The Adventures of a Red Spotted Handkerchief By Pete Donald
He lay there, slightly starchy, behind the plastic window with a strip of cardboard wrapped around him to give him some shape. The red spotted handkerchief, or RSH as he was known by the socks and underpants he shared the shelf with, had peered out from inside his packaging for so long that he had given up on his hope for adventure. RSH was bright red with 2048 small white spots inside a thin white line border. He was the classic red spotted handkerchief.
He sighed and prepared himself for more sleep. At least in his dreams he was a handkerchief who climbed the tallest trees or battled against ferocious beasts.
Just as he was about to drift off to sleep he was shakened and shooked as the box containing RSH was lifted from the counter and away from everything he had ever known.
Within hours of being bought RSH had been unwrapped. He tried to take in his new surroundings but no sooner was he free of the cardboard he was being washed. He had been worried as to what was going to happen to him as he was put inside the round mouthed monster. But some other handkerchiefs, socks and associated tee-shirts had told him there was nothing to worry about and just to be prepared for a wild ride.
RSH loved it, he was tossed and turned and turned and tossed and covered in soap suds and washed until he was no longer stiff and he even had a wonderful smell. It was a hint of lavender he was told by a sports sock.
RSH was then hung outside on a clothes line, in the fresh air. As he fluttered in the breeze he could see a large garden spread out in front of him from his vantage point high on the clothes line. As he swung he looked at some of the other handkerchiefs on the line with him. They no longer seemed as happy as before, but RSH had a good feeling that the future was bright.
A freshly laundered RSH was placed in a nice wooden drawer with his fellow handkerchiefs. He was excited at the prospect of what wonderful things he would see. He asked the other handkerchiefs what was it like out there in the wide world, but they all seemed unnaturally quiet. The majority of them had shuffled to the back of the drawer, whereas RSH stood proudly at the front.
Soon enough the drawer was slid open and RSH was plucked from the drawer. For a brief moment he was in mid-air but all of a sudden he was plunged into darkness as he was stuffed into a trouser pocket. Dazed and confused RSH was just coming to terms with his dark surroundings when he was dragged back out into the open air.
This is better thought RSH until his positive thoughts were destroyed when he was pushed up against a giant nose and eerhw it was disgusting. He was covered in stuff, horrible icky stuff. RSH was pushed back into the pocket. He was in a state of shock. He couldn’t believe what had just happened to him. It happened another three times that day before he was thrown into a washing basket with other items of clothing.
RSH was devastated. He couldn’t bear to touch himself as the vile deposits became all crusty. The only thing on his mind was escape. Well he did want to get clean first. So the only two things on his mind were first to get a good wash and then escape.
And as he was hung out to dry again RSH took his chance. He wiggled and wiggled until he was free of one of the clothes pegs, and then as he swung himself backwards and forwards he pulled himself clear of the second peg and started to float down to the ground. Suddenly a gust of wind came from nowhere and picked up RSH and sent him soaring higher and higher until the garden was way below him. He was free.
He had no idea where he was going, but he didn’t care as another gust of wind picked him up and pushed him on his way. Suddenly the wind died and he started to fall. However as he was a handkerchief he didn’t really fall, he floated.
Then he felt as if two more clothes pegs had gripped him only to discover he had been grabbed by a bird.
The bird held RSH tightly in its claws until he was dropped into its nest. It used its beak to push RSH down into the twigs and then when satisfied the brightly coloured piece of cloth was secure, it flew off.
RSH pulled himself free of the small pieces of wood and peered over the side of the nest. He was such a long way up and there were a large number of twisted spikey branches all around him. It would be easy for him to get snagged on one of these branches and tear a hole in himself. He flopped back into the nest and started to think of another way to escape.
But there was no alternative so the only way was the dangerous way. He would have to climb down. He was about to leave the nest when he heard a cracking noise. There in the corner were two eggs and the babies were hatching. Out from each egg emerged a small bedraggled chick. The two youngsters were shivering without their mother to keep them warm. RSH knew there was no other choice, he snuggled up to the chicks, wrapping himself around the two of them to keep them warm. The mother bird soon returned to her nest and was so grateful that RSH had help protect her children that she agreed to his request to be helped down from the tree top.
