Kelti Goes Camping

Here is another of my Kelti stories. Kelti's dad takes Kelti and two of her friends camping in the forest near their house. They enjoy out doors living until they realise their mobile phones are not connected to the internet. Listen to find out what happens.

Thank you for your kind messages and continued support ... I truly appreciate it.

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Jacqueline and I'm a very proud grandma.

I write stories for my grandchildren and I'm very happy to share them with you too.

So make yourself comfortable because my next story is about to begin.

Kelty Goes Camping.

It was Friday night and Kelty could hardly sleep because she was so excited.

Tomorrow morning after breakfast,

Dad was taking her and two of her best friends camping in the forest by their house.

It was nearly midnight,

But no matter how hard Kelty tried to sleep,

Her excitement kept her awake.

Taking her mobile phone from her bedside table,

She messaged her friends in their WhatsApp group chat.

Kelty,

I can't sleep.

Maddy,

Neither can I.

Fiona,

Nor me.

Kelty,

I'm so excited.

This is my first time camping.

Fiona,

And me.

I hope I will like sleeping in a tent.

Maddy,

I'm sure you will.

It's the first time for all of us.

Kelty,

And we'll all be in the same tent together.

My dad has got a small tent for himself to sleep in and a bigger one for the three of us.

Fiona,

I'm so excited.

Maddy,

Me too.

I wish it was morning already.

Kelty,

It will be soon.

It's just gone midnight.

I think we should all try to get some sleep now.

Fiona,

I agree.

See you both in the morning.

Goodnight.

Maddy,

Goodnight.

Kelty,

Goodnight.

The next morning,

Kelty was up bright and early,

Despite not having much sleep.

She got dressed and went downstairs into the kitchen where her mum was just packing the last few bits for the camping trip.

I wish she was coming with us,

Mum,

Said Kelty.

I never have enjoyed camping,

Replied mum.

I'll be fine staying home with Louis.

We will do something fun together.

Anyway,

You're only going for one night and you'll only be in the forest not far away.

Just then,

Dougie,

Kelty's little dog,

Came bounding into the kitchen,

Followed by Susie,

Her cat.

Dougie ran up to Kelty and jumped into her arms.

He always knew when Kelty was about to have an adventure and he didn't want to miss out on this one.

Yes,

You're coming with us,

Kelty said,

Cuddling her little dog.

But Susie has to stay home with mum and Louis.

Susie meowed.

I don't think you will enjoy camping,

Mum said as she bent down and stroked the purring cat.

You enjoy your home comforts too much and besides,

Most nights when you're not out hunting,

You snuggle with Louis anyway.

Kelty put Dougie down on the ground and then made herself a bowl of cereal for breakfast.

Right,

I think I've packed everything you'll need,

Said mum,

As dad came into the kitchen with his backpack already filled with the things he needed for their adventure.

We've got food and water as well as matches to light a fire and a couple of torches with some spare batteries if we need them,

Dad said,

Before making a quick check inside the bag mum had packed.

Mmm,

Yes,

Plenty of essential food.

Oh,

And some bars of chocolate and marshmallows.

You have thought of everything,

Love.

And he gave his wife a hug.

Are you sure you don't want to come with us?

There is plenty of room in my tent for you and Louis.

Louis and I will be perfectly happy staying at home.

Now,

Hadn't you better be on your way?

I can hear Kelty's friends arriving.

Kelty had finished her cereal and placed her dirty dishes into the dishwasher,

Whilst dad packed everything they needed into a large four-wheeled cart,

Which they would all help pull into the forest.

The three girls were all excited as they set off into the forest,

With Dougie happily running around behind them,

Sniffing as many trees as he could along the way.

Soon they found a clearing not very far from the big oak tree.

This looks the perfect spot,

Said dad,

Parking the cart on the edge of the clearing.

Dougie found a big stick he thought was fun to play with and settled down near the cart.

Let's clear this area before we put the tents up,

Said dad,

Eager to get started.

It didn't take them long to remove all the unwanted pine cones,

Sticks and stones,

And then dad laid the tents on the ground.

He showed the girls how to put the tent poles together and then slide them carefully into the appropriate pockets of the tents.

Dougie came over and watched them for a while,

Expecting one of them to play with him.

We haven't got time at the moment,

Dougie,

Said Kelty.

Go and find another stick to play with.

Dougie ran off and Kelty got back to work.

Soon both tents were built.

To keep them firmly on the ground,

Dad took a mallet and some tent pegs,

Which he placed into the loops and string which was attached to each tent,

And banged them securely into the ground.

