In the Land of the Sand

            by Ada Ruzer

 

Leonard loved star shaped noodles, play-dough and the color green. He loved his mama and his papa. He loved baths and riding his tri-cycle at great speed up and down the driveway. He loved coloring with every color in his box of 64 Crayola crayons (especially Fuzzy Wuzzy Brown) and riding on top of his dog Sandy. But, most of all, Leonard loved the sandbox in his backyard. Everyday he could be found building with his tractors and many buckets with a huge grin on his face.

                                            

 

One day, a Monday in fact, Leonard sat with a frown upon his face. Hmph! Today has been a bad day, he thought to himself. His mama had forgotten to make his favorite sandwich (peanut butter and jelly with the crusts cut off), at kindergarten recess Leonard had fallen off the monkey bars and hit his funny bone. Now he couldn’t even make the walls for his castles stand up. I wish I could just disappear! Leonard stuck out his lip, crossed his arms and scowled.

  All of a sudden he felt a small rumble. Shake, Shake, Shake! Rumble, Rumble, Rumble! It was like an earthquake! Quickly a large crack began to grow and though Leonard tried to hold on he soon found himself being sucked into the great hole in the bottom of his sandbox.

 

                                   

 

             PLOP! Leonard felt his hair covered in something gooey and warm. He was standing in the middle of a huge stewing pot.  Carrots, string beans, squash and cauliflowers whirled all around him. The soup boiled and bubbled.  Before he had a chance to even blink Leonard was picked up by a giant wooden spoon. The spoon carried him up, up and away. Dizzy, dizzy, dizzy, he could barely stand.  As soon as Leonard’s head stopped spinning he opened his eyes and gasped in shock. There he stood on a huge spoon. Holding him up hundreds of feet in the air lay a large hand, covered in rings and blue nail polish.

            Leonard’s eyes opened so wide they almost popped out in surprise. Huge tables, huge chairs and huge bowls surrounded tiny Leonard. Most importantly a huge giantess stood in front of him with a mass of red curls and an enormous smile upon her face.

                                               

           

“GOOD EVENING KING LEONARD,” the giantess’ voice boomed.

            “I’m Leonard, not king Leonard!” Leonard shouted, but he knew he couldn’t be heard. The giantess lifted the spoon to her ear as Leonard asked, “Where am I?”

“KING LEONARD, HOW YOU DO GO ON. YOU’RE IN THE KINGDOM OF YOUR OF COURSE!” 

   “Your?” Leonard asked confused.

 “THIS IS YOUR KINGDOM, KING LEONARD. I AM YOUR HUMBLE SERVANT MARGARET.” Opening her great big mouth open to show her massive white teeth, Margaret answered with a hearty laugh.

            “If this is my Kingdom, why am I so small?” Leonard asked shyly.

            “SMALL? MY DEAR KING LEONARD, YOU MY DEAR ARE HUGE!” Margaret gently carried Leonard to the mirror. He was huge, in the mirror at least. Everything looked different in the mirror.

            “NOW LETS GET TO THE RECCEPTION IN YOUR HONOR”, Margaret said.

            “What did I do?” asked Leonard. Margaret stared at him, her forehead wrinkled in a sea of disbelief.

            “MY DEAR KING LEONARD, DON’T BE SO SILLY! YOU SAVED OUR SAND KINGDOM FROM THE GREAT FLOODS THAT THREATENED TO DESTROY IT INTO MUD! With that Margaret picked Leonard up and brought him to the royal chamber downstairs. Sitting around the table were a huge group of people. Trumpets blared as Leonard entered the room. “Long live King Leonard!” cheered the crowd. Once again Leonard found himself surrounded by huge chairs, tables and people. Once again no one seemed to notice that he was so small. The Foreign minister of Sand Defense shook Leonard’s hand enthusiastically and gave him a huge pat on the back that nearly sent him flying. The Royal pasty chef presented him with a huge chocolate castle cake that was five feet wide and two stories high. For days the celebrations went on. Everyday Leonard was celebrated. Though Leonard loved the attention, the cakes, and his very own kingdom, he soon grew tired and began to miss home. I need to get home! I miss my Mama and my Papa! With that thought, Leonard slid off his royal bed, scampered underneath the chairs and ran out the royal door. He ran and he ran until he found himself in the middle of a large grassland. Nightfall came and rain began to fall. Leonard shivered and his lips began to quiver. Out of the darkness a man appeared. Unaware of Leonard’s presence he stared intently at the ball in his hands, rolling it, molding it and shaping it into a perfect mixture of clay and sand.

