Former pre-school teacher and elementary principal Hellen "Sunny" Polk has read hundreds of stories over the years to children in the golden triangle area.
Now she delights us all, including her grandson with her storytelling right here on Story Time with Sunny.
Hellen "sunny" polk: today we're going to read toy boat by loren long.
Speaker 2: he's wearing underwear.
Hellen "sunny" polk: yes he is.
All right.
A little boy had a toy boat.
He made it from a can, a cork, a yellow pencil, and some white cloth.
The boy loved the boat and they were never apart.
They bathed together, they slept together, and every day they would go down to the lake and sail all afternoon.
The boy held the boat by a string.
Look at that string, see the string right here?
And he never let go.
Most of the time this was nice for the boat but sometimes the little toy boat would look out at big boats sliding across the lake and it would wonder, "what would it feel like to sail free?"
Speaker 2: it would be dumb.
.
Hellen "sunny" polk: one blustery afternoon a dark cloud rolled over the lake.
Do you see him right there?
Speaker 2: yeah.
Hellen "sunny" polk: the boy's mom pulled him back toward the house.
Her tug made him drop the boat's string and the boy cried out as the little toy boat floated away, "boat," he called, "boat," but nothing could be done.
Wind and rain pushed the little toy boat.
Where is it?
Where is it?
Into the deep water and he's on the shore.
Then it bobbed on high waves topped with foam.
In time a black and green tugboat with a row of old tires on its side chugged past.
Its windows looked like tired eyes that seemed to say, "move along," as it pushed the little toy boat aside with its wake.
Hellen "sunny" polk: the little toy boat worked so hard to stay afloat that it almost didn't see the giant ferry in its path.
The ferry had two flags, help me find the flags, and a red smokestack and a horn that bellowed "move along."
A gust of wind blew the little toy boat out of the way just in time.
A speedboat raced by flat and sharp with flames on its side, it's motor screamed, "move along."
It's draft made the little boat's sail quiver.
How did it quiver?
How would it quiver?
Speaker 2: i don't know.
Hellen "sunny" polk: feeling small and scared, look at it right here, the little toy boat drifted out toward a fleet of sailboats racing home to get out of the rain.
It's hull near full, it's sails soaked the little toy boat looked like it would sink.
How it missed the boy.
Under the yellow moon the little toy boat drifted all night, look right here, alone and scared.
You see the moon?
Yeah.
But then early in the morning, putt, putt, putt, putt, it was a humble little fishing boat way out in the middle of the lake.
It's paint was peeling and the dents on its side said it knew how it felt to be pushed around on the lake.
Hellen "sunny" polk: the fishing boat spied the little toy boat and carefully began to circle it and it did.
And then something wonderful happened.
What do you think happened?
Look, the little toy boat began to turn as well and its sails caught a breeze.
Soon it was sailing, really sailing alongside the fishing boat and the little toy boat felt strong.
"i'm moving along," it shouted to the wind.
It felt so good that it didn't notice when the fishing boat motored on.
It didn't notice the strong beat, the stone beach or the yellow bench on the nearby shore and it didn't notice the boy.
Not until he called out, help me, "boat, boat," the little toy boat waved its sail excitedly and the boy waved back.
Speaker 2: that's blue.
Hellen "sunny" polk: he's got on blue shorts now.
That night they bathed together, they slept together.
And the next day they went down to the lake together and the boy held the boat by a string and every so often let go but the little toy boat always came back, it knew just where it wanted to be.
And that's the end.
Speaker 2:
