Bob Wolf sat in the field shivering. "I feel miserable," he moaned. "I never slept a wink from this terrible cough." Bob knew the reason for his cold É wet sneakers.

 Instead of going straight to school on the path as his mother said to, he wandered into the meadow that was damp from the rain from the night before.

 Since he didn't have gym that day, he only had one pair of sneakers which were damply laced to his ankles. He sneezed just before lunch.

 "You seem to be getting a cold, Bob Wolf," said Mrs. Weasel, his teacher. "I think you better go home before you infect the other children."

 Of course, that meant he had to tell his mother about straying off the path and she wasn't pleased. He would have received a good talking to, if he hadn't had a coughing attack and was sent straight to bed.

 "AAAACHOOOOO!" coughed Bob Wolf. "My throat tickles so much!"

 Bob Wolf's loud cough alerted Joe Fox, who was laying on his blanket nearby. "Don't spread your germs over here," said Joe Fox, popping his head up. "I'm sick with the flu. There isn't a bone in my body that doesn't ache. If I coughed, I would fall apart."

 "How did you get sick?" asked Bob Wolf, sniffing.

 "I fell in the river yesterday. Farmer Brown's hound Brutus was out scouting around and saw me. He wasn't satisfied until he chased me in the river. Didn't he laugh about that, and wasn't Mother mad when she found out I was playing and not at school," said the fox.

 He came closer to his friend and discovered a package of Halls in the field.

 "Cough drops!" Joe Fox shouted. "Oh! Pardon me, one cough drop!"

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 "That would make one feel a lot better," said Bob Wolf. "I'll flip you a coin for it."

 "You're on!" said Joe Fox.

 Bob Wolf searched his pockets but only found lint. "I can't find a coin. Do you have one?"

 "I'm out of money too. I got a bag of candy on the way to school before I met Brutus. Brutus ate my candy when I fell in the river," said Joe Fox.

 The strawberry-kiwi, mentho-lyptus cough drop was looking very delicious as both stared at it. Suddenly, Joe Fox produced a small hammer from his play tool set and they smashed the cough drop in two. Into their mouths went the little pieces. "OOOOOH!" they both said at the same time.

 The next day both were back to school feeling much better.

 Question about the story: What flavour was the cough drop?

 Send answers to Storytime, c/o Verna Dunlop, RR#1 Moser River, NS B0J 2K0 or e-mail the answer to the question to vernadunlop@yahoo.com. Prizes will be sent to those sending in the answer.

posted on 07/20/10