Map Adventures: Lesson 1

Story: Nikki's Adventure

Nikki was happy. She was visiting a special park. Her mother had told her all about it. When they got there, she could hardly believe her eyes.

PARK ENTRANCE

Nikki stood on the sidewalk by the entrance. A hedge (a fence made of bushes) went around the park. She was so short she could barely see over it. She could see the top of a red and white tent. She could see a dinosaur's head too. She heard carousel music. She heard ducks quacking. She heard children playing. She smelled popcorn, hot dogs, flowers, and fresh straw.

PARK HEDGE

The most exciting thing was outside the park. It was a huge hot-air balloon. It swayed gently in the breeze. It was tied down with ropes to stakes hammered into the ground. It was the biggest balloon Nikki had ever seen. A basket hung below the balloon, tied on with big ropes. Nikki wanted to get closer and look inside.

HOT-AIR BALLOON

The man who sold balloon rides was reading his newspaper. Nikki's mom walked over to talk to him. Nikki walked over to the basket. She had never seen a hot-air balloon up close before. The basket had tall sides. Ropes went from the basket up to the balloon.

Nikki stood on her toes to peek inside. She pulled herself up on the edge of the basket. But she lost her balance! She tumbled in headfirst.

Nikki's mom kept talking to the balloon man. A breeze started to blow. The balloon began to rise into the sky!

Nikki sat on the floor of the basket. She found a leather bag there. Inside were tools that balloon riders use to find their way. She found a map of the park, a compass, and a telescope.

Then Nikki felt the balloon wobble. She looked over the side. The ground was so far below! The ropes that were supposed to hold the balloon down had come untied. They dangled below the balloon.

Nikki looked down into the park. A boat floated toward a bridge. A flag waved in the wind. Children rode horses on the spinning carousel. Farm animals gathered under trees in the barnyard.

The balloon kept rising. Soon Nikki was right over the park. She couldn't see the sides of the buildings anymore — only their rooftops. The red and white top of the carousel looked like a fancy pie from up high. Nikki was seeing the ground the way birds see it!

Then Nikki noticed a rope dangling by itself into the basket. She grabbed it to steady herself. This let air out of the balloon, and the balloon slowly began to come down. It drifted toward a big fenced pasture inside the park. That is where Nikki finally landed.

Nikki had a wonderful adventure. But she was happy to be back on the ground with her mother again.