The Giant Forest - COMPLETED - True to life adventures of preteens.

God Provides in Mysterious Ways

Everyone nearly jumped out of their skins when Sycamore screamed, a big-boy scream, not a little girl scream, "Barb!!"

The other four looked at one another wide-eyed, then looked at Sycamore.

"Barb?" they all said together as if on cue.

"Yeah! It's Barb. Barb rescued me when I fell through the bridge into the creek. Funniest thing. I thought I was saving her, but it turns out it was her who was saving me."

Nobody bothered to ask Sycamore why he wasn't stuttering anymore, or what happened to his slurred speech, or why he wasn't talking in his usual slow cadence. That would be something to delve in some other time.

What everyone wanted to talk about was a similar experience each had but with different animals.

Suddenly everyone began to jabber at once.

"Squadrons of butterflies ..." Roci began.

"Flotillas of beavers ... " Sycamore started.

"Platoons of beetles ..." Aimi commenced.

"Packs of dogs ..." Mousi barked.

"Corps of badgers ..." Sybil dug in to join along in the conversation.

Nobody listened to what each other was saying. All of them were interrupted by the sound of padding of something slapping on water. It was Barb trying to get their attention, which in the end she did.

"Saved again! But this time from not caring about what one another went through." Sybil said grinning.

"You go first."

"No you!"

"No, I won't. You!"

"Oh, I gotta hear your story first!"

It wasn't clear who said which command first but it did become apparent that instead of focusing on self, all of them realized it was better to think of their friends first. And that, in time, each would get a turn to tell their story.

All the kids laughed heartily.

"Life is more fun when we think of others first rather than ourselves," Mousi said tapping into her own experiences.

"Mousi. You go first." Roci piped, not realizing that perhaps for the first time ever, she was genuinely willing to let someone else go ahead of her. "Tell us your story. I really can't wait."

The others nodded in agreement

In turn, each told the others how they had gotten into their respective predicaments and how each had been saved by the most unlikely of means.

"A cliche comes to mind. God provides in mysterious ways. Or is it a cliche?" Aimi asked nobody in particular.

Everyone was relieved that she had finally stopped laughing.

Barb, looking over her shoulder in a way that only beavers can wobbled towards the waterfall.

"She wants us to follow her!" Sycamore said confidently.

"Where? Into the waterfall?" Mousi wondered out loud.

"Look! There's a large hole cleft, a cave or maybe it's a tunnel behind the falls," Sybil interjected. "One of my friends is there to lead us. Let's go!"

Nobody questioned if it were wise or not to follow the lead of the animals. They just followed.

"Sycamore. You'd better go first." Roci proposed. "Not because we want you to face the danger first. But because you are the biggest. If you can get through, then all of us are sure to be able to make it as well. But if you are last and the tunnel narrows and we make it through, you might not be able to get through. We are NOT leaving you behind." Roci emphasized the not.