THE HISTORIC SIDE OF THE SWAMP Chapter 2

For weeks Sophie had been pestering her Mum and Dad to let her visit the historic side of the swamp, but they would not allow her to go.

“It can be very dangerous,” Boy said, “If somebody saw you they may want to put you in a zoo. Or a museum, which would be even worse.”

“The woolly mammoth goes sometimes.” Sophie replied, “He visits his little cousins, the elephants. That is why he is sometimes late for the Hurly Burly's.” Lady said, “When you are a little older and wiser you can decide whether or not to visit to the historic side of the swamp. The Woolly Mammoth is very old and wise even if he is a little late for appointments sometimes.” and so Sophie said no more about visiting the historic side of the swamp, although shestill thought about it. 

The next week while Sophie  was helping Don to search for butterflies for a special project he was doing, a sudden gust of wind took her up above the cliffs. Looking up she saw a huge thunder cloud, bigger than any she had seen before, and realised that she was being sucked into a powerful thermal. She could not get down to her nest on the cliffs, and soared higher and higher, while she gazed around her and hoped shecould get back in time for tea. But the cloud swirled around her, and as lightening flashed and thunder rumbled Sophie grew tired. She locked her wings open, (As Albatrosses do, so that they do not have to waste their energy flapping them,) and fell asleep.

When shewoke up it was morning, the sky was blue, and shewas higher than she had ever been before. Slowly she glided down, and it took her till evening to reach the ground.

On the historic side of the swamp, two old people were sitting outside their tent with their bird book and binoculars. They were on holiday in Africa where they enjoyed going to watch birds and animals, and they hoped that if they waited quietly, they would see the elephants come down to the swamp to drink. A shadow crossed the setting sun.

“Look!” they said to each other, “Get the binoculars. It's not a bird it's a Pteranadon,” said the old man, who knew a lot about nature.

“It's gone,” said the lady, “let's follow it.” And they set off in the direction that Sophie had taken. 

A little way off two other people were waiting by the swamp. They were fat and ugly, with small cruel eyes, and they had nets and traps to catch any beautiful wild creatures to take to zoos or to kill and sell to museums. Tired Sophie landed quite near to them, and went straight to the swamp for a drink. She would have preferred orange squash but she was very thirsty and hungry too. The men looked at her.

“don't know what that is but we'll trap it and take it to a zoo.” they said. Sophie'sears were very sharp, and she heard every word. She felt furious, and fuming with rage she rushed towards them. To her surprise shesaw smoke and flames were puffing from hernostrils.

“It's a dragon!” the men screamed, (They were very ignorant.) and ran for their lives. Sophie chased after them, and soon their trousers were in flames. They rushed into the swamp and were eaten by crocodiles. The two old people hurried up just in time to see Sophie drive the men into the swamp.

“My goodness, we didn't know Pteranadons could breathe fire.” they said.

“Neither did I,” Sophie replied, “but I was very cross.”

“Well we wouldn't like you to think that everyone on this side of the swamp was horrible, will you come and have supper with us?” 

“Thank you,” Sophie said “have you got any frog burgers?”

“No we have only got orange squash and fish fingers or hamburgers.”

“Can I have both please,” Sophie said “I'm really hungry.” 

After supper, the three of them sat outside the tent and waited for the elephants to come down to the swamp to drink. The sun set and in the grey dusk they saw the huge shapes silently walking to the swamp. Then they all held their breaths in astonishment, for behind them walked and even more enormous animal.

“A woolly mammoth,” said the old man, “I can't believe my eyes.”

“It's true,” Sophie said, “he comes to visit his little cousins sometimes.” she went to say Hello to him. The mammoth was surprised to see Sophie, and wanted to know how she had got there, and what shehad been doing. When she told him about the bad men she had chased into the swamp, he said,

“It's very unusual for Pteranadons to breathe fire, but I believe it does happen sometimes.” Then Sophie took them all to meet the kind people who had given hersupper, and they all spent an enjoyable evening together.

At bed time Woolly Mammoth said.

“It's time we were getting home Sophie. Jump onto my back and I will carry you. We must try not to be late for the Hurly Burly.” So they said good-by to all their friends, and Sophie snuggled down into the lovely soft wool, it took all night and all next day to reach home, but they were not late for the Hurly Burley.

When the two old people woke up next morning, they could hardly believe what had happened to them last night, they wondered whether it had all been a dream,, but looking round the tent they found a big lump of lovely soft wool stuck on a tent peg, where Woolly Mammoth had been sitting, later by the swam they found something else that Woolly Mammoth had left behind, and they knew it must have been true.