Paul Bunyan & Me
Lucas was relaxing in the hammock before
it was time to meet the President. Right
now, the President was finishing breakfast with Paul Bunyan and probably
watching him eat a thousand pancakes.
Every kid’s dream.
It had been a few days since he saw the
Grizzly Giant tree, and he missed the peace he felt when he was there.
He closed his eyes with the sound of the
river and the scent of the trees around him.
He tried to relax and remember that moment.
Abruptly, Lucas felt himself being
absorbed into the trees around him.
“What is happening?” he called out
kicking his legs as if they were being held down.
The memory of the Grizzly Giant
returned, calming Lucas until he was pulled inside the light of a thousand
trees. They were under the direction of the Grizzly Giant.
“Where am I?” he asked.
The sound of water and wind filled his
mind until he floated into the air without his body. He was pulled to the tops
of the trees and could see his body below, lying in the hammock as if he were
asleep.
He felt just as peaceful as he was with
the Grizzly Giant, as he looked around and saw John and his Mom packing up some
clothes.
“This is amazing!” he thought.
“Where is Lucy?” he questioned.
The branches of the trees began to move,
and with the help of a breeze, he was pushed towards her.
Lucy was right below him reading a book
next to the river.
“There she is!” he said cheerfully.
Lucas called out to her trying to get
her to look up.
“LUCY!” he called as loud as he could.
Lucy looked around hearing his voice, but
could not see him. She continued to read her book.
“Where is Paul Bunyan?” Lucas thought,
hoping to see what he was doing with the President.
After another gentle push of the wind,
and trees, Lucas appeared directly over the breakfast table where Paul was
sitting with the President.
It was almost over and Paul Bunyan was
laughing at something the President said.
“This is the weirdest thing that has
ever happened to me,” Lucas said to himself.
Paul Bunyan heard Lucas but thought it
was the President.
“What’s strange?” Paul Bunyan asked the
President.
The President looked up at Paul Bunyan
feeling confused about his question.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
Paul Bunyan suddenly realized that it
was the voice of Lucas, so he looked around the forest for his little friend.
Lucas snickered causing Paul to hear him
and look directly at him.
Lucas realized that Paul could hear him
but the President could not.
“Can you hear me?” he asked.
Paul squinted his eyes to get a better
look.
“Is that you Lucas Fern?” he asked.
Lucas panicked and thought of the
hammock where his body was sleeping.
“Lucas, wake up!” John called from
inside the tent.
Lucas opened his eyes and looked for his
father.
“What happened?” he asked.
Lucy and Tali were walking towards him.
“Did you have a good nap?” Tali asked.
Lucas sat up in the hammock.
“I’m fine!” replied Lucas. “I was
floating.”
Lucy giggled.
“Of course, you’re in a hammock,” she teased.
“Not just in the hammock,” he replied.
“I was taken by a bunch of trees to different places I wanted to go,” he
clarified.
Lucy giggled again.
“What did you have for breakfast?” she
asked.
“The same cereal as you,” he replied,
feeling frustrated. “I’m serious! Something took me and only Paul Bunyan could
see me.”
Tali came over and handed Lucas some
water to drink.
“Take it easy. You have been through
enough this week,” she replied calmly.
A few seconds later, Paul Bunyan came
tip-toeing carefully through the camp, acting like a two-hundred-foot-tall
ninja.
Most campers were out trying to see the
President, and no one else even noticed.
Lucas was surprised at how good Paul
Bunyan was at moving around unnoticed.
“I saw you!” Paul interrupted, kneeling
over the top of a large motor home to get a closer look at Lucas.
Lucy was speechless after finally seeing
Paul Bunyan for the first time.
“I saw your shadow and heard your
voice. How did you do that?” Paul Bunyan
asked.
Lucas smiled as he thought of how he
impressed the great Paul Bunyan.
“I don’t know,” Lucas replied. “The
trees did all of the work.”
Paul Bunyan reached down and gave Lucas
a light push in the hammock with his giant finger.
“You are amazing!” he said proudly. “I
need you to teach me how to do that.”
Lucas smiled up at him.
“Anytime,” he replied.
“How about right now?” asked Paul
Bunyan.
“That’s fine with me,” John Henry
interrupted. “We have a few hours before the President returns from Glacier
Point.”
Paul Bunyan smiled.
“Why don’t I give Lucas a quick tour of
Yosemite?” Paul suggested.
“Great idea!” Lucas quickly replied. “Can I
go?”
Tali moved over so Paul Bunyan could put
his hand out to pick Lucas up. Lucy was just standing there in shock, with her
mouth open.
“That’s a great idea,” Tali replied
looking up to wink at the friendly giant. “Just take care of my baby.”
“Lucy!” Lucas called out, breaking the
spell that was over her as she studied the giant man.
“Do you want to come?” Lucas asked.
“I will be just fine right here on the
ground,” Lucy replied nervously.
Paul Bunyan reached down allowing Lucas
to jump into his hand.
“He will be in good hands,” Paul said,
standing up.
“Wooaahh!” giggled Lucas as the lift
into the air tickled his tummy.
Paul Bunyan quickly disappeared across
the river past an old hotel. He did not
seem worried about being seen.
“Where we going?” asked Lucas.
Paul set Lucas on his shoulder and stood
in front of a mountain wall.
“Hold on tight. We need to tell Babe
about our meeting by the river, for the Jr. Ranger Celebration,” he explained.
“What celebration?” asked Lucas.
“The President has given me a new job as
Chief Jr. Ranger, and asked me to accept the job in front of the world as he
wants to present me to the world,” he explained.
Paul Bunyan took only a couple of
minutes to make it to the top of the mountain wall. He started walking towards the Hetch Hetchy
Reservoir where Babe, the giant ox was grazing.
“Can I go to the celebration?” Lucas
asked.
“Of course, you can. It’s right before
your family leaves for the Grand Canyon,” Paul explained.
Paul took Lucas to the highest point on
the mountain, trying to see Babe in the distance.
“Plug your ears little buddy,” he
warned.
Lucas plugged his ears right before Paul
gave one of the loudest whistles ever.
Out in the distance, Lucas heard a faint
reply. Babe was letting Paul that he was coming.
It took less than a minute for Lucas to
feel the tremble of Babe’s footsteps.
“Here he comes,” Paul said
cheerfully.
It was obvious that he and Babe were
best friends.
Lucas spent about an hour showing Paul
Bunyan how to connect with the trees.
Paul Bunyan was able to connect, but his
connection was limited. It was obvious that Lucas had been chosen to speak for
the trees.