Camping

“I expect it’s just a rabbit, Bella,” said Dad. “Or maybe it’s just the wind, rustling the leaves.” Bella didn’t say anything more. Of course she was only little, thought Joe. You couldn’t really blame her for having silly worries about wolves! “Time for bed,” said Mum. They were all tired after a day outdoors. They put out the fire, closed the tent flap and crawled into their sleeping bags. Soon Bella, Mum and Dad were asleep. Joe was too excited to sleep. So he lay awake thinking about the day, and wondering what would happen tomorrow. Suddenly, he heard something from outside the tent. A rustling noise. “Probably just a rabbit,” he thought. Then he heard more rustling. It sounded like something walking around outside – something bigger than a rabbit. What if, thought Joe, Bella was right? What if a wolf did escape from a zoo? This campsite was just the kind of place it might like. Joe lay there, shivering, as the rustling continued. At last, he could bear it no longer. He got up and stuck his head out of the tent. A cow gazed at him over the hedge. She had soft, brown eyes, and was chewing peacefully on some leaves. “Moo!” she said. Joe chuckled to himself as he crawled back into his sleeping bag. “To think I was afraid of a cow!”