Marytale
Lina and the Cave in the Pines
- 8-10 min read
- 18 pages
- 6+
Lina the little sheep loves to wander off to new meadows, sniffing strange flowers and watching the dew sparkle. When a big storm rolls in, she finds a dry cave among the pine trees. Then the hillside slides down over the path home, and Lina races back so she and Bruno the old sheepdog can lead the whole flock to safety.
In a green valley between tall hills and bright meadows, there lived a big flock of soft, fluffy sheep.
Every morning, the sheep walked in a line down the same path to the meadow. They drank from the same stream. And when the little bell jingled, they all trotted home to the barn.
Every sheep but Lina. Lina always wandered off the path. She skipped over to new meadows. She stopped to sniff flowers she had never seen before. She watched the morning sun make the dewdrops twinkle in the grass.
Lina often fell behind. Sometimes nobody could see her at all. But she always came back—a little messy, a little tired, with bright, shining eyes.
Marta was the oldest sheep. She always walked first and made sure nobody fell behind. “Why are you always wandering off by yourself?” Marta grumbled. “I like to see what’s past the path,” Lina said calmly. The other sheep whispered and giggled. “There goes Lina again!”
Lina didn’t mind the whispers. While the flock walked on down the path, she stood still and gazed far away. Past that hill were so many meadows she had never seen!
One day, heavy clouds rolled over the valley. The sky grew dark, fast. A strong wind tossed the grass and ruffled everyone’s wool. Old Bruno the sheepdog sniffed the air. A storm was coming.
“Woof! Woof!” barked Bruno, loud and sharp. Every sheep knew what that meant: Home to the barn! The flock hurried down the path, all bunched together. But Lina stood still. The wind tugged at her wool. Far ahead, over the path, the sky was the darkest of all. Lina’s legs felt wobbly. She was scared to run into all that dark.
Lina turned toward the pine trees. Between the trunks, under a big rock ledge, she spotted a cave. She stepped inside. It was dry and quiet in there, even with thunder rumbling outside. Lina’s heart slowed down. What a good, safe place!
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