A Story I Want To Tell

Sitting next to the firepit on a Saturday night after a day of surfing, watching children play outside, and after a few glasses of Costco's finest plonk, I thought of stories I would like to tell the children. A perfect venue for story telling is located at the other end of the campground, the campfire center.

I would summon the little noisemakers and their helicopter parents to the campfire center and tell them a goodnight story. Perhaps, it would be the story of the grunion and sand snakes.

 

Good evening everyone. This is the time of the year when both the grunion and sand snakes emerge. The grunion come from the ocean onto the sand to begin the cycle of life. The sand snakes come from within the sand on the beach and crawl inland seeking the warmth of campfires and the toenails of those near the campfires.

The grunion wiggle and squirm through the wet sand after the sun has well set. The sand snakes slither and undulate upon the sand in darkness. The grunion are small fish with small mouths. No so the sand snakes whose long bodies are distinguished by their bulbous heads with large mouths containing rows of fangs.

People who stay up late and wear boots can watch the grunion spawn and then retreat to the comfort of their sleeping bags. Others encounter sand snakes by surprise in their flip flops or sandals. Often the initial meeting with a sand snake is a punctured big toenail and subsequent ripping of it from the toe.

Don't worry young ones. Lost toenails grow back after a few months. The pain of their removal, although great, subsides in hours. It helps to soak the feet in cold salt water. But, if there is too much blood, be careful not to wade far from shore. There are, of course, sand sharks waiting in the shallows.

Goodnight all. Thank you for your attention. Now children stop your crying. Sleep well and tight and don't let the sand snakes bite. I must now go to my trailer and remove my boots as my feet are too warm.