Story Hour
Walk in the Park
Written by Gene B. Williams
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It’s March, and you know what that means.
Mostly it means that it is almost April, and soon it will be Easter, and before you know it, it will be summer. Nicker doesn’t mind the cold, but will be one of the first to tell you that swimming in warm water sure is nicer than … well, swimming in the ice the way he did when he helped to rescue Santa. (Do you remember that story?)
It also means that someone we all know and love – someone full of fun – is also getting ready for the warmer weather.
“Look who’s here,” Emily said. “It’s CAPTAIN KAZOO!”
“Brzz de la brrrrzzz de BRRRZZZZZ,” hummed the Captain.
“Brrzzzz brrzaa d brrzzzzz,” said Repeet the Robot Parrot.
Captain Kazoo said the same thing I said. It’s March, and you know what that means.” Then he said something I didn’t say. It was something you already know if you have your Nicker calendar page for March (and don’t forget to get your Nicker calendar page for April). “It’s time for National Walk in the Park Day! It’s March!”
Well, it was, and so they did, and maybe you will, too?
Off they all went to the park. Captain Kazoo was in the lead, with his very special, hand-painted, Nickazoo kazoo. Close behind were Danny and Nicker and Carsten and Tess and Dylan and Ashley and Destiny and Anya Leah and Erin Alana and Kira and Neska and Gus and Mabel and Gordie and … well, maybe you were there, too? It was hard to tell. The parade just kept growing bigger and bigger.
If you weren’t there, I bet you can image it. I bet … if you weren’t there, you wish you had been.
Now that I think about it … if you weren’t there, I bet you can have your own “Walk in the Park Day” parade.
Kids and parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and neighbors and …. Feet and bikes and trikes and wagons and skateboards and …. Squirrels and rabbits and cats and dogs and … maybe even some horses and camels and elephants and robins and wrens and chickadees and … a few caterpillars and maybe some dragonflies and … well, of course a giant tortoise named Gordie was there, doing his best to keep up.
Oh, and don’t forget the sea dragons. Nicker and Emily and Simon and Glicker and Arful and …. The grown-ups probably won’t see them, but you will – if you look. And Captain Kazoo will – because he DOES look.
Then there is lunch. What would you like? Hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, chips, soda, ice cream, cotton candy, popcorn, bbq chicken, apple pie, acorns, sea weed, cat food, an old sock …. Mmmm, YUMMY!
Captain Kazoo hummed his favorite songs. The parade behind joined it. (So did a few friendly bees, each bzzzzzzing along with the parade.) People watched the parade from the park benches, and from blankets spread on the grass. Captain Kazoo smiled big and shouted, “It’s National Walk in the Park Day! It’s March so … Let’s MARCH!”
“Bzzzz bzz d bzzzz bzzzzzz,” hummed Captain Kazoo.
“Bzzzzzz d bzzzz bzz,” repeated Repeet.
“BZZZZZZ BZZZ d BZZZZZ,” hummed everyone else.
Kids and kritters of all kinds. Snakes, snails, and puppy dog tails, then some sugar and spice and other things nice.
“Bzzz d bzzzz,”
Swans and gulls and ducks and geese and even some Michiganders.
“Bzz bzzzzzz d bzzzzzzz bzzz.”
The parade grew and grew until Captain Kazoo came over the bridge that ran across a creek where he’d come into the park. And there he saw … well, he saw the end of the parade. And now Captain Kazoo was at the end of the parade. But he was the front of the parade. And the last in the parade was now right in front of the first in the parade, so the first in the parade was the last in the parade.
Two sisters, named April and June, watched. Captain Kazoo said, “It’s March, April. May June?” April smiled said that June May, so April marched.
And off the parade went again. They marched into April and MAY march into June because it’s such a long parade, especially since April and June also began to march, along with all their friends.
“Remember, everyone,” said Captain Kazoo. (C’mon, all of you. You know this, so say it along with the rest of us.)
“KEEP ON HUMMIN’!”
What No Kazoo?
Just click here If you don’t already have your own kazoo – and haven’t been lucky enough to meet Captain Kazoo in person (mention Nicker and he’ll give you a kazoo for free!) – you and all your friends can make your own. It’s fun, and it’s easy! And then you can be a Nickazoo, too!
By the way, here’s something very special. Marci, the artist for Nicker, had a great idea. Captain Kazoo is now a Friend of Nicker, is one of the few adults able to see a sea dragon, and lead the Walk in the Park Parade. So, she painted a kazoo for him to lead that parade. Here it is.
Hmmm. When you make your own kazoo … wouldn’t be fun to draw Captain Kazoo or Nicker or Danny on there? Or maybe Repeet? Or … anything you like.
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