“We are going to have a good time there,” Jim assured Tom and Billy. “The last time we swam at the pond, it was cool and enjoyable. The fish are big and easy to catch,” he continued. The other boys looked at him as they hastened their strides. Their faces could explain the anxiety the boys had. They had never had a chance to explore the woods like Jim. Jim was three years older than the twins, Tom and Billy. He had attended a scout camp in the same forest a year ago, and enjoyed the experience. He had narrated the historic moment to his brothers who wished for such a chance. On this particular Saturday, their mother had gone for a business meeting out of town, and the boys decided to have fun exploring the woods. “The river is not far from here now. When we climb that small hill, we will see the pond down the valley,” Jim told his brothers as he pointed with a stick. The energy which Tom and Billy had started the journey had reduced after walking for about an hour in the forest. They seemed to get tired, but the fun which was awaiting kept them going.
The path narrowed, and they walked behind each other, Jim leading the way. The shrubs got thick, and the environment was quiet. No birds were singing. Suddenly, Jim stopped and inclined his ear. “Did you hear that?” he asked Tom and Bill. “Hear what?” Billy asked in a whisper. Tom’s face became pale and seemed frightened. Jim pointed to the bush and said, “It’s a rabbit.” Tom relaxed. At that instance, Billy and Jim ran towards the rabbit. Tom followed although he could not run as fast as the other boys. The animal kept changing directions, and so did the boys. At an instance, Jim almost caught it, but he missed. The rabbit went deeper into the forest, and the boys chased after it.
The boys gave up the chase when the rabbit got into a hole. They were all panting and sat on a log to catch their breath. They could not tell how long they had been chasing the poor animal. “We need to go back home Billy before mum arrives,” Tom said. “But we have to go swimming first,” Billy replied. Jim stood up but looked worried. “What is the matter?” Tom asked. “I do not know the way we came, the forest is thick,” he said. The boys started looking a way back to the main path. They would go in a particular direction and find that they are getting deeper into the woods. This took them a while, and they grew weary. The night was fast approaching, and the forest was getting dark. Weariness overtook the three boys and sat under a tree. “I think we are lost,” Jim said in a hopeless voice. “What are we going to do now? Mum said that the forest has dangerous animals. We need to go home,” Tom cried. Billy and Jim looked worried too. “I have an idea,” Jim said climbing a nearby tree. “If I can see the houses from the treetop, we can locate the path.” Sure enough, Jim could see the direction of the main road, and the boys found their way home. The boys reached home tired and hungry where they found their worried mother waiting.
