Will and His Dog and the Boat

When they finally reached the stream, Clive was standing on the bank with his paws in the water enjoying a drink. The water looked so clear and cool that Will didn't blame him for wanting to drink it. There was a crooked wooden bench beside the stream and the boys sat down on it until Clive had finished lapping up the water.

"I think we should walk along the stream for a while and see where it leads," said Charlie.

"I didn't know there was a stream here," replied Will. "Yes, let's see where it leads us."

As they followed their way along the banks of the stream, it widened and soon it became a river. The water changed from being clear to a murky brown and it began to flow faster.

"Can we stop for a rest?" asked Will.

Charlie was tired too and said, "yes that is a good idea."

The boys stopped underneath a bridge and had a drink from their water bottles.

"Do you think that we should turn back now?" asked Charlie.

"Maybe," replied Will. "I am quite tired and we have walked quite a long way. I don't think the river is going to lead us anywhere exciting. Maybe we can try to..." Will suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence and pointed towards a thick bunch of reeds that were growing beside the riverbank.

Charlie looked where Will was pointing. "Woah," he gasped.

Amongst the reeds was a small, wooden boat. It had been tied to a tree by an old rope. Inside the boat there were two wooden oars.

"Do you think we could go for a little sail on the river in it?" said Will.

"No way!" replied Charlie loudly. "I've been in a little boat with my dad on a lake, but never on an actual river. It's too dangerous Will. It doesn't look very sturdy and I don't like the way it is bobbing about on the water."

"Come on Charlie," said Will. "I think we should get in and just row it out into the middle of the river and then come back. What could go wrong?"

Charlie thought about it for a few seconds and then said, "I think it would be alright if we are careful."

Will smiled and hopped into the boat. It rocked when he landed and it was so unsteady that he fell over onto his bottom. Charlie laughed, untied the rope and climbed into the boat more carefully than Will had. Clive jumped in, wagged his tail and started barking with excitement.

Charlie used one of the oars to push away from the bank and out of the reeds. There were two small planks of wood in the boat which served as seats. Will sat on the front plank facing backwards and Charlie sat on the rear plank facing forwards. Clive stood proudly at the very front of the boat and it seemed to the boys that he thought that he was the captain.

"Which way does the person who is rowing face?" asked Will.

"I think he would sit where you are because that's where my dad sat when we went rowing," replied Charlie.

"We need to switch places then," said Will.

"Why?" replied Charlie nervously, "I don't know how to use the oars or how to row."

"What?" exclaimed Will, "I thought you said you had been in a rowing boat with your dad."

"I have," shouted Charlie, "but that doesn't mean that I know how to row. You went to London on the train last year but I don't expect that you know how to drive one."

Will realised that they were now in big trouble because neither of them could row. The boat had drifted quite a long way from the bank and into the main stream of the river. The current was much stronger in the middle of the river and Will cold feel the boat being pushed forward.