Algy discovered that today is International Literacy Day. As most of his Tumblr friends know, Algy is very fond of books, so to celebrate this special day he settled down in the Marram grass for a happy hour or two of quiet reading – that is, after he had composed a quick ditty in honour of the day:

If you are left alone at times
When no-one wants to play,
A book is perfect company
To while the hours away.

So when everything is boring
And you yearn for something new,
Just find yourself a story book
With tales of derring-do.

If you are seeking knowledge
But don’t know where to turn,
Then look inside a weighty tome
And you will quickly learn.

So if life is simply baffling
And all is mystery,
Search through a venerable book
And you may find the key.

If stress is wearing down your mind
Or work is all frustration,
Pick up a soothing book of verse
For rest and relaxation.

And on days when you feel sad and blue
Or worries grow and niggle,
Just open up a funny book
And you will start to giggle.

Inside the pages of each book
A world of wonder lies,
And every time you take a look
You’ll find a new surprise.
So…

To be sure of entertainment
And the knowledge that they need,
Every little girl and boy
Should surely learn to read 🙂

Algy says: Enjoy your reading, everybody!

[ © MacAvon Media 2014. This ditty is original copyright material, but you are welcome to share it on Tumblr providing you credit the original and link back to Algy’s Adventures.]

Advertisement

When darkness fell the sky cleared for a while, and a bright half moon emerged from the clouds. Algy perched in a bush on the edge of the peat bogs and gazed at the sky, dreaming idly of all the exciting adventures he was planning. As he watched the moon rise high over the peat bogs, Algy remembered a funny little poem he had once read:

          The moon came late to a lonesome bog,
          And there sat Goggleky Gluck, the frog.
          ‘My stars!’ she cried, and veiled her face,
          ‘What very grand people they have in this place!’

“Yes, indeed!” thought Algy 🙂

[Algy is quoting the poem The Moon Came Late by the 19th century American poet Mary Mapes Dodge.]

Algy had forgotten quite how windy it was in his own wee corner of the West Highlands, but at least it saved the expense of going to a fun fair… He enjoyed riding among the dangling catkins on such a sunny afternoon, but he found that he got sprayed with pollen as the branches shook, which made him sneeze.

When the dragon had managed to swim safely away, far out to sea, Algy remained on the wee islands in the big sea loch for a while, as he wanted to converse with the grey seals who live there.

Inside the big, dark shed, Mrs. Blackbird was sitting on the nest which her husband had built for her in the top of a wee basket on a shelf. Meanwhile, her husband sang all day long at the top of Algy’s tree, to make sure that everyone knew what a fine fellow he was. Algy flew up to join him, and to listen to the song.

It was still surprisingly cold, but there was a beautiful blue sky and Algy was feeling very happy. Close to his special tree in his friends’ garden, he had discovered something wonderful – the very first wee blossoms of the West Highland spring!

Algy thought that he should probably give his feet a chance to dry out a bit, so he found an airier perch above the wee waterfall. From here he could watch the water sparkle along in the sunlight and then plummet down the rocks into the dark pool below, without getting wet at all!

Listen to some of the sounds of Algy’s wee waterfall.

A little further up the glen, the burn flows much more rapidly over the stones. Algy just loves to sit and watch the water, listening to the gurgling, trickling sounds that it makes, and he just can’t resist dangling his feet in it …

Listen to some of the sounds which Algy heard.

Although the air was chilly, it was undoubtedly a beautiful day. High in the dazzling blue sky overhead, the skylarks were singing vigorously. Algy was uncertain of his ability to ascend into the heavens while he sang, but he felt sure that he could contribute to the exaltation from a safe perch in a tree –  providing nobody came along the road to disturb (or hear) him!

Algy decided that as he had spent so much time sitting on the seaweed and watching the water, he ought to write a poem about it. He got out his pencil and moleskine notebook, but he just couldn’t think of a suitable rhyme for seaweed, so he dangled his feet in the water and waited for further inspiration …