Lost in the Alps

By Wallace C. Kamens

Lost in the Alps is a beautifully illustrated epic adventure written entirely in rhymed verse. It is the second book in the series: The Adventures of Puff, and follows a cat's journey through the rugged Swiss Alps.

As the adventure unfolds, a curious stranger helps Puff through a precarious situation which compells Puff to join the quest to free the stranger's family from a remote castle.

But to get there, they must first overcome a perilous gorge with nearly vertical cliffs, treacherous rivers with cunning predators, deep moats surrounding towering castle walls—only then to face the most dangerous obstacle of all...

It is a story of honor, courage, the value of loyalty in friendship, and the relentless desire to fulfill a dream.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Aug 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9781543977882

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Lost in the Alps

by Wallace C. Kamens

Published by

Innocence Publishing, Inc.

11431 Motor Yacht Cir. N.

Jacksonville, Florida 32225

www.TheAdventuresofPuff.com

© 2021 Wallace C. Kamens

All rights reserved

No portion of this book

may be reproduced in any form

without permission from the publisher,

except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

For more information, contact:

[e-mail]

ISBN: 978-1-54397-788-2

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 An Unexpected Detour

Chapter 2 The Great Escape

Chapter 3 Above the Clouds

Chapter 4 Wash and Whistle

Chapter 5 A Lesson with a Lynx

Chapter 6 A Hasty Promise

Chapter 7 Gaining Ground with Garland

Chapter 8 Braving the Barbican

Chapter 9 The Moon in the Moat

Chapter 10 Deep in the Keep

Chapter 11 The Secret Passage

Chapter 12 Gambling with Gabriel

Chapter 13 Fritz and the Mischief

Chapter 14 The Rescue Plan

Chapter 15 A Leap of Faith

Chapter 16 Downclimbing

Chapter 17 The Dark Tower

Chapter 18 The Rescue

Chapter 19 Sounding the Alarm

Chapter 20 Where the Stream Divides

Chapter 21 The Chinese Lantern

Chapter 22 The Chase

Chapter 23 A Dangerous Descent

Chapter 24 Going Home

Introduction

Children have a passion for adventure. I suppose

we all do. But these days adventure stories are certainly

not what they were a century ago. Back then, stories were

tamer and more appropriate for younger audiences.

Parents could permit their children to read adventures

without too much fear of unsettling nightmares keeping

them awake at night.

Modern adventure stories, however, take a

different twist. Evil and the macabre have become

commonplace and the prevailing theme in bookstores and

theatres today. The valiant hero has become eclipsed by

pure malevolence and notorious evil. Once brilliant

dialogue has transformed into sensationalism while

writers profit from dwelling in the deepest levels of

darkness to portray the perfect archvillain.

It seems appropriate therefore—and timely, that a

new series of adventure stories rise to the surface

emphasizing sound morals and ethics. The primary

goal of children’s books after all should be to

preserve the innocence of the minds of children.

Lost in the Alps is a beautifully illustrated epic

adventure written entirely in rhymed verse. It is the

second book in the series: The Adventures of Puff and

follows a cat’s heroic journey to a castle high in the Swiss Alps.

It is a story of honor, courage, the value of loyalty in

friendship and the relentless desire to fulfill a dream.

Chapter 1

An Unexpected Detour

Puff had a fear of flying on that plane;

The idea seemed dangerous and insane

Till he imagined floating in the clouds

Above noisy streets and bustling crowds.

A young cat soaring with birds in the sky

Then seemed like something he might like to try.

Now he learns he will be caged in a place

Of shadows, without much comfort or grace.

You will not be alone while you are there,

Kathy says. "There will be other cats too.

There is no need to fear; you will be fine.

Rest assured—nothing will happen to you!"

Puff observes her eyes gazing down a bit.

There is more to this than she will admit,

Puff thinks, while caged and sitting on his bed,

Carried by Kathy’s father just ahead

Of her mom and her in the airport hall,

Passing small stores like in a shopping mall.

Farther down they step on a moving floor,

The likes of which Puff had not seen before.

Puff hopes Mr. Taylor will stop a while

And let the floor move them along in style.

But Mr. Taylor keeps pace to the gate,

Determined not to be a minute late. 

Soon they arrive at where they need to be,

At the ticket counter at half-past three.

They now have their tickets and their bags checked

As they turn to Puff feeling pet-neglect.

Kathy opens his cage and lifts him out

While Puff’s sad face portrays a feline pout.

