’

  Jack pretends he is ‘Grunt, the caveman’. Scraps is his ferocious pet wolf. Though he doesn’t look very ferocious right now!

  Jack and Scraps play cavemen for a little while.

  ‘Come on, Scraps!’ Jack says. ‘We’d better go back. Mum and Dad might be worried.’

  Scraps runs to the entrance of the cave, then stops. Jack stops, too.

  A little while ago there was sand in front of the cave. Now there is water.

  Deep, splashing water. The tide has come in.

  Jack and Scraps are trapped!

  Jack feels very frightened. ‘Dad!’ he calls loudly. ‘Mum!’

  ‘Dad! Mum!’ the echo calls back.

  Jack knows they will never hear him. They are too far away. And the sea is much too loud.

  Jack swallows back his tears. What if no-one ever finds us? he worries. It will be dark soon!

  Jack wishes he had never left the rockpools.

  He wishes he had stayed with his mum and dad.

  Just then, Scraps’ ears stand up. He tilts his head to one side and begins to bark. The echo joins in.

  ‘What is it, Scraps? Can you hear Mum and Dad?’ Jack asks.

  He tries to listen more carefully. But all he can hear is Scraps barking and the roar of the waves.

  Scraps runs along the edge of the water. He barks and barks.

  Jack yells as loudly as he can. But he knows it’s no use. If he can’t hear his parents they won’t be able to hear him. Only Scraps has hearing like a superhero.

  Maybe I should try and swim out to them? he thinks. No. Dad said I can’t go into the water without him.

  But then Jack has an idea. His dad said that he shouldn’t go into the water. But he didn’t say Scraps shouldn’t go into the water.

  ‘Scraps!’ he says.‘Go find Dad! Please, little buddy! Go find Mum and Dad!’

  Scraps looks at Jack.

  Then he leaps into the water.

  The waves are very strong. But Scraps paddles fiercely.

  Soon he disappears behind a big rock.

  ‘Go Scraps!’ Jack yells. He crosses his fingers tightly on both hands. He holds his breath and his heart beats fast.

  Just then, Jack sees someone wading towards him.

  Next to him swims a very brave puppy.

  ‘Dad!’ Jack yells.‘Scraps!’

  He bursts into tears. ‘I was so scared.’

  Jack’s dad takes Jack in his arms.‘We were scared, too,’ he says angrily.‘We looked for you everywhere.

  You should never have come this far without us!’

  Jack hangs his head.

  ‘I know,’ he says. Big tears slide down his nose and drop onto the ground.

  ‘It’s OK,’ Jack’s dad says. ‘I know you’ve learnt your lesson. The main thing is that we found you!’

  ‘Thanks to Scraps,’ Jack says, hugging his dog. ‘You are the bravest dog in the world!’

  ‘And you were good not to go into the water, like I told you,’ Jack’s dad says. ‘It’s not very deep, but the current is strong.’

  He lifts Jack up onto his shoulders.‘Let’s get back before it gets any deeper.

  I think it’s time to go back to the campsite now.’

  That evening Jack sits around the campfire with his mum and dad, toasting marhsmallows. Scraps lies at his feet. He feels warm and happy and cosy.

  It’s fun to be an adventurous explorer during the day, thinks Jack. But at night, I prefer to just be a kid.

  The Big Adventure

  published in 2014 by

  Hardie Grant Egmont

  Ground Floor, Building 1, 658 Church Street

  Richmond, Victoria 3121, Australia

  www.hardiegrantegmont.com.au

  This ebook is also available as a print edition in all good bookstores.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means without the prior permissi
on of the publishers and copyright owner.

  A CiP record for this title is available from the National Library of Australia.

  eISBN: 9781743580622

  Text copyright © 2014 Sally Rippin

  Illustration copyright © 2014 Stephanie Spartels

  Logo and design copyright © 2014 Hardie Grant Egmont

  Design by Stephanie Spartels

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  Sally Rippin, The Big Adventure

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