The Pact and Other Stories

By Danielle Michaud Aubrey

10 new and original stories with painted illustrations by Nadia Ilchuk. Imaginative stories of day-to-day adventures with human and animal characters that teach a life lesson. The story-telling is in the style of classics like The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, The Wind in the Willows or Winnie the Pooh in which animal characters have normal yet imaginative adventures, providing a vehicle for learning about community, compassion and collaboration. The elements used to craft the stories are:

• normal, every-day activities into which is woven a challenge or a difficult situation.
• talking animal characters engaged with human characters, involved in adventures.
• lessons relating to teamwork, safety, helping others and kindness.

About 2000 words per story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Petra Books
• Release date: Dec 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9781989048412

Danielle Michaud Aubrey

Danielle has a BA in Sociology (Carleton University), a BA in Psychology and Women's Studies (University of Ottawa), and an MA in Conflict Studies (St. Paul University). She worked most of her career in the Federal Public Service. As a mother and grandmother, and having run a home daycare for many years, she knows children’s behaviour and feelings very well.

Book preview

Stories for Boys and Girls

The Pact and other stories

Smashwords edition 9781989048412

BOOK TWO

Danielle Michaud Aubrey

The Pact and other stories

Stories for Boys and Girls

BOOK TWO

Danielle Michaud Aubrey

Selections from A Walk in the WInd

by Danielle Michaud Aubrey

Available in French with Translation by Sébastien Bonastre.

Le pacte et autres histoires

Histoires pour garçons et filles 

Livre deux

Illustrations by:

Nadia Ilchuk (cover, 24, 46, 54, 72, 80)

K.K.P. Dananjali (16, 64)

Vladimir Cebu (10)

Diana Nemesu (40)

Elena Paun (2)

Traditional Rhyme:

Johnny gave me apples (page 22)

approx. 15,000 words`

© Danielle Michaud Aubrey 2019

BA Sociology

BA Psychology, Women's Studies

MA Conflict Studies

Editing and design

Petra Books

petrabooks.ca

Dedicated to

Emma, Léo, Sacha, Victor

Table of Contents

Ziggy, the Adventurous Little Spider

The Little Red Mailbox

That’s My Book

A Stranger in the Park

The Tallest Sunflower

Nounou the Rabbit

Raccoon Rap

So Many Buttons

Let it Snow!

The Pact

Ziggy, the Adventurous Little Spider

Octavia the spider was crawling along very slowly. She felt heavy, carrying all her precious eggs. She carefully laid them in a safe place, far away from caterpillars and birds.

A few weeks later, the eggs had hatched into a bounty of baby spiders. Oh my, sighed Octavia as she counted them.

Looking around, she remembered the alphabet as she began to name her offspring. Ann, Beth, Cricket, Doug, Evie, Fern, Gus, Helen, Ivy… and on she went. When she reached ‘z’, she was stuck! Tiny ‘z’ appeared to be stepping forward, then stepping back, and then swaying side-to-side. And then she would start her dizzy dance all over again.

Octavia smiled. Ziggy, she cried happily!

Stretching her long legs, Octavia led her babies, who were falling all over their little legs, to some fresh green leaves. She knew that they must learn to make their webs where they could catch bugs to eat.

She taught them to anchor long threads to trees and bushes, and then to weave them in a closer and tighter pattern. This was the best way to catch bugs and flies on windy days. Octavia was keeping a watchful eye to be sure that they spun their webs in a good pattern.

Mother Octavia noticed that Ziggy was day-dreaming. She was looking at the big puffy clouds sailing across the blue sky; this caused her web to be round and fluffy! Not at all what a web should look like. Ziggy, look at what your brothers and sisters are doing. You must practice and pay attention, she said.

But Mom, look at how pretty the clouds are, and how they float across the sky, said Ziggy, as she began to make a new web. Her brothers and sisters teased her as they learned to make their own webs. Ziggy tried harder to please her Mom.

A little while later Mom noticed Ziggy staring at an old drooping willow tree. She also saw that Ziggy’s web was made of one long web with many loose webs falling from above — like the willow branches. Mom left her brood and went to help Ziggy. This time she was upset as she asked Ziggy, Dear, what do you think you will catch with your web? Ziggy, who looked so happy, turned and said But Mom, I’m sorry, but just look at that beautiful tree; it’s so high, with arms swinging in the wind!

Octavia agreed, but again reminded her little dreamer that her web would not catch anything at all if the strings were to sway to and fro. No buts, she said, let’s try again tomorrow. It’s late and time for you to sleep with your brothers and sisters now. Octavia gathered her little spiders and they all intertwined their tired legs and fell to sleep. Good night little ones, she whispered, and she rested too.

Ziggy yawned and was about to nod off when she gasped; she had just seen a shooting star fly across the dark sky. Quickly she climbed to the top of a tall tree to try to see more of the night sky. In the distance she noticed for the first time a beautiful long bridge that was lit up by white lights. Entranced she looked and looked, mesmerized by the constant movement over the bridge. As