The Treasure was all Dan could think about as he walked up the passage. ‘I’ll be rich’ he thought. The dog, who knew what Dan was thinking, looked up at him as he walked by his side. Dan had been first out of the door, the one who was most eager to find the glittering jewels, the coins, and everything else he had ever seen in his books about hidden treasure.
The dog felt rather sad at Dan’s thoughts ‘There are more ways than one to be rich’ he knew but he kept his thoughts to himself. Dan would find out soon enough!
The cat then pushed past and ran on ahead, he didn’t like being last, he was a leader, it was his nature, and so, with tail held high, he majestically led the way into the sunshine.
The children blinked their eyes and looked around. It was beautiful, they were standing in a meadow full of flowers and on the right was a lake on which were water birds of every description.
Beyond the lake mountains rose majestically into the sky, and the sun, shining on their snow- capped peaks gave them the appearance of icing on a cake. Charlotte took a deep breath, ‘Isn’t it wonderful here’ she said to no-one in particular.
The meadow, they noticed was full of animals, so many of them happily playing together. ‘A donkey!’ Rachel cried. ‘My most favourite animal’ and she ran to where a donkey was chatting to a squirrel who was perched on the branch of a tree.
‘Donkey, hello’ she called.
The donkey turned round ‘Hello, Rachel’ he said. ‘You know my name!’ Rachel was amazed, but then, hadn’t everything been amazing ever since Dan had fallen through the cellar floor?
‘It’s lovely to see you’ the donkey said ‘and your friends’ he added as he watched Harry and Dan running with the dog, and Charlotte stroking a dove who whispered gently to her.
‘Meet my friend, the squirrel’ he said.
‘Hello’ Rachel and the squirrel spoke together, and they laughed. ‘What a lovely place this is’ Rachel said ‘I could stay here for ever’ and she sighed with pleasure.
‘Oh, you can’t stay much longer’ the squirrel told her. ‘You have a great adventure ahead of you’. Rachel continued stroking the donkey as she said ‘I know, the cat told us. Have you had any adventures?’ The donkey and squirrel looked at each other ‘Many’ they said. ‘All my family have’ the donkey brayed with pride. ‘My great, great, oh I don’t know how many great Grandfather’s ago, carried Jesus into Jerusalem when everyone was shouting “Hosanna” but I expect you know the story, don’t you?’ he asked. ‘I think so’ Rachel answered rather hesitantly.
‘I know it’ Charlotte’s eager voice said as she came over to them. ‘It’s a lovely Easter story’. ‘It is’ agreed the donkey. ‘Jesus chose us to carry Him so He is very special to us. Our Heavenly Father has used us many times, and one of my relatives spoke to Balaam, he .....’
The squirrel chuckled ‘You shouldn’t ask donkey about his family’s adventures’ he said. ‘He tells everyone how much God loves them and how “special” they are to Him’ and he smiled fondly at his friend. The donkey hung his head ‘I don’t mean to bore people, but it’s just so wonderful to know how much Jesus loves us’ he said.
‘Of course He does’ Charlotte agreed as she lay her head on the donkey, ‘and of course you must tell everyone about Him - so should we, it’s the best thing in the world to know how much Jesus loves us. And I know the story of Balaam and his donkey, too, it’s a lovely story’.
The donkey gave a great braying laugh of joy, he felt on top of the world again. ‘I must run’ he said. ‘I feel so happy, and I always run when I’m happy’ and he threw back his head and galloped off. The two girls and the squirrel laughed.
Charlotte then turned her head and saw something which made her gasp in fear. At the far end of the meadow, galloping out of the woods, were lions, tigers, elephants, even camels - all kinds of ‘wild’ animals. She was terrified.
‘Watch out!’ she cried ‘Lions.’ Rachel squealed and together they ran blindly towards the lake until they noticed that all the animals were laughing!
‘They wont hurt you’ the dog said and gave a great barking laugh.
By now the lions, tigers and the others had reached the children and were standing quietly looking at them.
Harry put out a rather nervous hand and stroked the lion’s mane. The lion nuzzled him and wagged his tail. ‘What’s your name?’ he asked.
‘Harry, what’s yours?’
‘I’m Lucas’ the lion answered grandly. ‘Meet my friends’ and he began to introduce Harry to the other animals. ‘This is Tylor the tiger, and Eliazer the elephant, and so it went on. Harry was so engrossed in meeting them all that he hadn’t noticed that his sister and the others had disappeared. He looked around and saw Dan riding a camel and Rachel was galloping on a horse whilst Charlotte was playing with a baby fawn.
‘Come on’ called Dan. ‘Get on a camel, it’s great fun.’
They were all laughing and enjoying themselves but the cat, hearing their laughter, grumbled ‘It’s time to go.’
He didn’t like all this hilarity, there were things to be done and these silly humans were wasting time.
The eagles, however, loved seeing the children enjoying themselves and said ‘Don’t fret, let them enjoy themselves a little longer’.
‘It’s lovely watching them’ the second eagle spoke ‘it’s not often we have such interesting visitors’.
‘Quite true’ the third and fourth eagles nodded their heads.
‘Besides’ said the owl ‘you haven’t told them about their clothes yet’.
‘Plenty of time, plenty of time’ said the cat haughtily. Not for anything would he admit that he had - well - almost forgotten!! So the children played with the animals.
The zebra’s stripes were admired and the antics of the monkeys laughed at. The vivid and beautiful plumage of the birds almost took their breath away, and the ability of the lizards to walk up walls and across ceilings astonished them.
‘Have you seen what we can do?’ a lizard with a particularly cheeky face and smile had asked them. ‘No’ they had replied. ‘We can walk upside down’ and he laughed ‘Just watch me’ so the children had walked back to the door and opened it for him, and up the wall he climbed and across the ceiling pausing only to look down on them and say ‘Clever aren’t we?’ The children had laughed and cheered.
‘How do you do that?’ Dan had asked when the lizard, who had introduced himself as ‘Lenny’ climbed back down.
‘We have special pads on our toes which can stick to the walls’ he then explained. Both Harry and Dan were impressed, how they would love to be able to do that they thought. But it was almost time to go, their adventure was about to begin so after only a few quick words with the dolphins and tiny seahorses they made their way to where the cat and the eagles were waiting.
‘These are the children’ the cat introduced them to the eagles.
‘Before you go on your adventure’ one of the eagles said ‘I believe the cat has something important to tell you’.
‘Ha, yes’ said the cat importantly ‘it’s about your clothes’. The children looked at them. Yes, they were a little unusual, they were very beautiful, and they had a strange perfume, but nothing to really wonder about.
Little did they realise just how unusual they were!
Elizabeth Aynsley 1995 ©