Job done,

They all stood back and marvelled at their work.

Well done,

Girls,

Praised dad.

You can now call yourselves professional tent builders.

You gave us good instructions,

Dad.

That's what helped,

Said Kelty,

And her friends agreed.

Right,

Said dad.

I think our next job should be getting a fire going before we have some food.

I don't know about you girls,

But I'm feeling quite hungry after all that work.

Dougie heard the word food and came bounding over.

He ran around with Kelty and her friends as they gathered some wood,

Whilst dad created a circle with rocks into which he would build the fire.

Soon enough wood had been gathered and piled into the stone circle.

Using the matches he had brought with him,

Dad lit the wood and pretty soon a fire was blazing.

Dad filled an old tin kettle with some water they had brought with them and set it in the fire to boil.

A cup of hot sweet tea will go very nicely with the sandwiches mum made for us,

He said.

They sat around the fire as they ate their sandwiches,

Dougie eagerly watching for crumbs and scraps falling to the ground.

What are we going to do this afternoon,

Dad?

Asked Kelty.

There's a stream a little way through the forest,

Said dad.

How about we make some fishing rods and try and catch some fish to cook for dinner tonight?

I have brought some hooks and fishing line with me,

We just need to find some suitable sticks.

The girls looked at each other and then agreed it was a great idea.

They finished their sandwiches and drank their tea,

Then after tidying everything away they set out to find some sticks long enough to be made into fishing poles.

How about this one,

Shouted Maddy,

Holding up a long slender stick.

It looks a little too thin to be a fishing pole,

Said dad.

Look for one slightly thicker,

At least the thickness of your thumb,

So it can take the weight of a fish.

I found these two,

Shouted Fiona,

They feel quite sturdy.

And I found this one,

Shouted Kelty,

It looks nice and strong.

Well done girls,

Praised dad.

Now you have one each,

I don't need one as I will be helping as you each pull in a giant fish.

The girls laughed as they made their way back to the campfire to turn their sticks into fishing poles.

Dougie had enjoyed running around with the girls and now needed a nap.

He sat beside Kelty,

Curled up into a ball and fell asleep.

Right,

Said dad,

The first thing we need to do is tidy up your sticks.

He took a small knife from his bag.

First of all,

Pull off any tiny twigs,

Leaves and flaky bark from your stick and then pass it to me.

I'll trim off anything that you couldn't to make it smooth to hold.

The girls each worked on their stick and then took turns to pass to Kelty's dad for him to finish off.

Now I'm going to cut a small groove about three inches from the end of each stick,

Which is where we will securely tie one end of the fishing line before attaching the hook to the other end of the line.

The girls watched with fascination as dad carved out a neat groove around each stick.

Then he cut them each a length of fishing line and showed them how to tie it into the groove.

Finally,

He handed them a fishing hook.

Be careful with this,

He warned.

It's very sharp and then showed them how to tie it securely to the end of the fishing line.

Poles made,

Dad said.

Well done girls.

You each made a great fishing rod.

But that took a lot longer than I expected it to.

I don't think we have time to dig for worms and then go fishing.

It could take a while to catch some fish for dinner and it will be getting dark in just over an hour.

I think we should leave that until tomorrow morning when we get up nice and early to catch fish for breakfast.

Tonight we'll have the sausages and beans mum packed for us.

I think there's some bread and butter too.

Is that okay?

The girls were a little disappointed that they wouldn't get to try out their rods until tomorrow,

But they were beginning to feel hungry themselves.

So all agreed this was a good idea.

Well,

First we need to fetch more firewood,

Said dad.

It looks like our fire is nearly out and we can't cook dinner on dying embers.

The girls didn't need telling twice where food was concerned and all went off to gather more wood with Dougie following behind,

Energised after his nap.

Then with a blazing fire going,

Everyone helped to make dinner.

That was so good dad,

Said Kelty when they had all finished.

Not a single morsel of food was left over.

I don't think I've ever felt so full,

Said Fiona rubbing her tummy.

Even Dougie looked content after eating his sausage.

Maddie stood up and stretched.

Everything was so yummy,

She said as she made her way into the tent.

Hey,

She exclaimed seconds later,

Coming out of the tent with her phone in her hand.

I can't get a signal out here.

How am I going to check my social media accounts?

Fiona jumped up and went into the tent.

I'll get my phone,

She said.

Oh,

Mine's not working either,

She exclaimed seconds later as she came back to the fire with her phone.

I forgot to tell you,

There is no signal here in the forest,

Said Kelty,

Feeling a little disappointed for her friends.

Sorry.

How are we going to keep in touch with what's going on in the world?

