May and the Sea <kn>

My name is May, and I live in a cold village. It is always covered in fog, and it rains often. One morning, there was a knock at my door. It was my teacher, Jack. He had come to give me some books.

'Today, we will learn about the different places in the world,' says Jack. 'I do not like the place I live in. But I do not know where you live,' I say. 'I live in a village near the sea. It's quite pretty,' replies Jack. I gasp, 'The sea! I have never been there or even seen it. Can you tell me about it?'

'Come, I will be able to show you. The sea is not far from here, really,' Jack says. I do not know whether to believe him or not. I have never seen it, but I did not know it was so close. We walk up a tall hill, and the fog begins to clear.

'I see cherry blossoms and some cows up here,' I say, 'but I still cannot see the sea.' 'Don't worry, May. We need to go further,' says Jack. I hope he knows where he is going!

Jack helps me climb up a big rock on a tall hill and makes sure I do not scrape my knees. 'Are you sure you know where we are going?' I ask Jack. 'Up here on this hill, everything will be able to be seen. Even the sea,' said Jack.

'Can you see the sea now?' he asks. 'Not yet! All I see are fields of rice, as far as the eye can see. And there's my cold village, down in a patch of fog,' I reply. I brush the dust off my knees and turn around. 'Hey, what about this tree?' I ask.

'If I climb it, maybe I will find the sea!' I shout. 'All right, May, but be careful. You do not know how difficult the tree is to climb,' Jack warns. 'I am a very good climber. There is no need to worry,' I say.

'What do you see now?' he asks. 'I see a waterfall and the stream that leads past our village,' I say, 'but still no sea.' 'Did you know that the stream leads to the sea? In a way, your village stream is the sea, and it is connected to it,' Jack says.

'Climb down, May,' my teacher says, 'the sea is very far away. You will have to wait until you get older, until your legs are as strong as this tree and you can walk all the way there. But there is something I can show you now.' He kneels a little to lift me out of the tree and takes out a book.

'Here!' says Jack, 'look at this. Inside this book, you can see the sea and other new and magical things. All the places you want to go and more.' I look in the pages of Jack's book, and I become more and more surprised. I did not know that I could find the sea in a book!

I see a picture of a big, blue patch of water. 'Do you know this one? Is this the sea?' I ask. Jack nods, 'The sea is big because it is formed by thousands and thousands of streams like the one in your village. Some fish in the sea can get as big as houses!'

I am quiet while I think. If the fish are as big as houses, then the sea must be enormous. I smile at Jack, 'I did not know the sea was so huge and beautiful. One day, I can go there. But for now, I can visit it in this book!'