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Chipi in the Enchanted Forest

COSTA RICA | Thursday, 6 November 2008 | Views [4925] | Comments [1]

Strangler vine, Volcan Rincon

Strangler vine, Volcan Rincon

A Fairy tale by Daniel and Rachel

Chipi the Coati lived in the forest near the volcano.  He was happy as there were plenty of nice juicy grubs and worms to eat, by digging them up with his long claws, and yummy fruit that fell off the tall trees, which he sniffed out with his long nose.

Then one day people came and chopped down the trees so that they could grow grass for cows.  Chippi couldn´t eat grass, and he was frightened by the big noisy machines of the people.  He had to leave and find a new place to live – but where would he go?  He asked his friend, Crawcaw, the Magpie Jay “Cawwww, a monkey once told me of a secret valley where there are lots of fruit trees, hackack, but its through the enchanted forest, you´d need to be very brave to go through there, Hawhaw!” said Crawcaw, nodding his crest up the mountain “everyone avoids it, they say the trees walk around and don´t like animals there”

Chipi looked down at his old home – nearly all the trees were gone – he had to find the secret valley!

He put his nose down and scampered off into the enchanted forest.  Soon the trees became thicker and darker and the sounds of birds singing in the branches stopped.  Chipi looked around, getting nervous – there didn´t seem to be any friendly animals here, maybe he shouldn´t have come after all?

Soon Chipi was starting to feel hungry, suddenly he smelt eggs – yummy!  He quickly padded towards the egg smell.  But it wasn´t eggs at all, it was nasty hot pools of boiling mud!  The pools bubbled and laughed at him.  Chipi carefully walked around them – if he fell in he´d get cooked!  The forest was lighter here though, and he could rootle around for some crunchy beetles and juicy worms to fill his tummy.

Just further on the path was covered in what looked like giant snakes.  Chipi usually didn´t mind snakes – they were a tasty snack – but these ones were big enough to eat him!  He jumped over a log and hid behind it – “Did they see me?” he thought.

After a little bit, he poked his head out – the ´snakes´ were still in the same place “Maybe they´re asleep?”.  He carefully jumped over each one, until finally he was past – then with his heart racing, he ran on into the dark forest as fast as he could.

Soon, he came to a deep, deep pool – he couldn´t see his reflection in it, but he could see right to the bottom.  It was very quiet here.  Suddenly a calm voice said “what is a little coati like you doing here?”.  Chipi looked around, but he couldn´t see anyone.  “I´m looking for the secret valley - people have chopped down my forest and I´m homeless!”.  “Ah”, said the the soothing voice, “you´re going the right way, but be careful of the boiling pools, and beware the strangler vines!”  “S-s-strangler vines?” Stuttered Chipi, fearfully.  “Go this way”, whispered the voice, and the leaves of the trees around the pool fluttered in one direction.  “Thank you!” said Chipi, and then lolloped off in the direction the leaves had indicated.

Soon, Chipi noticed that it was getting misty – and the mist seemed to be coming out of the ground!  The path stopped, and the way was blocked by lots of big spikey plants.  Chipi tried again and again to find a way through, but each time the vicious spikes on the plants hurt him too much.  He looked around – there was a big cliff past the spikey plants - maybe this wasn´t the right way after all? 

Then he noticed a line of ants marching past him carrying big bits of leaves, some bigger than them!  They seemed to be murmering something.  Chipi put his head closer to the ants.  “Up up up up!” chanted the ants as they marched along. 

Chipi followed the line of ants and saw that they went up the side of what looked like a hollow tree, made up lots of intertwined trunks.  At the top, a branch came out which he could walk on to get to the top of the cliff!  Chipi wandered inside – it was full of rotten wood.  How strange!  “Oh well, the only way out is to climb up”. 

Chipi started climbing.  It wasn´t easy as Coati´s aren´t good at climbing trees, but the many interlinked trunks made it easier, as did his big claws.  As he climbed, the space inside the hollow trunk seemed to be getting smaller.  He hadn´t noticed that when he´d looked up from the ground.  What did the voice at the pool say?  Watch out for the strangler vines!  “Oh no!” he shouted and scrabbled up the trunks as fast as he could.  All the time, its was getting narrower and narrower.  Finally he saw the branch out onto the top of the cliff.  With one last effort he pushed himself up through a gap in the vine trunks and squeezed through.

Phew!  He´d made it – now looking down the inside of the trunks it seemed to be really wide again.  What a nasty plant!  Chipi walked along the branch and back onto the ground at the top of the cliff.  The mist was still rising and it was getting thicker.  He padded on, not really knowing which way to go.  Soon he couldn´t see anything.  It was dark in the mist, and scary, and he didn´t seem to be getting anywhere. 

He was really tired, he´d had to deal with boiling pools, giant snakes and then a strangler vine, and he still wasn´t anywhere near the secret valley.  He lay down and began to cry.  “I´ll never get there” he sobbed, and because he was so tired, soon fell asleep.

 

When he woke up, the mist was still there, but not as thick as it was – now he could see a path in front of him.  He wearily got up and walked along the path.  Soon, he started to hear a rushing sound.  As he got nearer, he suddenly saw a huge waterfall through the trees.  The sound of the water was deafening, and the path seemed to stop again at the water.  “Not again!” cried Chipi “I´m not going to be able to climb that!”.

“Oh, you don´t need to do that!” said a gruff voice behind him.  Chipi turned round to be faced by a big Spider Monkey.  “I´m Bolo”  said the monkey, “you seem to be a long way from home”.  “I´m Chipi, and I´m looking for the secret valley” said Chipi, “my home has been taken away by people and I need a new one”.  The monkey put his head to one side and looked at Chipi for a moment.  “Well, if you want to get there, then follow me”.  The monkey looped his long tail around Chipi´s and led him forward to the loud, rushing water.  “What are we doing?” cried Chipi, fearfully, “I can´t swim and I don´t like this noise!”.  “Don´t worry” said Bolo – “just follow me!”.  And with that he jumped straight through the water and disappeared.


“Well, I can´t stay here” thought Chipi, and summoning all his courage he ran into the water with his eyes tight shut.  To his great surprise he came out the other side – he was behind the waterfall! And there ahead of him at the end of the passage was a way out into the forest!  Chipi quickly scampered out, away from the rushing water, and came out into a beautiful, light forest, and on the ground were lots of yummy fruit.  He ran forward and started munching noisily on them.  He looked up – Bolo was hanging from a branch above him laughing.  “Welcome to the secret valley, Ooo wahhhh!”.

“Ack-Cack” said a voice behind him.  He turned around – it was Crawcaw, sitting on a tree, eating a big fat grub.  “Crawcaw!” shouted Chipi with delight. “What took you so long?” winked the bird.  “Welcome to our new home!”


Tags: fairytale

Comments

1

el mejor juego

  elder Mar 10, 2011 7:18 AM

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Argh!  Well, maybe not pirates this time, but dig the colour-coordinated bandanas!

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