Asked Maddie.

And what are we going to do for entertainment tonight without being able to use our phones?

Asked Fiona.

It's not the end of the world,

Said dad,

Surprised by how dismayed the two girls sounded.

There are other things we can do.

Like what?

Asked Maddie.

We will be so bored.

Well,

For one thing,

Instead of texting each other like we do every night,

We can talk face to face,

Replied Kelty,

Trying to sound cheerful.

The girls were silent for a moment and then Fiona said,

I like the sound of that.

I get lonely on my own at home,

Not having any brothers and sisters like the rest of you.

That's why I have enjoyed our WhatsApp group chat.

I suppose I'm not forgiving it to try to,

Said Maddie,

Somewhat reluctantly.

At least I'd rather talk to you both face to face than my annoying sisters any time.

Well,

Let's all help get cleaned up and then we can toast marshmallows,

Said dad,

Pleased that the girls hadn't wanted to go home because of no internet.

After washing their tin plates and cutlery,

Dad found a packet of rich tea biscuits mum had packed,

Along with the chocolate and marshmallows.

Grabbing a nearby stick,

Dad pushed a marshmallow onto it and held it carefully into the fire.

When the marshmallow had turned slightly brown,

He placed it onto a rich tea biscuit and put a square of chocolate on the top,

Which began to melt just as he placed another rich tea biscuit on top of that.

The girls and Dougie had been watching with their mouths watering.

Dad smiled at them as he took a bite of the sweet dessert he had made.

Mmm,

Delicious,

He announced between bites.

Help yourself,

Girls.

This is so Moorish,

But it's not good for you,

Dougie.

The girls didn't need telling twice and each quickly found a suitable stick and set to work.

Finally,

Satisfied after their very sweet treat,

They rubbed their tummies.

You're right,

Dad.

That really was delicious and so Moorish.

I think I'll make another one.

And Kelty took another marshmallow and pushed it onto her stick.

Finishing off a very enjoyable meal,

Dad asked the girls,

How much do you actually know about each other?

We know everything about each other,

The girls said together.

Okay,

Kelty,

What is Maddy's favourite colour,

Asked dad.

Kelty thought for a moment and then said,

It's red.

No,

That can't be right,

Announced Fiona.

That's my favourite colour.

My favourite colour is green,

Said Maddy.

With this simple question,

The girls suddenly realised they probably didn't really know the important things about each other.

Seems like texting isn't the best way to communicate,

Said dad.

Maybe this is a good time to do some proper talking in person with each other.

The girls agreed and they spent the next hour sharing with each other interesting facts about themselves,

Together with their hopes and dreams for the future.

Their conversation seemed to be never ending,

But dad was beginning to get tired.

Maybe you could continue this tomorrow,

He suggested.

I think it's time we all crawled into our sleeping bags and got some sleep.

The girls yawned,

Realising that they too were tired.

I am so pleased we had this time to talk,

Said Kelty,

As they made their way to their tents.

I have learnt so much about my favourite friends.

Me too,

Agreed Maddy.

We should have at least one day a week when we get together to talk like this and not use our phones.

They all agreed and then said goodnight to Kelty's dad before getting themselves into their sleeping bags and drifting off to sleep with Dougie curled up with Kelty.

In the early hours of the morning,

A strange noise woke Kelty from a very interesting dream.

She lay in the dark wondering what it was.

Then the noise happened again and this time it woke the other girls and Dougie too.

They all looked at each other as they listened.

They heard twigs snap and dried leaves crackle and the sounds were getting louder as whatever it was was coming closer to their tent.

The girls hardly dared move as an enormous shadow from the light of the moon covered the tent.

In that second,

The tent began to move as the monster outside pushed against it as it seemed to circle the tent.

Dougie growled and Maddy started to whimper as they all huddled together in the middle of the tent.

I'm scared,

Whispered Fiona.

What are we going to do,

Asked Maddy.

Kelty was about to shout out to her dad when something stopped her.

She heard a sound which was somewhat familiar to her and then Dougie started sniffing around the tent.

Stay where you are,

Kelty instructed her friends as she crept to the tent zipper.

No Kelty,

Whispered Maddy as loud as she dared,

Afraid that her friend would be grabbed by the monster.

But Kelty didn't listen as she slowly unzipped the tent and immediately came face to face with the monster.

Maddy screamed with fright,

Her imagination getting the better of her which made Dougie bark.

It's okay,

Said Kelty.

It's only Susie.

She always goes out hunting at night and tonight she must have wanted to find where we were.

The cat stepped gracefully into the tent,

Completely unaware of the drama she had caused.