Now safely on the ground RSH looked at the landscape in front of him and took the first stride to his new life. Then as quick as a flash he was picked up by a monster. RSH could feel sharp teeth against his cotton fabric and he was being soaked by the drool which was flooding out of the monsters mouth. RSH tried to struggle free but it was no good he was stuck fast in the jaws of this beast.
Suddenly he felt something else tug at him. The creature held firmly onto RSH. Still something pulled on RSH, if this continued he would rip for sure. RSH noticed the beast had a loose tooth, he pulled at it with all his might and the sudden shot of pain made the dog (for that’s what it was), released him and he fell to the ground again, battered and bruised and damp with dog dribble. RSH was in a terrible state, though he had not been hurt by his ordeal he was exhausted and was struggling to stay awake.
“Where did you get this old rag from” said a voice from high up.
“It’s not a rag” said another voice, “it’s a handkerchief, and what’s more it’s a red spotted handkerchief. It’s just what I’ve been looking for.”
“Errgh you can’t be seriously thinking about taking it home” said the first voice.
“I certainly am”
RSH finally fainted as he was pushed inside a plastic bag.
The next thing he knew he was inside a washing machine on the first step of being laundered again.
When he was dried and folded into a precise square shape he was handed over to a small boy named Billy.
“Thanks mam for making him all clean so I can use it.”
“Use!” RSH felt a shiver run across him. If he had to go through all that nose pressing and rubbing again he would have to plan a new escape from this latest horror.
“What are you going to use it for?” asked Mam.
“Well,” said Billy, “I thought it could be a pirates headscarf, or a parachute for my solider or I could use it in a magic act or as a cape for my super hero. It will be what ever adventure I am having that day”.
“Adventure,” RSH couldn’t believe what he had heard “Adventure”. His dreams were finally coming true.
Sure enough over the next days and weeks and months he took part in many action filled moments, helping Billy in his adventures.
And never again did anyone blow their nose on him.
Copyright Pete Donald 2012
http://www.feedbooks.com/userbook/27102/the-adventures-of-a-red-spotted-handkerchief to download
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He sighed and prepared himself for more sleep. At least in his dreams he was a handkerchief who climbed the tallest trees or battled against ferocious beasts.
Just as he was about to drift off to sleep he was shakened and shooked as the box containing RSH was lifted from the counter and away from everything he had ever known.
Within hours of being bought RSH had been unwrapped. He tried to take in his new surroundings but no sooner was he free of the cardboard he was being washed. He had been worried as to what was going to happen to him as he was put inside the round mouthed monster. But some other handkerchiefs, socks and associated tee-shirts had told him there was nothing to worry about and just to be prepared for a wild ride.
RSH loved it, he was tossed and turned and turned and tossed and covered in soap suds and washed until he was no longer stiff and he even had a wonderful smell. It was a hint of lavender he was told by a sports sock.
RSH was then hung outside on a clothes line, in the fresh air. As he fluttered in the breeze he could see a large garden spread out in front of him from his vantage point high on the clothes line. As he swung he looked at some of the other handkerchiefs on the line with him. They no longer seemed as happy as before, but RSH had a good feeling that the future was bright.
A freshly laundered RSH was placed in a nice wooden drawer with his fellow handkerchiefs. He was excited at the prospect of what wonderful things he would see. He asked the other handkerchiefs what was it like out there in the wide world, but they all seemed unnaturally quiet. The majority of them had shuffled to the back of the drawer, whereas RSH stood proudly at the front.
Soon enough the drawer was slid open and RSH was plucked from the drawer. For a brief moment he was in mid-air but all of a sudden he was plunged into darkness as he was stuffed into a trouser pocket. Dazed and confused RSH was just coming to terms with his dark surroundings when he was dragged back out into the open air.
