Joe Moose couldn't be more excited if he tried. He had lived for years in the highlands of Cape Breton yearning to visit relatives in Newfoundland. He had heard stories from his uncle about the great moose population there and that fishing in Newfoundland was the best anywhere.

 When Uncle Cecil chose Joe to accompany him on his annual trip, Joe stepped out proudly from all the relatives awaiting to see who would be chosen. Even Uncle Cecil smiled, because Joe was a favourite in all the nephews.

 The trip across from North Sydney on the ferry was something Joe would never forget. The ferry was full of large trucks carrying cargoes of every food imaginable. Joe sat on the deck in a large armchair and sipped his soda through a straw. This was comfort.

 When they arrived, they received a ride from a couple of white-tail deer on their way to St. John's. Joe sat in the back seat of the convertible and let the wind breeze through his horns. Small villages and seaside landscapes flashed by and he even waved at a moose standing on a hillside near South Branch.

 Uncle Cecil thanked the deer as they dropped the pair off in a stretch of woods that seemed to go on forever. How did Uncle Cecil know this stretch from all the others that looked exactly the same?

 Uncle Cecil tramped through the woods and finally arrived at the den of four big moose.

 "It's Cecil," they cried and rushed up to him to rub noses.

 "This is my wife's brother's boy Joe," introduced Cecil to the others.

 Food was provided and stories swapped as the hours passed. Joe became restless and asked if there was any fishing handy.

 "The creek is right behind that bunch of trees," said the nearest moose. "You will probably need all of us to come carry home your catch. The fish here are very big, you know!"

 Joe couldn't wait to see fish so big that it would need those big bucks to carry them home. He had come prepared, because instead of packing his duffle bag with clothes, he had filled it with worms.

advertisement

 Joe snapped off a large stick for his pole and continued on his way to the creek. The water rushed over the rocks and fish jumped clear into the air with their backs arched and sun shining on their silvery flesh.

 Joe dipped the rod into the water with a fat juicy worm dangling down into the dark cold water. He leaned his back against the tree and would have dozed if a large fish hadn't yanked on the line. Joe pulled it out of the water and removed the fish. His relatives had been right. The fish were large.

  Suddenly, Joe heard the sound of munching and looked around to see a kangaroo eating the worms from his duffle bag.

 "Stop," ordered Joe, grabbing the now almost empty duffle bag.

 The kangaroo made one more swipe and all the worms were now gone. The worms disappeared down his throat before Joe could make a grab at him.

 "What will I use now to fish?" asked Joe.

 "Did you need those things?" asked Roo Kangaroo.

 "Those worms were bait. I've waited for years to come over here to fish. I don't have anything to put on the line now to entice the fish to bite it. My whole trip has been ruined. Those were special worms from Nova Scotia – night crawlers," explained the moose.

 "I have some bubblegum in my pouch. Would that help?" asked the kangaroo.

 Well, the bubblegum was a hit. The fish practically jumped out of the creek for the gum and Joe's relatives couldn't believe its success.

 Joe and Uncle Cecil returned to Nova Scotia but Roo Kangaroo stayed on to start a bubblegum bait shop. Why was a kangaroo in Newfoundland? Well, that would be another story.

 Question about the story: What was so special about the worms that the moose took to Newfoundland?

 Winners:  Brendan, Katie, Tenisha, Rebecca, Nick, Monica, Nick, Brandon, Morgan and Hannah of Hebbville Academy were part of a pizza party at Hebbville Academy.

 Send answers to Storytime, c/o Verna Dunlop, RR#1 Moser River, NS BOJ 2KO or e-mail answer to question to vernadunlop@yahoo.com

posted on 03/17/09