Thursday 6 October 2011

Lizzie Hayes' Magical Christmas Travels- Part 4


Right, a few disclaimers might be needed for this next chapter, as I went for a subject a liiiiiiiittle bit out of my depth. Best way to learn, right? But I'll save those disclaimers until the end- don't want to ruin the surprise, after all...



Twice Liz had travelled with the globe-
It now was time to prod and probe
Her Granddad Steve, to find out more
Why did this globe let her explore?
She knew how weird and wild it seemed-
But this was NOT something she’d dreamed.
Along with Chumps, she went downstairs
To face her mother’s baffled glare.
‘You’re so bruised Liz, are you alright?
You look like you’ve been in a fight!’
‘I’m fine thanks Mum- just need to talk
To Granddad- can we take a walk?’
But Granddad looked a little scared,
‘Not now, dear Lizzie- I’ve prepared
A HUGE breakfast for Boxing Day-
Pancakes and bacon on the way!’
Her favourite food- but Liz was cross
Was Granddad Steve trying to gloss
Over the subject- what’s to hide?
So after breakfast, Lizzie tried
To ask her Granddad once again,
Who said ‘Not now.’ Liz said, ‘But when?’
‘I’ll tell you when the time is right,’
Said Granddad Steve, ‘later tonight.’
So Lizzie sat through Boxing Day
Just wishing the whole day away-
And only at the midnight chime
Did Granddad Steve say ‘It is time.
Come to my study, with the globe.’
Then flounced off in his flowing robe.
Keen Lizzie obeyed Steve’s command,
Went to the study, globe in hand,
‘Come in!’ said Granddad, ‘it’s unlocked!’
And that’s before Lizzie had knocked!
Carefully, Liz turned the handle
Into darkness, save one candle
Only lighting her Granddad’s face-
‘Come here, my dear, and take your place!
Let me explain all that you’ve seen
And tell me everywhere you’ve been-
But I think before we begin
That we should take a little SPIN…
Hold my hand, nothing to be feared!’
Said Granddad Steve, stroking his beard.
So Lizzie took Steve’s bony hand
And spun her way to some strange land…
She fell down with her usual screech,
Opened her eyes onto a BEACH!
As Steve brushed off his sandy robe,
Liz said ‘Where ARE we on the globe?’
‘South America, I believe!
Now come this way,’ said Granddad Steve.
Liz said ‘Have you been here before?’
This question Steve chose to ignore.
He scoured all the rocks and sand
Young Lizzie did not understand!
Liz looked at the sea, sparkling blue,
Unsure of what else she should do.
‘Liz! Come here!’ Steve suddenly cried,
So Lizzie sprinted to his side
And stared at what looked like a rock
Until she got a mighty SHOCK
As that same rock began to move
Steve certainly seemed to approve,
Out popped some legs, and then a HEAD!
‘We’ve woken Carlos from his bed!’
Said Granddad Steve, ‘This tortoise here
I’ve visited for many years-
He’s almost the same age as me!
¡Hola Carlos, estoy aquí!’
Slowly, the tortoise turned his head,
Steve mi amigo, ¿está usted?
‘Sí Carlos, con mi nieta-
¡Es la mejor del planeta!
Steve said to Liz as Carlos smiled
‘I know that this seems pretty wild
But Spanish is what Carlos speaks-
I learned the tongue for MANY weeks
Before I could talk and comprehend
The words of my old tortoise friend.’
Lizzie looked at Carlos a while,
Who said to her, with a sleepy smile:
‘iHermasos ojos azules!’
‘Carlos, Lizzie habla ingles.’
Then Carlos said ‘I had no clue!
My name’s Carlos, how do you do?
From my words, I’m sure you can tell
I cannot speak your English well!’
‘Lizzie, I will translate, no fear,’
Said Granddad Steve. ‘Old Carlos here
Said you have beautiful blue eyes!’
Well, this took Lizzie by surprise!
‘Lizzie, pleased excuse me a sec,’
Said Steve, ‘There’s something I must check.’
Carlos and Steve spoke Spanish fast,
Liz wondered how long it would last
Until Steve cried ‘Why, it’s a shame!
You only have yourself to blame!
We’re looking for your wife TODAY!
There’s no way she’s gone TOO astray!’
You see Liz, Carlos lost his wife
After he caused her too much strife!
No time to waste, now we must leave.
That’s OK, Carlos?’ ‘Vale, Steve.’
