Pop pop’s Helpers Once upon a time, there were two young children, named Mya and Jordan. Jordan and Mya were brother and sister. They lived far away from their pop pop, who loved them more than candy. Pop pop had garden’s of food and fruits, that they could eat whenever they wanted. Also, pop pop had chickens to play with. One day while Jordan and Mya were playing in the backyard, pop pop fell asleep in his chair, under a big shady tree. A small red fox sneaked into the yard, and was trying to get into the chicken coop, to eat the chickens. Mya heard the chickens making a ruckus and said, Hey jordan, something is going on in the chicken coop. The two of them jumped up at the same time, and began running toward the coop. When they got closer, Jordan saw the fox. Being the best big brother a girl could ask for, he stopped Mya, and told her to stay where she was, because she was safe there. Then, he continued to the chicken coop. When he got there, the fox was trying to dig under the wire fencing. Jordan grabbed a long stick, and approached the fox. Go away fox, yelled Jordan, these chickens are our friends. The fox looked right into Jordan's eyes. His heart sank a bit with fear. Then suddenly, Jordan stood up tall, and ran straight toward the fox, swinging the stick back and forth to scare him away. But the fox didn’t budge. Then the fox began to dig again. Jordan thought for a moment, and then he had a plan. Mya, Jordan called. Yes Jordan said Mya. What do you want? I need you to go by the little blue pool, and fill the water guns, so we can shoot the fox, and save pop pops chickens, said Jordan. Mya ran to the small pool. She picked up the squirt guns and stuck them under the water. When they were full, she plugged the ends, and ran as fast as she could to the side of coop where Jordan was waiting. Ok said Jordan, when I count to three, we start shooting the fox. Mya looked at Jordan with tears in her eyes. Jordan she said, the fox is so cute, I don’t want to hurt him. But said Jordan, these are only water guns to scare him. Even so said Mya, I don’t want to scare him either. Well than, what do you suggest we do Mya, asked Jordan? Well, she said, if he is trying to eat the chickens, maybe he is hungry. Let’s give him something else to eat, and maybe he will leave the chickens alone. Ok said Jordan. Let’s go see what pop pop has that we can feed him. I’m sure we can find something that he will like. The two children scurried up the deck stairs, and into Pop pop’s kitchen. Immediately, Mya saw Sparky’s bowl. Sparky was pop pop’s lazy old dog.Jordan, said Mya, we can feed the fox, Sparky’s food. All Right he said, let’s see what happens. Jordan opened the cabinet and grabbed a clean bowl.Mya got a cup from the cupboard, and stuck it down into the food bag, and filled the bowl. The back door flew open, and they were down the stairs and back to the coop in no time at all. Mya placed the bowl on the ground, near as she could to the fox, who had by now, almost dug under the fence. The fox looked into Mya’s wide eyes, she starred intently back at him. She said, this food is for you mister fox. The fox smelled the food, and it seemed he was interested in exploring the bowl, to see what was in it. In a few seconds, the little fox was eating Sparky’s food from the bowl the children gave him. He gobbled it all up in just a few minutes. Then the fox slowly walked closer to where Mya and Jordan were standing watching him eat. He rubbed up against their legs like a cat, and then dashed away into the wooded lot next to the garden. Just then pop pop woke up. The kids told Pop pop of their wonderful adventure with the chickens and the fox. We saved the chickens, said Jordan proudly. And said Mya, we made a new friend. Sure you did, said pop pop with a grin. You are the best little helpers a pop pop ever had. I love you both so much. Ok then said pop pop, after adventure like that, I bet you two are hungry like the fox. Let’s go have dinner, and you can tell me the whole story again and again. The end. See you next time, in the Adventures of Mya and Jordan, “Picking Berries with Pop Pop”, vol.2