 

                                                           

 

“hhhh-Hello”, Leonard spoke quietly, afraid of disturbing the serious man.

“Why, Hello!” the man said cheerfully. “I’m Terracotta”. He stretched out his hand.

“What you are doing?” Leonard asked with great curiosity.

“Why, everyone knows that the best material to use to build anything is a mixture of sand and Indian clay. Here let me show you.”  Terracotta began to dig up the earth under Leonard’s own feet. Working quickly he soon rolled up a large amount of clay. Taking Leonard’s hand he showed him how to mold the clay into a wall that could stand on its own. For days Leonard and Terracotta worked building houses and rolling clay. Terracotta was wise and had much to teach Leonard. While Leonard enjoyed building and working with the earth he soon missed home again. I miss my Mama and I miss my Papa! With that, Leonard bid Terracotta farewell and went on his way.

Night turned into day and Leonard found himself no closer to home. Leonard began to cry. All of a sudden a terrible wind picked up. Spinning Leonard, it lifted him up into the air. Leonard stumbled and looked around to find himself in a beautiful glittering palace. Every inch of the floor around him was covered with large and unique sparkles. Stars and hearts and moons and sun shaped sparkles. Big sparkles, small sparkles and medium sparkles. It was snowing sparkles. Fluttering past him Leonard watched as small fairies worked busily picking out certain sparkles and leaving others. In the center flew the most breathtaking fairy of them all. Dusted in pink glitter she approached Leonard with a smile.

“Leonard, it’s so nice of you to join us! Call me Flash.” Flash picked up a handful of glitter dust and handed them to Leonard.  “I hear that you miss your parents very much”, Leonard nodded. “I think I know a way to help you.” With that Flash scooped Leonard up and carried him away. Flying for what felt like miles Leonard and Flash landed near an old and worn castle. Like rain, sparkles brushed their skin every which way. 

“I need you to help me decorate this castle. Flash said softly. “I know it doesn’t look like much, she continued, “but this castle belonged to my mother and she left it to me. I have never had enough time or help to restore it.” Leonard nodded and smiled,

“I would love to help.”

Flash beamed. They began working immediately. First they washed the windows then swept the dusty halls and finally fixed the leaky roof.  Then came the fun part. Scooping sparkles up, Leonard and Flash decorated and decorated. Soon the house was beautiful and sparkling. As Flash and Leonard were putting the final touches on the house, Leonard once again felt a slow rumble.

Shake, Shake, Shake! Rumble, Rumble, Rumble! A crack beneath his feet appeared and widened.  Leonard held on, but once again he was sucked in. Yet even in the chaos he could hear Flash yelling, “Goodbye Leonard and thank you!”

 

                              

 

“LLLLEEEEEEEONARD! DINNER! Leonard’s Mama called from the window. Opening his eyes Leonard looked from side to side. He was sitting in the middle of his sandbox. Lying in front of him was the most astounding castle he had ever seen.  Standing tall and as straight as an arrow the walls looked as if they were made from stone. It glittered like a shining star and stretched from one side of the sandbox to the other. Stunning, gigantic and sturdy. The best he had ever built.

Jumping up Leonard ran to his Mama and said, “Mama, it’s good to be home!”

                                                            THE END