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Billy was eating his favorite lunch. He loved the little hot dogs that his mother called Vienna sausages, and it was always a special treat when she fixed them for him. Suddenly, he heard a strange low rumbling sound and at the same time he noticed that the milk in his glass was starting to splash around. The dishes began to rattle and he felt his chair vibrate. Then it stopped just as suddenly as it had started. His mother came into the room and said, "Did you feel that earthquake, Billy?"
Billy nodded his head enthusiastically as he finished his last hot dog. "That felt funny, Mom." he laughed.
"That was just a small tremor." his mom explained. "Now finish your lunch and go clean up. Don't forget to brush your teeth."
"OK, Mom." Billy said as he jumped down from his chair and went into the bathroom. When he had finished washing his face and hands and brushing his teeth, he went into his room to take a nap.
He lay down on his bed and looked at the strange designs in the rough texture of his ceiling. Sometimes he could see animals in the designs, and sometimes he saw flowers or funny faces. As he watched the pictures change, he became aware that he was not alone in his room. He looked over and saw Jack standing next to his bed.
"Hi, Jack," Billy said. "How have you been?"
"Great," said Jack. "I thought you might want to go for a walk in Fantasy Forest with me."
"Sure," said Billy. He touched his magic ring. In an instant, he and Jack were standing in the middle of the beautiful Fantasy Forest. The opaliters glowed warmly all over the ground. The tall trees were thick with deep green leaves, and many of them wore pretty flowers that were all the colors of the rainbow. Billy and Jack walked across the thick carpet of needles from the trees. They could see a clearing down the path and in the middle of the clearing, they saw two creatures.
"Come on, Billy," said Jack. "I want you to meet some friends of mine." They hurried up to the clearing and walked up to the two friends. "Billy, I want you to meet Furkle and Floffer. They live here in the forest. Furkle and Floffer, this is my good friend Billy."
"Glad to meet you," said Billy.
Floffer, a small long eared pink creature, hopped over to Billy. He sniffed Billy's ankle and said, "I am happy to meet you."
Furkle, who was much bigger than his friend nodded toward Billy. "We were just talking about what happens when the earth shakes," Furkle said to Jack. "But neither of us knows too much about it."
"Let's go ask Wise Old Tree," suggested Jack. "He knows all about things like that."
So the four friends started down the path toward the meadow where Wise Old Tree lives. Soon they reached the edge of the forest. The meadow was beautiful. They could see all the way past Jack's cottage to Silly Bird Lake, and just to the side and a little beyond Jack's cottage, they could see Wise Old Tree. He looked much bigger than anything else in the meadow. As they got closer to Wise Old Tree, they began to talk quieter. The tree was indeed huge. The tree saw them coming across the meadow. He knew Jack, since they were neighbors, but he didn't know Jack's friends.
"Wise Old Tree, I'd like you to meet my friends, Billy, Floffer, and Furkle," said Jack.
"Happy to meet you." said Wise Old Tree.
"My friends and I have some questions about when the earth shakes," said Jack. "I suggested that they ask you about it."
"Oh yes," said Wise Old Tree. "I have seen the earth shake many times. There is much I can tell you about it. Please sit down and I will explain it to you. But first let me give you some refreshments." With that, the tree dropped several small fruits down to the ground. Jack picked them up and passed them out to the group. Then they all sat down at the base of the tree. They tasted the fruit. It was sweet and refreshing.
"First of all," began the tree, "when the earth shakes, it is called and `earthquake'. The land on earth is actually a plate that floats on the hot liquid center of the earth. This includes the land at the bottom of the oceans. These floating plates move very slowly. Sometimes when they move, it can be felt....and that is an earthquake. Most earthquakes are small and do no damage. But sometimes they are quite strong and they do a good deal of damage. It is important to understand how to protect yourself in an earthquake and how to protect your family.
"The best protection comes from being ready for a big earthquake. That doesn't mean you have to be afraid all the time or that you have to be afraid of every earthquake. Actually, if you are prepared, you have much less to be afraid of.
"There is no way yet to tell if an earthquake is going to happen. So you must get ready for one at any time. That is not as difficult as it may sound. You should have your parents store about two or three days worth of food and water and a first aid kit in a safe place where you can get to it after a big earthquake. These supplies should be checked every once in a while and replaced with fresh supplies. As many people as possible should take a class in first aid. Then they can help the people who get hurt when there is a big earthquake.
