An Ollie-Day Holiday story about a canoe (sort of).
The little spider tugs at my shirt collar to get my attention. He reminds me it’s time to tell you a story involving a canoe about a little holiday he made up. He’s a joyous little soul who always makes people smile and reminds me of a time when the best thing about the day is ice cream and the worst thing is no ice cream. Remember the silly things, friends. They keep us young and perhaps healthier.
Today’s Ollie-Day is Canoe Down A Snowy Mountain Day.
On this day a Moonwater Meadow tradition was established when a spider, two bears, a koala, a mouse and a rabbit piled into a canoe painted bright purple with green flames and hurled themselves down Mount Molehill.
All day.
It is a tradition repeated every year but the original story begins with questions…
Why would anyone canoe down a mountain when there are so many other (and safer) snow-time activities to choose?
They could build a snow man, a snow woman or a snow chicken. They could make snow angels. The gang could have a snowball fight but it wouldn’t be much of a fight because they’d all want to be on the same team.
Because there is a mountain.
Mountains are for climbing. Because there’s a view at the top and that’s where all the action is. Because that mountain is covered in snow, not sand, not water and not ice cream. Because snow is slippery and quite fun to slide on.
Why a canoe? Why not a sled, a sleigh, skis or snowboards? Because a canoe fits everyone all cozy at once. Why purple and green? Why not black, blue , red or silver? Because purple and green, in any combination (such as green and purple) are the official colors of Moonwater Meadow.
So on this day, the band of mischievous explorers pulled the canoe from storage where they also kept the racing mowers, jet packs and rockets (but not the pizzas). They carried it up Mount Molehill with frequent breaks for hot chocolate and a few giggles. There may have been one small snowball scuffle and quite possibly a snow angel.
At the top, after admiring the view, Ollie and his pals piled into the canoe for an action-packed trip down the steep and bumpy mountain. However, no one got out to push. They sat in quiet for a short while waiting. Then, one by one, they began making racing sounds, skiing sounds and rocket sounds. All six of them making revving and sliding and swooshing sounds. Until they realized they were still not moving.
They looked at each other. Artemouse was too small, Spoon, the koala was too tired, the Bearly brothers were busy arguing and Ollie was too spindly. That left Ticklebit. He was tall enough and strong enough. He gave the purple and green canoe a shove and jumped in as it took off. The revving and racing sounds were replaced with the joyful (mostly) screams of the children of the Meadow.
Then came the bumps.
There was a jostle and a shuffle and soon a rabbit was airborne. Bumps are the reason for seat belts in canoes. Of course, why would anyone put seat belts in a canoe which belongs on the water? Because somewhere a group of lunatics will use that canoe to hurl down a snow-covered mountain, that’s why.
It was quite some time before they realized Ticklebit was no longer among them.
In fact, the only reason they knew at all was because he came whizzing by on a tennis racket he found in the snow. Why would anyone leave a tennis racket in the snow? Because its easier to hit snowballs, that’s why.
The skiing rabbit inspired a collective idea. At the top of the mountain Ollie fixed a rope to the back of the canoe, tied a loop on the other end and handed it to Ticklebit. He himself wasn’t sure what to do with the rope aside from pulling the canoe along the snow. The answer made itself perfectly clear when his arms stretched to three times their normal length as the canoe whizzed down the mountain. He caught up to his hands and was soon deftly handling the bumps, curves and slopes on the tennis racket as the gang huddled close in the purple and green snow machine.
The scene was repeated several times, mishaps and all until the sun crept low behind the mountain and the calls to dinner came from below. The canoe crew made their last run for the day, sat by a fire with one last hot chocolate and giggled themselves silly before heading in for the night.
And that’s how traditions are started; with friends and fun and silly ideas all rolled into one.
Oliver Bug is an adventurer, detective, inventor and gourmet chef residing in Moonwater Meadow. He can often be found in his workshop putting out small unintentional fires.
Tom Serafini is Ollie’s official biographer, illustrator and a sometime stand-up comedian residing in Brooklyn, New York. He has an affinity for banana pudding. His first illustrated picture book, Ollie Bug and the Icky Sticky Thing From Space, will be funded through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.
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