Lenny lived with his Mum. They lived in the garden under a stone near the rose bush. His brothers and sisters had all left home long ago, so Lenny often felt lonely and wanted to go out to play with his friends.
But Lenny was not good at going straight.
He did not want help just yet. He was lost. He needed a map. He knew what maps looked like. They had lots of lines on them. Then he saw one in the hedge just above him.
She was helping him put his coat on.
Someone in the middle was helping another person who was lost.
But Lenny could not count beyond one
At last Lenny began to see that some people were more lost than he had ever been.
Lenny’s Grandad lived just down the road. He used to visit every day on the way to get his paper. Most times he would forget and leave something behind and Lenny would have to take them back to him.
Most evenings Grandad’s friend Sam came round to visit him for a chat and then they would go out together before Sam went off to work.
Lenny wanted to go with them, but they said he was too young and it might not be safe.
Then at last Lenny’s mum said to him, “You are old enough now. You can go out to play with your friends as soon as it gets dark. You can go as far as the garden pond, but you must be back before sunrise.
Come straight home as soon as it starts to get light. Whatever you do, don’t talk to strangers. Your dad was always doing that and look where it got him.”
and he tried going that way
but the sun had risen and now he was lost.
Lenny knew that there were lots of ways to get home
but he wondered if it would be safe.
Lenny had heard of taxis.
That must be one coming now,
but Lenny was not so sure, He hadn’t learned to swim and he didn’t like water very much.
but Lenny was afraid of flying.
He knew where to find the trains,
but he was not sure about the fare.
Lenny thought she must be very kind.
“That’s very easy,” she said.“I’d take you there myself,
but I’m just waiting for someone to drop in.”
“You are here,” she said,
and you want to go there.”
“That’s right,” said Lenny, trying to be polite. He often said that to grown-ups who were telling him something, even when he hadn’t a clue what they were talking about,
but this grown-up gave him a very strange look.
And he couldn’t tell his right from his left
Lenny thought they were helicopters,
come down to visit the flowers.
Lenny watched, but he couldn’t make head nor tail of it all, which was not really surprising, as he had never taken dancing lessons.
Then he heard buzzing overhead.
Some very noisy things had arrived.
Lenny said, “Please, excuse me, I am lost. Do you know the way to the stone in the garden under the rosebush?”
“Oh yes, we do. There’s honey there. Just watch while we do a little dance.That is how we tell each other where to find it.”
Now he was feeling more lonely than ever. Everybody else knew what to do, except him!
Night started to fall and Lenny felt safer again, but there were some very strange sounds all around him.
“Home! Oh Yes. Home. That is very easy to find. I’m going home. We all are. It’s up there”.
.
Lenny looked up. Overhead was something so bright that it made him blink.
Yes. That’s the way home. Just watch us!
“Who are you?” he said to Lenny “and what are you doing here?”
“I’m Lenny. I’m lost and I want to get home.”
Then he noticed someone he had not seen before, resting just beside him on a tree trunk and starting to wake up and open its red eyes.
Then he knew it was all up to him. It was no use asking people.
He would have to find his own way back.
It was Sam on his way to work.
And there it was, a silver trail shining in the moonlight.
So that must be the way home!
Lenny turned and followed it,
Then she turned and saw Lenny.
“Where do you live then?”
Under the stone, by the rose bush,
but I can’t find my way there.”
What are you doing here? She asked.
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Lenny’s mum always said, “Don’t go beyond the end of the road.
You never know who you could meet there.”
