Cousins

By Belinda Ellenberger

Allow your child to embark on their best adventure yet as author Belinda Ellenberger introduces two young, curious boys in her book, Cousins. Robert Paul and Chad Michael are cousins. Just three weeks apart yet physically quite the opposite, not only are they cousinsthey are best friends. Almost daily, these two ten-year-olds do something interesting together. One day, Chad Michael makes a breakthroughhe invents a time disk! Accompany these youngsters as they use the disk to race back to time some two hundred years ago, travel to Egypt, go on a cattle drive, and much, much more!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 13, 2010
• ISBN: 9781450072748

Belinda Ellenberger

BELINDA ELLENBERGER is a housewife, mother, grandmother, legal secretary, and a Walmart associate. Her hobbies include working in the yard, photography, scrapbooking, reading, playing games on the computer, and last but not least, her grandchildren. When her grandson, Robert Paul was only a few months old, he would whisper to her, “tell me a story, Granny.” She would have to tell him a story. He would then whisper, “tell me another story, Granny.” She would then have to tell him another story. That would go on for hours. Finally, when he made ten years old, she decided, to encourage him to read, she would write him a story. This book includes three of the stories she wrote for him.

Book preview

Copyright © 2010 by Belinda Ellenberger.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

79003

Contents

COUSINS

CHAPTER II

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER IV

ROBERT PAUL AND CHAD MICHAEL GO TO EGYPT

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER II

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER V

CHAPTER VI

CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VIII

ROBERT PAUL AND CHAD MICHAEL GO ON A CATTLE DRIVE

CHAPTER II

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER V

CHAPTER VI

CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VIII

CHAPTER IX

CHAPTER X

CHAPTER XI

CHAPTER XII

CHAPTER XIII

CHAPTER XIV

CHAPTER XV

CHAPTER XVI

CHAPTER XVII

CHAPTER XVIII

CHAPTER XVIX

CHAPTER XX

CHAPTER XXI

CHAPTER XXII

CHAPTER XXIII

COUSINS

I did it, Robert Paul! I did it! Chad Michael was yelling. He ran to the door and started banging on the door and kept yelling, Robert Paul, I did it!

Robert Paul opened the door and asked, what Chad Michael? What did you do?

My time disk works. I’m telling you, my time disk works. Come over to Maw Maw’s house and I’ll show you.

Robert Paul was always game for some excitement. He followed Chad Michael across the street to Chad Michael’s grandmother’s home.

Robert Paul and Chad Michael are cousins. Just three weeks apart, Robert Paul being the older. They are ten years old. Not only are they cousins; they are best friends.

Robert Paul and his parents live in the rural area of Tickfaw, Louisiana. Chad Michael’s grandparents live right across the road from Robert Paul. Robert Paul is an only child.

Chad Michael’s home is just two miles further down the road from his grandparents. Every afternoon Chad Michael and Chase, his little brother, ride the school bus to their Maw Maw and Paw Paw’s house, because their mom and dad work. Chad Michael also has a little sister, Carlie. She goes to daycare.

Almost daily, Chad Michael and Robert Paul do something together. Sometimes they go fishing at Mr. Fred’s pond. Mr. Fred and his wife, Mrs. Wilma, always enjoy Robert Paul’s and Chad Michael’s visits. Their own children have long ago moved away. When Robert Paul and Chad Michael are not fishing, they like to ride Chad Michael’s Maw Maw’s horses. Other times they get together and play some imaginary adventure games.

Chad Michael wants to be a famous scientist. He is extremely smart and makes excellent grades. He’s always trying to invent things in his hidden room. This hidden room is located behind a bookcase in his upstairs bedroom at his Maw Maw’s house, and he always claimed it as his bedroom.

Chad Michael’s tall for his age, and he has beautiful blond hair and crystal blue eyes. Robert Paul is just the opposite.

He is shorter than Chad Michael with dark blond hair and brown eyes. He doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up. All he knows is that it will not involve a lot of reading and writing. He hates to read. He likes to work and play outside. The only inside thing he likes to do is play with his Xbox. That’s what he was doing when he heard Chad Michael shouting and banging on the front door. Chad Michael flings the door open and shouts, come on. We’ve got to go to my Maw Maw’s house.

Robert Paul followed Chad Michael to his Maw Maw’s house and ran upstairs to the hidden room to see Chad Michael’s newest invention. With pride, Chad Michael held up a disk about six inches in diameter with all sorts of raised numbers on the front of the disk. Robert Paul asked, what’s that, buddy?

Chad Michael, with his eyes wide open in amazement, replied in a whisper, it’s my time disk.

Really, Robert Paul said, what’s a time disk?

Chad Michael explained, "you see these numbers and codes on the disk. I can program it, and it will bring us back in time to whatever date, longitude and latitude I want.

Robert Paul was use to Chad Michael’s inventions and always went along with him. As usual, he said with enthusiasm, okay, buddy, where are we going to go?

Chad Michael replied, I don’t know. Where do you want to go?

