Knuckleheads
Where the turquoise water meets the light blue sky and where hibiscus
flowers bloom in bright red and yellow. It
is here in this vast island paradise where you will explore and search for
hidden buried treasures of gold, silver and valuable gems.
It is here where adventures lurk around every corner and danger awaits
the unprepared. So grab your tools,
your island hiking boots, plenty of fresh water, a sleeping bag, a whistle, and
your favorite toothbrush as we begin our hike into this lush tropical paradise.
As we go along, we will climb the tall trees for coconuts and indulge in
pineapple drinks to give us endless energy.
Legend warns us that this island was once inhabited by a group of people
called the "Knuckleheads." Apparently
there was a big tropical storm on the island and coconuts fell off the trees and
onto their heads below. The people
were dazed and confused of course but soon realized what had happened thus
adopting the name "Knuckleheads."
No one knows if the legends are true or not because no one has ever seen
a Knucklehead.
So let's head further inland now where you will see beautiful waterfalls,
unusual bugs and plants and a very dangerous area called "Muckity-Muck."
This is a muddy area and it is very easy to get your boots and yourself
stuck forever in this area. So we
will slowly avoid this dangerous spot all together.
Are you with me? Let's check
the map together now as we search for the buried treasures of "Sir Marco
Van Gold." According to the
old map we should be approaching a very large spider plant named
"Cleo." Her rapid growing
flowers in purple, white and maroon have small seedpods that grow and hang like
spider legs. It is from Cleo that
we will receive our first treasure-hunting clue.
As we approached her, she threw out her spider legs and prevented us from
going any further. Cleo burst out saying; "Do not pass through here, danger
lurks ahead!" "You must
leave immediately for the forest of sticks!"
We took her advice and quickly headed towards the forest of sticks.
It was here in the bamboo forest that we stumbled upon our second clue.
The bamboo sticks were laid out in the shape of arrows that pointed the
way. Nighttime fell quickly in the
bamboo forest and we just made it out in time to set up camp by the variety of
flowering plants. Here the orange
sunsets and sparkling night sky added to the aroma of tropical flowers, which
put us into a deep and restful sleep. When
morning came we brushed our teeth, gathered our things and headed on the trail
towards the mysterious coral reef. The
trail winded us around and down towards the reef.
Below us unspoiled beaches were home to endangered animals as they
frolicked on the warm coastal sand.
We knew we were close to the treasures of "Sir Marco Van Gold"
and excitement grew among us. In
the wet sand next to us was written; "A vast Mecca of treasures awaits the
one who solves this riddle… To find my treasures I say to thee, it sparkles
like the wide-open sea. Tucked away in a waterbed you will find me. Where
seashells lie on an abundant ocean floor, and crystal sand beaches lie quiet
along the shore. You may have to get wet and you might get cold, but that's what
it will take to find "Sir Marco Van's Gold!"
Just as we finished reading the riddle in the wet sand it suddenly
occurred to us just where he may have hidden the treasures.
We took off our boots and ran down the beach.
It was there in the water we had seen a large oyster bed.
We walked out in the water a short distance and lo and behold we found a
large crate with an anchor attached to it buried partially in the sand.
The tide was low enough to pull the heavy crate back onto the shore.
We couldn't wait to open the treasure chest and our faces lit up with
anticipation. Once we pried open
the crate, a rather large squid popped out and quickly headed back out to sea.
Then there was a rather large note that read;
"Congratulations to you!"
"You have followed all the instructions very well!"
"Underneath this note you will find gold, silver and precious
gems." "I only ask one
request in return, that you share an equal amount with the islands
Knuckleheads!"
Well this seemed like a hard request to fill especially since no one has
ever seen a Knucklehead. Just then
a family of unusual people appeared out of nowhere.
They surrounded us with spears as they slowly reached out their hands
towards the treasures. They were
just as surprised to see us, as we were to see them.
We graciously handed them their portion of the treasures as we were
instructed to do from the note. The
knuckleheads smiled as they disappeared just as quickly as they came.
We had so much fun finding the treasure that we decided to put it right
back where we found it for the next group of visitors to the island.
We left for home with our memories of unspoiled beaches, a one of a kind
tropical island, a glimpse into a buried treasure chest, the legendary
Knuckleheads and the memories of a famous man; "Sir Marco Van Gold!"
Copyright
1997 by Author Patti Tricoli
