“That was just the best lunch I have ever tasted, the wine was also fantastic Elliot”

“I know it was Evangeline, I had some myself”

“Don’t be so cheeky Elliot!”

“OK Mother, what about we go for a nice row on the nearby river and maybe even have a picnic?”

“What a good idea and I am your wife not your Mother”

“Hello Perkin, how has your day been?” Elliot asked.

“My day has been very good, thank you Elliot. What are you planning to do this afternoon?”

“Elliot and I are going to go on a lovely row on the nearby river after that splendid lunch and wine we enjoyed at the Harvester restaurant”

“Didn’t you go to the Harvester Restaurant last night? Dorothy told me about it.”

“Yes we did ” Elliot replied.

Perkin eyed them both, it was not common to go to the Restaurant that often in Basswood Creek. since they said that they wanted to have a full country experiance, Perkin strarted thinking about how he could really show the the power of nature, “Well, have a good day then!”

While Evangeline went shoe shopping Elliot was left to do the picnic shopping. First on his list was the Bakery where he needed to get bread, doughnuts and a few biscuits.

“Hello Dorothy! Evangeline and I saw Perkin by the Harvester Restaurant we were just disscussing our plans for the rest of the day”

“Aaah, where is Evangeline?”

“Evangeline is shoe shopping and has left me to shop for our picnic. Can I please have a loaf of bread, two white iced doughnuts and a pink iced biscuit and a green iced biscuit please?”

“The bread, doughnuts, biscuits, yes” Dorothy mumbled to herself, checking that she had everything for her customer who was peering at the doughnut display. “Want one?” she asked.

“No thank you, maybe another time.”

“Here you are Elliot, I hope you will have fun on your picnic”

“Thanks and goodbye Dorothy”

“Goodbye Elliot”

Next on the list was to get wine, apples and jam for the picnic.

“Hello Chelsea, can I please have wine and strawberry jam, red wine please” Elliot asked the female rabbit.

“Ok, shall I put them in a basket for you?” Elliot agreed and then turned to Megan.

“Megan, are those apples in your basket for sale?”

“Yes they are, I have just brought them back from the orchard so they are very fresh”

“Good, may I please have two of them, I must say, they look very juicy”

“Going on a picnic are you?” Chelsea asked as she put the glass of homemade strawberry jam into the basket.

“Evangeline and I are going for a row and are planning to have a picnic in the boat when we find some lovely secenery to look at.”

Just then, Evangeline turned up and showed her new shoes to her husband.

Evangeline inspected his goods until Eddie and Lucille turned up and she had to scold them both. Eddie for carrying a knife like the way he was and Lucille for balancing glass plates and wine glasses in a way that they could fall very easily.

“Aaah, I found you just in time” Perkin panted while the Beamans stared at his arrival. “I have come to warn you to take the left turn when the river splits in two. If you go the other way it is rough and dangerous.” he said laughing to himself silently.

The family thanked Perkin for his advice and then set off for the river.

Very soon they arrived at the place where the canoe was tied up. Elliot helped Evangeline into the canoe before he too got in.

Very soon the canoe was full of food, glassware, a violin and themselves.

“Untie the rope will you Eddie?” Elliot asked and Eddie did what he was told.

And they were off.

Shortly after they started rowing they came to the split in the river that Perkin had warned them about and turned left how he had instructed them to do.

Very soon however Elliot and Evangeline wished that they had not gone left after all. The water had started speeding up and getting wilder and wilder by the meter.

They went up and down and down and up in the rough water, watching out for sharp rocks which were just underneath the surface of the water.

“AAAAaaaaaahhhh!”screamed Evangeline

Water splashed into the boat, drenching everything within. Evangelines usually tidy fur was now full of knots.

After a while they finally reached calmer waters and Elliot discovered that all of the food was ruined, what a terrible day.

“Well, we are wet anyway so why don’t we just go for a swim instead of moaning about our spoilt food?!” and with that she leaped off the boat into the water.

Elliot stared in shock, this was most unevangeliney. “Come in!” she called happily

Elliot took off his jacket and jumped in himself.

“I have a feeling that Perkin knew that this was the wrong way…” Evangeline mumbled

Later in the day Evangeline and Elliot returned to Basswood Creek dripping wet but smiling brightly.

“Hello Perkin!” Evangeline smiled infront of the Bakery, “if the left was the calm way, I wonder what the right way is like?”

“You went down the left way? But the left way is r- PERKIN!!!”

I hope you liked the story. I know that I have not posted any stories lately nor have I been in the mood to write and create one.

Emily