Hiking in the woods

Hello everyone!

Last weekend my parents and I took a hike in the woods with Rex. It was so fun! Now that it is summer here and warm outside, Mum lets me play outside as much as I like, which I love. We were hiking to see a little lake that my Dad's coworker had told him about, but I forget the name. It took us almost three hours to get there, and Rex kept running ahead and then running back to see where we were, so I think he probably walked twice as far as we did. It was very pretty and I took a swim when we arrived.

The water was so cool and Rex and I played fetch in the water with a stick I found. Then we sat on a rock and ate the turkey and cheese sandwiches Mum packed for us and even some peanut M & M's! It was already a great day, but then when we were walking back I found a really old, really cool coin. It's got some lady's face on it with a crown, and it says it was made in the year 1923. I wasn't even alive then! My dad said we should see if it's valuable so we can sell it, but I think I'd like to keep it and add it to my collection of really wonderful things that I keep in a box under my bed.

I wonder how many other interesting, old things there are to be found out there. Maybe I'll be an archeologist when I grow up and find them all! Have you ever found anything really neat? Write me a letter and I'll share it with all my friends here!

Your friend,

Nicholas

Home sick from school

Hi Everyone!

I didn't go to school today because I woke up this morning and I felt sick and my head

hurt so mum said I had to stay home. When I started to feel better I thought I would get to go outside and play, but mum said if you stay home sick you have to stay in bed the whole day. Staying in bed all day is boring! I think Rex was sad that we didn't get to have any fun too. His absolute favorite game is when I take one of my shoes and throw it around the yard for him to bring back to me. We can only play when my mum isn't watching though, because she gets very unhappy when I get my clothes dirty. But Rex's mouth is clean and I usually don't throw my shoe towards the muddy part of the garden!

Anyway, I'm feeling better now, and look - I just got a great letter from my friend Sandeep!

Hi Nicholas,

Thanks for the new Snakes and Ladders game and the Marshmallow Crispy Squares Cake recipe. I hate snakes but the game was fun to play! Also I like cooking. Hey - I also loved the 'magic' foot trick that you emailed around last month.

Remember in my last email to you - I told you how I made a cape out of my mum's old skirt when I was younger - and I used to pretend to be Dynamo the great magician....?

Well, here is another cool trick you can try (which I made up). Do you like to drink tea? Well, even if you don't, then just offer to make some for your mum and dad. Pop a tea bag into the mugs (it's best if you use those PG Tips Pyramid ones). Then carefully pour in the hot water and add some milk.

Now the tea bags should float, right? Well, take the tea bag out of one of the mugs, and in the other, you take your tea-spoon and carefully balance it on top of the remaining tea bag, so it looks like it is magically balancing on the edge of the mug. Make sure that you can't see any of the tea bag, and then stretch out your hand and wriggle your fingers. Concentrate hard on the teaspoon, and call your mum and dad. They'll come running to see if you are okay.

Say: "look... I have the power to make this teaspoon balance... it takes great concentration". You dad will probably run off to phone the local paper to tell them that his son is a mystic or something. In the meantime, just take out the other teabag, (wink at your mum) and when your dad returns then just say "you try..."

Of course, your dad will want to think that he has passed the power on to you, but he won't be able to make the spoon balance. Your mum will then probably wink at you and say "... he must get it from my side of the family..."

Ha! Great joke, eh?

I've not managed to get hold of your book called 'Nicholas In Trouble' but I'll have to look in a different bookshop. My sister enjoys reading your books too. She likes to read them in French!

Well, Happy Easter to you and the gang!

Cheers,

Sandeep

Thanks Sandeep! That is a great joke, I'll have to try it on my dad! I love to get letters, and if you like to get letters too, you can sign up for my club at www.phaidon.com/nicholas and you'll get my emails too. Okay, I better go before my mum finds out I'm out of bed!

Your buddy,

Nicholas