The story teller

Sally and John ran down the garden path excitedly to meet their grandad, they really looked forward to his weekly visit as he told them stories, some he would read from story books, but the best ones he made up himself.

Hello grandad they shouted.
"Hello sally, John. My what a welcome." He said excitedly. They all went down the house the children still jumping up and down in glee holding tightly to their grandads hand.
"Story grandad." They shouted in joy. Grandad chuckled.
"You little devils. I will tell you a story in a minute; first a cup of tea and a chat with your mum." Grandad told them politely.

Samantha, their mother, gave her father a cup of tea and a slice of fruit cake. Sally and John had a glass of milk and a biscuit, that sat quietly for a while, listening to their mother and grandad chatting, but they soon got impatient.
"A story grandad please." Sally begged.

"How can I refuse a plea like that?" He replied with a big grin on his face, "let's go into the garden then." He said. Out they ran pulling poor grandad as hard as they could , grandad say on the garden seat the children, the children sat at his feet on the grass, he looked down on them and smiled. Comfortable, he asked the children,
"Are you ready?"
"Yes!" They replied
"Well let's see now..."

"There was a day when I was a young boy, a long time ago I would be about your age sally, I crept out when it was dark, I was going fishing, it was not far to the river. As I walked down the road I heard footsteps, I was scared and started to run but the footsteps got louder and closer. I stopped and looked around and to my amazement there stood several lampposts, I was really frightened by now but the lead er of the lamppost army looked down at me and smiled.
"Don't be afraid." He said "we will not hurt you, I'm fact we want to look after you, by shining our light so that you can see where you are going and not to bump into anything, where are you going at this time of night" he asked inquisitively.
"Fishing." I said still a little timid.

"Good." The lamppost replied "I love fishing , my name is flash, what's yours?"
"Harold." I replied
"It's a long way for a little boy like you to go and patrol the streets, make sure everyone is alright. Can you do that for me?" The lead lamppost asked the others who stood behind him like soldiers
"Oh yes." They all answered in union " have you got a street map so we can make sure all the streets are covered?" One close to the back said. Flash gave them a map and off they went in pairs to do their patrol work.

Now he turned to me.
"how would you like to ride on my shoulders?"  He said to me kindly. I looked up,
"It's too high for me to climb." I said back, still a bit spooked but not as much.
"Don't worry about that," flash commented " I have built a ladder, look." He opened up his front panel and sure enough there was steps going right up to his shoulders. I climbed to the top and off we went.

We walked towards the river, when we arrived I climbed down and got out my fishing rod and a piece of cheese I had brought.
"Would you like some cheese?" I asked flash.
"No thank you." Flash replied " I only eat electricity, it keeps my light nice and bright so I can show people the way in the dark, but I will stay and look after you, I have not been fishing in a long time."
"I have two rods, would you like to fish as well." I looked up and asked.
"Yes please." He answered me back quickly, " I would love to."

We stood together for several hours, flash relating some of his adventures, I caught two fish and flash caught three. He said that he caught more because he was bigger, therefore he could cast his line further as the fish were small we threw them back into the river.

"I think we should pack up now," flash said. "We must get back home before your mother notices your gone and gets worried."
"Oh must we." I pleaded back the best I could. Flash smiled showing his gleaming white teeth. "Yes but we can come again if you like." He enquired.
"Yes please I said. "That would be great, I climb back into flashes shoulders and we set off back down the road for home.

As we pass the other streets the other lampposts were coming back from their patrols.
"Everything alright?" Flash asked.
"Yes, no problems tonight." They again all replied in unison. And they all fell into line behind flash and we all marched off down the road just like an army.

As we reached my street flash asked me which one was my house.
"That one." I said pointing. "The one with the red door!" Flash stopped at my door. "How will you get in?" He asked.
"I will have to climb in my bedroom window," I replied.
"Well why don't I take you behind the back and you can just step in from my shoulders." He asked nicely.
"That would be great. Thank you for the offer." I said as by this time I was getting tired.

We reached the house and I climb into the window. I turn to flash and thanked him for a wonderful night.
"Are you not tired flash?" I asked.
"A little." He said "but  I cannot sleep until it is daylight, as we sleep all day and stay on patrol all night. If you want to go out again, just leave your light on and leave your curtains open, and I will pick you up." He announced proudly.

"Ive really enjoyed being with you, thank you so much Flash, I have had a really good time, wait until I tell my friends." A frown came over flashes face,
"Harold you must not tell anyone else about our trip." He said " or they would all come out at night and we would not be able to do our job and keep the streets safe. It must remain our secret." He told me.
"Alright flash. I will not tell anyone I promise." And with that flash went on his way and I fell into a deep sleep."

The children had say as quite as mice, now grandad said.
"You know my secret but you must never tell anyone at all."
"We won't." They both chanted still wide eyed in amazement.
"Did you see flash again?" They asked.
"Yes we had many adventures, I will tell you lore next time but not a word to your mother now, she will never believe it."

They all went back to the house.
"Hello!" There mother greeted them. "What was the story about today?" She pondered.
"We can't tell you it's a secret." Mother looked at grandad and he winked at her with a big smile on his face.
"Yes." He said "it is a big secret." He sat down, had a cup of tea then said that it was time he was going home. The children walked down the path with him and waved goodby as he drove away.
"Good bye grandad goodbye. And thank you for our story it is our secret goodbye."