Purring,

She rubbed against each girl in turn who all breathed a sigh of relief as they stroked her,

Pleased she was not a scary monster.

Dougie was very pleased to see his friend and soon the two animals were snuggled down together in the centre of the tent,

Already falling asleep.

Well,

We had better get back into our sleeping bags,

Said Kelty,

Relieved that the commotion hadn't woken her dad.

We should try and go back to sleep for a few more hours at least.

The next morning,

When Dad unzipped the girl's tent,

He was very surprised to see Susie snuggled in the middle of the sleeping girls with Dougie.

Meow,

Said Susie,

Pleased to see Dad.

The noise wakened the girls who all opened their eyes and stretched,

Each secretly wishing they could roll over and go back to sleep.

Come on girls,

Said Dad,

Time to get up.

It's a lovely sunny day and we have fish to catch for breakfast.

As they all got ready,

They told Dad about their interesting night and how scared Susie had made them feel.

Dad stroked Susie,

Who was very pleased to be with everyone.

I don't know how they could be scared of you,

Dad laughed,

But I understand how scared you must have all felt,

Especially as it was so dark last night.

I was ready to shout out to you,

Dad,

Said Kelty.

I know you would have saved us from any monsters.

That I would,

Said Dad.

Now,

Let's forget about monsters.

We need to dig for worms to go on the hooks of your fishing lines.

The fish need something to nibble on.

Getting their fishing poles,

Fiona accidentally touched the hook and realised how sharp it was.

Isn't it cruel stabbing a worm with this hook,

She asked.

Surely it will hurt them.

They aren't very useful creatures,

Said Maddy.

They won't be missed if we use them as bait.

At that moment,

Kelty remembered the dream she was having last night before being woken by Susie.

In her dream,

She had been having a conversation with a very friendly worm who was explaining how good they were for the earth.

She shared the dream with her friends.

He was telling me how the worm's activity in the earth can relieve compactin and make nutrients available to plants.

He was also explaining how the tunnels they make in the earth bring in oxygen,

Help drain water and create space for the plant roots to grow.

He was just starting to tell me how sensitive worms are and that they don't really like to be touched when Susie woke me up.

The girls had been listening to Kelty with interest.

I wonder what else the worm was going to tell you,

Said Fiona.

I don't want to use worms now,

Said Maddy.

But what can we use instead?

We can use bread,

Dad said.

I remember using this when I went fishing with my dad when I was a little younger than you.

I didn't like the feel of worms back then,

So my dad showed me how to use bread instead.

He went over to the bag of food and found the leftover bread from last night's dinner.

He brought it back to where the girls were sitting and showed them how to push the hook into the bread and carefully squish the bread firmly around it.

The girls followed his actions and pretty soon they were ready to cast their lines.

They spent a good hour down by the stream and caught a couple of tiny little fish which they threw back into the water.

They are only babies,

Need to grow quite a bit bigger yet,

Explained Dad.

Eventually they had used up most of the bread.

I don't think we are going to catch any big fish this morning,

Dad,

Said Kelty.

We're nearly out of bread and I'm beginning to get hungry.

Dougie started whimpering.

I think Dougie is hungry too,

Said Fiona.

I know I am.

Just then they felt some raindrops followed by more and more.

I think it's time to go home and see if Mum can cook us a proper breakfast,

Said Dad,

Looking up at the sky which had suddenly turned a nasty grey colour.

Come on,

Let's go before the rain really pours down.

I'll come back later and collect the tents.

With joyful chatter the four girls carried their fishing rods back to the tents and then after quickly gathering their things they quickly walked back to Kelty's house,

Followed closely by Dougie and Susie who both hated getting wet.

Mum had been expecting them and a lovely smell of bacon and eggs welcomed them as they opened the back door.

Hi,

Said the girls cheerfully.

Hi!

Louis had just come into the kitchen and was pleased to see his sister and her friends.

Hi Louis,

Hi Mum,

Said Kelty.

Dad messaged me to tell me you were on your way,

Mum said.

Sit down at the table,

Breakfast won't be long.

The girls' chatter soon died down and within seconds the kitchen was silent except for the sound of Mum feeding Dougie and Susie and the bacon sizzling in the pan.

Mum looked at the girls all sitting around the table looking at their mobile phones with Louis watching them.

She looked over at Dad who was finishing the scrambled eggs and he shrugged.

Turning back to the girls,

Mum asked,

Nothing to say to each other now then?

We're just posting an update about our camping trip on our social media,

Said Maddy.

Just to let people know why we've been so quiet on here lately,

Said Fiona.