This is better thought RSH until his positive thoughts were destroyed when he was pushed up against a giant nose and eerhw it was disgusting. He was covered in stuff, horrible icky stuff. RSH was pushed back into the pocket. He was in a state of shock. He couldn’t believe what had just happened to him. It happened another three times that day before he was thrown into a washing basket with other items of clothing.
RSH was devastated. He couldn’t bear to touch himself as the vile deposits became all crusty. The only thing on his mind was escape. Well he did want to get clean first. So the only two things on his mind were first to get a good wash and then escape.
And as he was hung out to dry again RSH took his chance. He wiggled and wiggled until he was free of one of the clothes pegs, and then as he swung himself backwards and forwards he pulled himself clear of the second peg and started to float down to the ground. Suddenly a gust of wind came from nowhere and picked up RSH and sent him soaring higher and higher until the garden was way below him. He was free.
He had no idea where he was going, but he didn’t care as another gust of wind picked him up and pushed him on his way. Suddenly the wind died and he started to fall. However as he was a handkerchief he didn’t really fall, he floated.
Then he felt as if two more clothes pegs had gripped him only to discover he had been grabbed by a bird.
The bird held RSH tightly in its claws until he was dropped into its nest. It used its beak to push RSH down into the twigs and then when satisfied the brightly coloured piece of cloth was secure, it flew off.
RSH pulled himself free of the small pieces of wood and peered over the side of the nest. He was such a long way up and there were a large number of twisted spikey branches all around him. It would be easy for him to get snagged on one of these branches and tear a hole in himself. He flopped back into the nest and started to think of another way to escape.
But there was no alternative so the only way was the dangerous way. He would have to climb down. He was about to leave the nest when he heard a cracking noise. There in the corner were two eggs and the babies were hatching. Out from each egg emerged a small bedraggled chick. The two youngsters were shivering without their mother to keep them warm. RSH knew there was no other choice, he snuggled up to the chicks, wrapping himself around the two of them to keep them warm. The mother bird soon returned to her nest and was so grateful that RSH had help protect her children that she agreed to his request to be helped down from the tree top.
Now safely on the ground RSH looked at the landscape in front of him and took the first stride to his new life. Then as quick as a flash he was picked up by a monster. RSH could feel sharp teeth against his cotton fabric and he was being soaked by the drool which was flooding out of the monsters mouth. RSH tried to struggle free but it was no good he was stuck fast in the jaws of this beast.
Suddenly he felt something else tug at him. The creature held firmly onto RSH. Still something pulled on RSH, if this continued he would rip for sure. RSH noticed the beast had a loose tooth, he pulled at it with all his might and the sudden shot of pain made the dog (for that’s what it was), released him and he fell to the ground again, battered and bruised and damp with dog dribble. RSH was in a terrible state, though he had not been hurt by his ordeal he was exhausted and was struggling to stay awake.
“Where did you get this old rag from” said a voice from high up.
“It’s not a rag” said another voice, “it’s a handkerchief, and what’s more it’s a red spotted handkerchief. It’s just what I’ve been looking for.”
“Errgh you can’t be seriously thinking about taking it home” said the first voice.
“I certainly am”
RSH finally fainted as he was pushed inside a plastic bag.
The next thing he knew he was inside a washing machine on the first step of being laundered again.
When he was dried and folded into a precise square shape he was handed over to a small boy named Billy.
“Thanks mam for making him all clean so I can use it.”
“Use!” RSH felt a shiver run across him. If he had to go through all that nose pressing and rubbing again he would have to plan a new escape from this latest horror.
“What are you going to use it for?” asked Mam.
“Well,” said Billy, “I thought it could be a pirates headscarf, or a parachute for my solider or I could use it in a magic act or as a cape for my super hero. It will be what ever adventure I am having that day”.
“Adventure,” RSH couldn’t believe what he had heard “Adventure”. His dreams were finally coming true.
Sure enough over the next days and weeks and months he took part in many action filled moments, helping Billy in his adventures.
And never again did anyone blow their nose on him.
Copyright Pete Donald 2012
http://www.feedbooks.com/userbook/27102/the-adventures-of-a-red-spotted-handkerchief to download
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