Steve took the tortoise on his back
(Carlos was old, his pace was slack)
The three of them walked from the beach
As Granddad Steve began to teach
Young Lizzie, with a happy smile:
‘San Cristobal is a small isle
Part of the Galapagos group
Off Ecuador, home to a troop
Of giant tortoises on shore
Who lay their eggs- and wait! There’s more-
Don’t make a sound, don’t say a word-
Hear the elusive mockingbird!’
As neither Steve nor Lizzie talked
Lizzie saw just how far they’d walked-
A rainforest with stifling heat
Plus spiky plants just by their feet
And silence- then the rarest sound,
Which meant a MOCKINGBIRD was found!
Then Granddad did something absurd-
He sang just like the mockingbird!
Young Lizzie caught a flash of white-
A bird swooped down to Lizzie’s height.
‘¡Hola, Conzuela!’- in reply
The mockingbird trilled to the sky.
‘Mi amigo ha perdido
Su esposa- ha salido.
¿Dónde está? No sabemos.
Liz, I’ve just explained that Carlos
Lost his wife, when she departed-
This young bird here is kind-hearted
And might have seen his wife around.’
The mockingbird then trilled a sound-
‘Oh, ¡GRACIAS!’ cried Granddad Steve-
Who ran like you wouldn’t believe
For Steve was old, but he was QUICK!
So quick Liz thought she might be sick!
Poor Carlos, bobbing up and down
On Steve’s Back wore a queasy frown
Until they reached another BEACH-
The last thing Liz thought they would reach!
But Steve kept running thud-thud-thud
Towards a rock-pool, brown with mud,
Then he stopped dead, waited a while,
Slowly began to smile and smile-
‘My dear grand-daughter, see those bubbles?
That’s the end of all our troubles
For I think that the wife is found!’
Releasing Carlos from the ground,
Into the mudpool, Carlos fell-
He stared hard at one surfaced shell…
Then that shell grew a tortoise head!
‘Oh Ana, Ana, ¿es usted?
‘Carlos, ¿dónde has estado?
iMi amor, te he echado!
‘Now Carlos found his wife,’ said Steve,
‘I think it’s time for us to leave.’
‘Adiós Carlos y Ana,
See you soon! ¡Hasta mañana!
Then Granddad Steve took Lizzie’s hand
And ran full speed through speckled sand
Back through the trees, they heard the laugh
Of mockingbirds- Steve chose the path
That seemed to last for many miles-
Lizzie was almost out of smiles,
Much more running, she could not take-
Then suddenly, they’d reached a LAKE
With nothing but grass all around,
Lizzie’s breathing the only sound.
‘Lizzie, this lake is El Junco-
To get back home, in we must go!’
Lizzie was stunned- ‘You mean we JUMP?’
But Steve just laughed ‘Don’t get the hump!
Now jump after I count to 3-‘
‘Please don’t! I’m scared!’ said Liz, ‘You see
I nearly drowned when once I fell
Into the sea- I can’t swim well!’
Steve grinned and said ‘Don’t worry, dear,
I promise there’s no need to fear,
Don’t hold your breath, just after ‘3’
Jump feet first in the lake with me.’
Don’t hold her breath? But why? but why?
Wouldn’t she drown? Wouldn’t she die?
However, she knew that she must
Put into Steve all of her trust
And so she jumped- but just felt AIR
Rushing around her everywhere
Then silence. Liz opened her eyes
And found (which came to no surprise)
That she was back in Granddad’s study,
Somehow clean, not wet or muddy,
And Granddad Steve sat opposite
Grinning at her, not fazed one bit.
‘Oh Granddad, can you tell me now?
Where did we go? What, why and how?
But Granddad gave the BIGGEST yawn-
‘My dear, it’s coming up to dawn.
Tomorrow night, come meet me here,
Same time, same place, and then my dear
You’ll find out all there is to know.
Now Lizzie, off to bed you go!’
Will you join Liz tomorrow eve
To find out everything from Steve?
I know she’d love you to be there-
But for now, dear, goodnight, take care.

DISCLAIMERS: I am not an expert of Spanish/ the Galapagos Islands. I apologize if I offend anybody with mistakes, and will gladly correct them...as long as they're within the rhyme scheme...(joking, will actually correct if wrong!). I wish the picture was mine,  but it isn't...it belongs here.

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