The Flashlight Guest — Every evening, Gus patted his sleeping bag flat, puffed the pillow twice, and set his flashlight by the door. Read the full story →
Every evening, Gus patted his sleeping bag flat, puffed the pillow twice, and set his flashlight by the door. The riverbank smelled like wet stones and camp noodles, and Gus liked everything in its just-right spot. Until one evening, the flashlight rolled by itself—clunk, clunk, clunk—and stopped with a tiny sneeze.
Because of that, Gus lifted the flap and found a speckled toad wearing a leaf like a hat. “Excuse me,” Gus whispered. The toad blinked, hopped into the mesh pocket, and made it bounce like a trampoline. Because of THAT, Gus laughed so hard his pillow slipped sideways and his sleeping bag curled like a taco. Finally, he tucked the flashlight beside the toad’s “stage” and let the silly guest bow. If you peek inside the tent, you might spot exactly where the clunk-clunk show began.