Let’s go to Australia, said Robert Paul.

I don’t know, Robert Paul. That’s sort of faraway. Let’s just stay here but go back 200 years. That way I just have to set the date.

Robert Paul gave him the thumbs up and said, okay, buddy, let’s do it!

CHAPTER II

Chad Michael hurriedly packed a couple of bottled waters, beef jerky, and crackers in his backpack, put on his backpack, and exclaimed, okay. We are ready for our best adventure yet!

After setting the time disk to the year 1807 Chad Michael explained to Robert Paul what he had to do. Now, Robert Paul, I have to hold real tight to the disk and you hold real tight to me because we are going to feel a lot of wind.

Okay, buddy, will do.

Robert Paul grabbed hold of Chad Michael, and Chad Michael pressed the transport button on the disk.

Suddenly, a strong wind whirled around them, and they began spinning around, and dropping at the same time. It seemed as though the upstairs flooring gave way and they were falling to the floor below.

All the while Robert Paul kept hold of Chad Michael and screaming, what’s going on! A tornado. Chad Michael, we are in a tornado! Help! Somebody help!

Chad Michael didn’t say anything as he held onto the disk and Robert Paul for dear life.

It seemed as if it lasted forever when they finally landed with a thud into a thicket of tall moist weeds.

Robert Paul asked excitedly, where are we? What happened?

Chad Michael’s face showed shock and disbelief, and in a whisper he managed to reply, I told you Robert Paul, we are in the past.

What past? There’s no such as going back into the past, shouted Robert Paul.

Yes there is, and we did it. I told you we could, exclaimed Chad Michael.

Good, said Robert Paul. Now lets go back home in our own time. I want to go home and play my Xbox.

Well gee, Robert Paul. Since we are already here, don’t you want to . . . .

Chad Michael was interrupted by a rustling sound behind them. They both turned and saw something coming toward them; but couldn’t see exactly what it was because of the tall grass and weeds. They didn’t bother to wait either. They started running toward the nearest tree. The tree was a tall oak with high branches. Robert Paul was a faster runner than Chad Michael and he didn’t have a backpack on his back holding him back. He reached the tree first, scrambling and grabbing a branch. As he pulled himself up, he was able to see what was coming toward them. It was a big black bear. His first thought was, we are in trouble now! Robert Paul screamed, Chad Michael, hurry, hurry! It’s a bear! Hurry!

Chad Michael ran as fast as he could through the tall weeds. He looked over his shoulder and saw the large black bear. The bear was closing in on him. The weight of the backpack was holding him back. He glanced over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer.

Chad Michael reached the tree but was unable to jump high enough to grab the branch. He risked another glance over his shoulder, and the bear was only inches from him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike.

Robert Paul, reaching down, grabbed Chad Michael’s backpack, and lifted him high enough so Chad Michael could grab the branch. Just as Chad Michael climbed onto the branch, the bear swiped, and tore off the end of Chad Michael’s shirt.

They were both able to move up one more branch as the bear furiously roared, while clawing the lower branch.

Both boys, with their eyes wide open in fear, froze. They were unable to make a sound.

The bear stood on its massive hind legs and clawed the tree. It looked up in the tree, and as its eyes bore into the eyes of the young boys, made a menacing growl. The huge bear walked around the tree a few times, all the while keeping an eye on the frightened boys. Giving up, the bear left the boys and headed back into the woods.

Robert Paul regained his speech first. Are you okay, buddy?

I’m okay. That sure was a close call. Thanks. You saved my life. How did you get up the tree so fast, Chad Michael asked.

I do that all the time at Granny’s. Her trees are about the same size as this one, Robert Paul exclaimed.

I’m glad this tree was here, said Chad Michael. That bear would have had us for lunch!

Probably. It must be a female bear. She must have cubs around here, and is only trying to protect them. Black bears won’t hurt you unless they feel threatened or if they think something is going to hurt their cubs. Now, let’s go back to our time so I can play my Xbox.

Chad Michael regained all of his wits by now and his scientific mind was once again working. Robert Paul, the bear went away. Come on. Let’s explore some. We just won’t go in that direction, (pointing his finger in the direction of the descending bear) .

I don’t know, buddy. I don’t think it’s a good idea. We better just go back home.

Come on Robert Paul. We are only a mile or so from the river. Let’s go see what the Tickfaw River looked like 200 years ago; then we’ll go back to our time. It shouldn’t take long. We’ll walk fast. This is the only chance we’ll ever have to see what the river looked like in 1807, insisted Chad Michael.

Robert Paul shook his head, but reluctantly agreed to Chad Michael’s request. Okay, but as soon as we see the river, its back home to our time. Deal?

Deal, said Chad Michael with a grin.

Robert Paul broke a limb off the tree and ripped the little branches off the limb. He hurriedly smoothed the rough knobs with his pocket knife he kept in his jean’s pocket. He always like to hike with a tall cane; but he couldn’t retrieve his cane since it was in his garage at home, and in another time. So, for