Don’t Go Near the River

“Lil’ Rebel,” said Father, just before Lil’ Rebel was leaving to go to school. “Don’t be going anywhere near that river.”

“Father,” said Lil’ Rebel. “I promise I won’t.”

“This is one promise I want to make sure you keep,” said Father, sternly. “That river is really high right now and the current is strong too. If you slipped into the river you could be carried away in seconds.”

“Okay,” said Lil’ Rebel. “I won’t go anywhere near the river.”

Lil’ Rebel went to school that morning and that afternoon her and her friends went to the river even though she was told not to go. Lil’ Rebel and her friend, Sally were pushing each other around and they were getting pretty close to the edge of the bank. Lil’ Rebel turned to push Sally and she felt herself slipping into the cold water.

“Oh no!” exclaimed Sally, trying to grab onto Lil’ Rebel’s arm.

It was too late. Lil’ Rebel slipped into the river and just like her Father had told her, she was swept away pretty quickly. However, luckily for Lil’ Rebel there was a log floating in the river. She caught onto that and maneuvered herself so that she could climb ashore. Lil’ Rebel was safe, shaken up and soaking wet.

“My Father is going to kill me,” was all she could say between her chattering teeth.

“Your lucky the river didn’t,” said Sally. “Come on let’s go to my place and get you into some dry clothes.”

Lil’ Rebel got home that evening before her Father did and sighed a big sigh of relief.

“I just won’t tell him,” she said to herself. “I’m dry now so he’ll never find out.”

That evening after dinner, there was a knock at the door. It was Sally, Lil’ Rebel’s friend. Lil’ Rebel was upstairs in her room so her Father answered the door.

“Here are Lil’ Rebel’s wet clothes,” said Sally, handing Lil’ Rebel’s Father a bag full of sopping wet clothes. “She forgot them at my house this afternoon.”

“And just how did they get wet?” asked Lil’ Rebel’s Father.

Sally told Lil’ Rebel’s Father the story about how they were messing around by the river and how Lil’ Rebel had fallen in.

Lil’ Rebel’s Father stormed up the stairs to her bedroom.

“So you were at the river today were you?” he asked angrily.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” said Lil’ Rebel.

“You know what I’m talking about and don’t you dare even try lying to me about it,” said Lil’ Rebel’s Father. “You are grounded for two weeks.”

“Gee,” cried Lil’ Rebel. “You’d think the fact that I almost died out there this afternoon would be punishment enough.”

“And if you had have done as you were told,” screamed Father at the top of his lungs. “None of this would have happened. Now, you are grounded for a month!”