"Everyone should have earthquake drills so they know exactly what to do because they have practiced. They should know how to turn off the water and gas and electricity to the house in case they need it. Even little people like you, Billy, should know where to turn these things off, even if you can't do it yourself. "Are there any questions about getting ready for a big earthquake?" Wise Old Tree asked.
"Why does everyone need to learn first aid?" asked Billy. "I would just call the ambulance or fire department."
"That is a very good question, Billy," said Wise Old Tree. "But you see, when there is a big earthquake, your phone probably won't work. Even if it does, the police, fire department and ambulances will be very busy, and the roads may be badly damaged so they can't drive around. For the first few days, everyone will have to take care of themselves."
"That sounds so scary," said Furkle.
"It would be more scary if you didn't prepare yourself," said Wise Old Tree. "Not doing the right thing is what causes most injuries during an earthquake."
Billy thought about the quake he had felt during lunch. He thought about his milk splashing around in the glass, and the sound of the dishes rattling. He remembered the way his chair vibrated.
"When you start to feel an earthquake," continued Wise Old Tree, "The most important thing to remember is to stay calm. Stay away from windows and things that can fall on you like bookcases and shelves with a lot of things on them. If possible, get under something sturdy like a table or a desk. Or you can get under a doorway and brace yourself. You brace yourself in a doorway by standing sideways and holding on to one side of it. Stay there until the shaking stops. Do not try to run outside if you are inside. If you are in a car, stay there. If you are outside, stay away from anything that could fall on you."
"What if I am asleep when it starts?" asked Floffer.
"Get under your bed if it is sturdy and make sure you don't go near windows. Don't move out of the room unless you have shoes on. After a big quake, there will be lots of broken glass around and you don't want to cut yourself," answered Wise Old Tree.
"After the earthquake has stopped, check yourself for injuries. Then you can try to get to the other members of your family." Wise Old Tree then looked at Billy. "We don't have such problems here in the kingdom, but in reality, you will have to be careful of fire and explosions from leaking gas lines. You will have to worry about the electrical lines coming into the house and outside. You will also have to worry about contaminated water from broken lines. That is why you must store drinking water.
"I hope I have answered your questions about earthquakes," said Wise Old Tree. "If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask."
"Thank you for the information," said Furkle. "I feel a little better about when the ground shakes now that I know more about it."
"I think we all feel better," said Jack. The friends nodded agreement.
As they walked back to the forest, they discussed what they had learned from the tree. They agreed that it was a lot less scary now that they knew what they should do to protect themselves.
"I think I had better get back now. I am glad to have met you," Billy said to Floffer and Furkle. "I hope I will see you again."
"Thank you for coming," said Furkle. "We enjoyed meeting you, too." Floffer nodded agreement.
Billy looked at Jack. "See you later, friend." Then he touched his magic ring. Billy was laying on his bed. He noticed a pretty design on the ceiling that looked just like Wise Old Tree. He thought about all he had learned in the Magic Kingdom. As he slipped out of bed and walked to the doorway, he decided to try practicing holding on to the doorway the way he should in a big earthquake. He stood with his back against one side of the doorway and reached for the other side. His arms were too short, so he knelt down and braced his feet on one side and held on with the other side. Just then, his mother walked toward him.
"What are you doing, Billy?" she asked.
Billy looked up at her and smiled. "I am practicing what I should do when there is a big earthquake. I want to be sure I am ready for it."
"That is certainly the right way to protect yourself, Billy. But how did you know that?" his mother asked.
"A friend told me. And he told me about storing food and water, and learning first aid," Billy said.
"That is right. I thought you were too young to learn about that. I guess I was wrong. I have put aside some food and water. Come with me and I will show you where it is. Then we can talk about how to turn off the power and water to the house," his mother said.
As they walked toward the kitchen, his she continued explaining, "Do you remember a while ago when I took a first aid class? Maybe it is time for me to show you some of the things I learned."
It made Billy feel very grown up and important to be a part of the plans to protect the family in an earthquake. He knew how important it was to be prepared.
THE END (of this adventure)
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Last updated September 29, 2006 by Serena.