The Moles Go Rafting

This is my favorite children's story that I wrote for my writing course I took a few years ago. I hope you enjoy it. Are there any good illustrators out there?


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One morning Robin dropped a message down the chimney of the Moles’ bark house. Mr. Mole’s brother, Uncle Max, was very sick. “We must take poor Uncle Max some hot soup,” said Mrs. Mole. Robin, knowing that Mrs. Mole was the best soup maker around, flew back to the woods to tell Frog and Squirrel.

Mrs. Mole got her biggest pot and lit the fire. Mr. Mole said, “With such a large pot we’ll have to go to Max's house by raft.”

“But, Husband,” declared his wife from the kitchen, “we have no raft.” However, the children, Andrew and Lizzie, were already taking off the front door of the house.

“This’ll make a great raft,” replied Andrew. Andrew and Lizzie helped Mr. Mole carry the door down to the stream. The door-raft floated nicely, but the current wasn’t strong enough. The raft wouldn’t budge.

Lizzie asked, “What’ll we do?”

“Get a curtain from the house,” Mr. Mole said smiling. “It’ll make a perfect sail, but what’ll we use for a mast?”

Suddenly Andrew jumped up. “I know, Father, the coat rack!” He ran off toward the house.

In the meantime, Mrs. Mole was busy stirring her delicious soup. “Hmmm…dandelions, raspberries, sunflower seeds and nutmeg. Uncle Max will love this!” The children ran into the house, grabbed the curtain and coat rack and ran off again.

Mr. Mole and the children fastened the coat rack to the raft, and tied the curtain to the coat rack, making a sail. Mrs. Mole brought the pot of hot soup to the stream. Mr. Mole put the steaming pot aboard the raft and yelled, “Cast off!” Using a broom to push away from shore, they set sail.

Passing beneath a large beehive, Mrs. Mole noticed Robin watching them. “Keep careful eye on the soup, Husband,” Mrs. Mole commented. “Robin’s up to something.” Suddenly Frog bounded off a passing lily pad and onto the raft! As the raft tipped, Mrs. Mole hit the frog with her large soup spoon and he fell back into the water. Splash! “That sly Robin,” said Mrs. Mole crossly. “He told Frog we’d be coming this way. I just know it.”

No sooner had she said this than bees and butterflies swarmed the soup pot. Mrs. Mole swung her apron at them. Mr. Mole tossed a boot at them, and Lizzie swatted at them with the broom, but still they kept coming. Then Andrew remembered he had his water gun. He squirted every last bee and butterfly. “Hurray! Hurray!” everyone yelled. “Andrew saved the soup!”

Suddenly, Squirrel swooped out of a tree. While trying to grab the handle of the soup pot, he grabbed Mrs. Mole’s sun hat instead. Just as quickly as Squirrel had appeared he was gone and so was Mrs. Mole’s hat. “That was my best hat too,” pouted Mrs. Mole. As they sailed, the sun sank lower in the sky. First Andrew began to yawn, then Lizzie. “We need to get some sleep,” said Mrs. Mole, “But we’ll have to take turns guarding the soup.” First Mrs. Mole watched, then Andrew , then Lizzie. Mr. Mole was on guard just as the sun was rising. But he was so tired that his eyes grew very heavy and soon he, too, fell fast asleep.

Smelling the soup, the animals had followed the raft all night . Now they began to chatter nervously. The current was getting faster and there was a waterfall just beyond Uncle Max’s house. The Moles were in great danger. The animals had to find a way to wake them before it was too late!

Frog was the first to try. He jumped on a nearby rock, but slipped and fell into the water. Next the bees and butterflies flew around their heads and buzzed in their ears, but the Moles were just too tired and didn’t move. Finally Squirrel and Robin tried. Robin started chirping loudly, and as the raft passed under a low branch Squirrel jumped down and knocked the sail and the broom into the water. Success! All the noise had woke the Moles. “Father, the waterfall!” screamed the children. “What’re we going to do!”

Uncle Max heard the screams and ran to his bedroom window. When he saw the Moles, he grabbed his long honey-gathering stick. “Climb onto the soup pot quickly!” he yelled. As the raft passed under his window, Uncle Max hooked the pot and pulled the Moles ashore. All the animals rushed over.
Squirrel handed Mrs. Mole her sun hat. “We’re so sorry. We never meant to hurt you.”

“We’re so happy to be safe,” said Mrs. Mole. “Why don’t you all come inside and share the soup with us.” Everyone was very hungry, but Uncle Max got most of the soup, a hot water bottle for his head and some much needed rest. He certainly deserved it!