Old Jungle Tales

For as far back as I can recall, I have loved stories. I was so anxious to start reading that, when my mom said I was too young to learn to read at the age of four, my older sister started “playing school” with me and teaching my how to read the curious black strokes found in books. When I surprised my mom a few months later by picking up one of those old reading primers and loudly reciting the words from off its pages, she was finally convinced to continue my literary education. Since that time I will ravenously devour in record time any book that I find to be interesting.

Growing up, one of my favorite stories, were the old classics by “Dr. Rabbit” better known as Eric B. Hare. I loved to listen to my mothers voice as she read the exciting tales of jungle tooth extractions, men who were bored by elephants requiring emergency reassembly of intestines and other organs, and many other breath-taking tales that inspired my young mind. I remember the oft repeated phrase “Please! Just one more chapter!” and how that “one more chapter” often times turned into two or three. Looking back, I think that these stories were probably one of the first things to inspire me to want to do medical work in the jungle one day.

So here I am, living my long ago dream of jungle work, and the stories of my childhood have surfaced again. One day as I was browsing the small selection of books that makes up our school library, I chanced upon a such a prized treasure. A book entitled “Treasure from the Haunted Pagoda” by “Dr. Rabbit.” Delighted by my discovery I then hatched a brilliant idea to have a 15-20 minute story time each night with my girls to read to them some of the stories that I fell in love with so many years ago.

The first night, after reading chapter one, I too heard the familiar cry “Please! Just one more chapter!” and I smiled to myself recalling my own story times so long ago. As I read through these familiar stories, I find it hard to believe that now, more than 10 years later I am living the experiences that I dreamed of so long ago.