I will miss you very much, my dear Puff,

Kathy says, as she holds him to her heart.

"So please be a good cat for me, okay?

I promise, we will not be far apart."

She gives Puff a gentle kiss on his cheek,

As Puff suddenly feels alone and meek.

Puff senses there will be trouble ahead,

But he tries to stay positive instead.

He knows Kathy likes when he winks his eye,

But just as he does—she begins to cry.

Kathy places Puff in his cage once more,

Wiping her cheek as she closes the door.

Mr. Taylor puts Puff’s cage on the track

Of the bag carousel as Puff turns back.

He watches the family wave goodbye,

Wondering where he is going and why.

Soon he disappears behind rubber flaps

Leaving cold, muted echoes from their slaps.

His cage descends on a ramp to a plane,

To a cargo bay where he will remain.

There he is lifted and stacked by a wall,

Snugly fit with the others, short and tall.

The animal cages line in neat rows

Where Puff feels the need to cover his nose.

He watches other animals pass near;

Some are fast asleep and others in fear.

Some have cleaning practices to attend,

While others made up their minds to pretend

They are at home where they have always been,

Never taking the time to take it in.

Kathy mentioned they were going to Rome.

Puff thought, Why leave—when we can roam at home?

Then she continued it was a fun place,

With fine food to put a smile on his face.

Soon Puff lies down in his comfy cage,

Ready to sleep and for dreams to engage.

Then a loud noise blasts from outside the plane,

As Puff jumps high and bangs his head in pain

On the top of the cage—then plummets down,

Landing on his back with a painful frown.

The cargo bay vibrates from large turbines

Moving the plane forward between white lines.

Puff shifts to the back of his steel cage

As the plane lifts; animals scream in rage.

Then it levels out and the shaking stops

As the pressure build-up in their ears pops.

Soon soft music calms the animals down

While the plane ascends far away from town.

Once again Puff tries to take a catnap;

Heavy-eyed, he falls asleep in a snap.

He dreams of a land very far away

Where different kinds of animals play.

There are tall mountains, difficult to climb,

With the scent of freshly cut grass and pine.

Finally, after many hours pass by…

Puff dreams of a tall castle in the sky.

Then the airplane jolts as it touches down,

Waking Puff—who jumps, then lands with a frown;

Rubbing his forehead, still sore from before,

He thinks, I feel like I am in a war!

Soon the lights begin to turn on inside,

As the large cargo bay door opens wide.

Then Puff and his cage are placed on a track

Transporting him and others to the back

Of a cargo truck—not too far away,

Which seems to Puff to be a safer stay.

He thinks, This last transport should not take long.

Little did he know he was very wrong.

Puff’s cage is lifted and soon finds a place

In the back of a truck with little space.

It is filled with cats and dogs biding time

To be released from their cages and climb

To the arms of loved ones expected inside,

Like a groom awaiting his lovely bride.

Puff’s cage sits next to a calico cat

Watching closely what Puff is staring at,

As Puff observes his cage drift very near

To the edge of the truck, fanning his fear.

Just one small bump is now all it would take

For the driver to make a grave mistake.

Puff turns to the cat, who without a sound,

Appears very focused and duty bound.

Reaching toward Puff’s cage with all her might,

She stretches very far—then holds it tight.

Puff knows this cat is doing all she can

To stop him falling with a noble plan.

But a slight turn forces Puff’s cage to slide

Away from his friend and the shortened ride,

To crash hard on the runway upside down,

Compelling a sad and dejected frown.

Puff sits quietly, watching the moon rise,

Wondering if he can believe his eyes.

But it is a warm night in Italy,

And things could be worse, Puff thinks wittily.

He searches the darkness for someone near

To rescue him from his increasing fear.

Soon another plane starts to turn his way,

Then pauses far off, much to Puff’s dismay.

He sees some people getting on the plane

And meows quite loudly—but all in vain.

The plane’s engines completely drown him out;

He could not be heard even with a shout.

A truck appears from where the other went

In a hurry for a scheduled event.

After passing near Puff it turns around,

Its blinding lights forcing his small head down.

Then Puff perceives two men coming his way;

Their feet move quickly. Should he run away?

Soon they lift and toss his cage in the truck.

Is he in trouble or perhaps in luck?

The men thought the cage belonged on the plane

Preparing to leave this noisy domain—

The exact plane Puff watched the people board.

As the small truck moves rapidly