You were only gone for one night,

Exclaimed Mum,

As she poured a tin of baked beans into a saucepan and placed them on the stove to warm.

Yes,

But we were missed,

Said Kelty.

Did you miss your phones,

Asked Mum,

Buttering some hot toast.

I did at first,

Said Maddy.

Me too,

Agreed Fiona,

But when I realised I couldn't get connection I didn't really worry about it.

Well,

Let's put the phones away now so we can enjoy breakfast together,

Said Mum,

Smiling.

Seems like you learned a few lessons while you were camping and not all about the outdoors.

She placed a plate of hot buttered toast on the centre of the table then passed each of the girls and Louis a plate full of scrambled eggs,

Bacon and beans.

The girls quickly turned their phones off and put them away,

All hungry and eager to eat as Mum and Dad joined them at the table.

This looks so good,

Said Fiona.

Mmm,

Delicious,

Exclaimed Maddy after tasting a mouthful of bacon and eggs.

Then all was silent for a while as everybody ate.

When they had finished,

Kelty asked,

Louis,

Did you have fun with Mum last night?

Yes,

He replied.

We had hot dogs for dinner and then watched Toy Story movie and ate lots and lots of popcorn.

Then Mum let me sleep in her bed for an extra treat.

Kelty smiled at her brother.

That sounds fun,

She said,

Ruffling his hair.

Did you girls have fun camping,

Asked Mum as she cleared the table.

Yes,

We did,

Replied Kelty.

I especially enjoyed making our fishing rods,

Said Maddy.

I enjoyed everything,

Said Fiona,

But I think we learnt more about each other by talking around the campfire than we ever have by using our phones.

Yes,

Agreed Kelty.

We were real with each other and didn't worry about what we looked like.

I agree,

Said Maddy.

No posing for fake pictures trying to be better than others.

And life was exciting as we tried new things,

Said Fiona.

The time just flew by.

It certainly did,

Said Kelty.

I learnt a lot about camping,

But I also learnt that I want to live life by doing and being with my friends,

Not worrying about impressing those in my phone.

Social media has its place,

Said Maddy,

But I now know it was taking up too much of my time.

From now on,

Living life with people is going to take up much more of my time.

Thanks for the good life lesson,

Dad,

Said Kelty,

Reaching over and giving her dad a hug.

I'm happy you all enjoyed learning about life in yourselves,

Dad said,

Smiling at the girls.

Now it looks like the sun is out again.

I think I will spend one more night in the tent.

Anyone care to join me?

And all the girls shouted yes as they quickly helped clear the table before going back outside to the forest.

Thank you for listening to my story.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Before you go,

I'd like to ask you a question.

What exciting things do you like to do when you go camping?

Thanks again for listening and come back soon to hear another story from Grandma.

Bye for now.

Reviews

This story was great
I like that this story has a good lesson in it📚🏕️🎣

I went camping when I was two but i don't remember it.

More Kelti stories pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Amazing 👍❤️❤️❤️ I never got 2 the end tho fell asleep

Loved it!🩷it helped me to go to sleep thank you so much!😊🙏

That help me so much! Thank you so much Jacqueline, I’m now following you!
Bye!

I just have one question, how old is Kelti and her friends?

Pls reply to me i rlly wanna know plz pls plz plz

That was a great story and l would love to see more stories 👍

I just finished a sleep away camp and we did water sports such as skiing and sailing. I think that too many people are addicted to their phones and being away from it is useful so you can focus on the things that really matter.

Awesome as always 💖🩵🦋🌟🌸
Sadly I have never been camping 🏕️☹️

I really enjoyed this! I didnt even make it to the end to hear the question! I was wondering if you could write something about a raccoon? 🦝

Amazing now that is my favourite because I love going camping❤️

I don’t go camping 🏕️ can you come do one we’re kelity and her friends go to a water park I loved going there with my friends nice story

Loved this! I fell asleep so I didn’t get to hear the question!

Eating s’mores

I also love the camp fire

I went camping for my 8th birthday I loved it but we never got to have s’mores because it was raining at night so it put out the fire

Becky s kid Katherine loved it Ty so much

I’ve never been camping so I don’t know but if I went camping I would like another marshmallow part but I wouldn’t have a stick because in real life those are pretty dirty you don’t know what could be on a stick they can be 1 million Germans I can be bugs so I don’t wanna use a stick but I would like marshmallows anawy, This was amazing I love it
so much 🦋

I am your 7th listener🦋

AMAZING!!! How old are Kelti and her friends exactly? You're story's make me so happy 😊