The Adventures of Polly and Zack Read online

THE LUCKY PENNY FOUNDATION

  491 S. Kalispell Way, Suite 106

  Aurora, Colorado 80017

  EIN 84-143-8403

  The Lucky Penny Foundation is proud to sponsor:

  The Adventures of Polly and Zack

  The “Adventures of Polly and Zack” is a unique children’s story that describes a faraway island that holds a great alligator kingdom. The main characters, Zack and Polly, help to abolish an ancient rule and bring peace to all alligators on the island.

  The story begins with Zack exploring a part of the island he has been told is off limits. He learns there is a segregated part of the island for green alligators that once fell out of favor with the king. In attempting to free them, he is caught and exiled. While in exile, he meets Polly, a girl he befriends. But Zack is homesick and, despite the risk, decides to travel home.

  This unique and fun adventurous tale is enhanced by the animated characters and a moral message regarding the acceptance of all types of “people.”

  By reading this unique children’s story, you automatically provide funding to this worthwhile cause, namely, helping children of all walks of life.

  Sincerely,

  Natalie Lauren

  Author

  PREFACE

  Hello Dear Children.

  This is not your average charity. This foundation belongs to all children all over the world.

  Simply collect lucky pennies you find and then donate them to your favorite charity in your hometown (a children’s charity would be befitting). Each penny sent will carry your good wishes and kind thoughts, which will multiply like the branches on a tree. A branch will carry the fruit and each fruit may have millions of seeds.

  Do not allow fear to overcome hope. May each penny be like a good thought overcoming fear.

  May love shine on you.

  May you find a lucky penny.

  May you have a lovely thought.

  May you have a wonderful day.

  Yours,

  Natalie Lauren

  Author of The Adventures of Polly and Zack

  https://community.webtv.net/MargotinDenver/PollyandZack

  The Adventures of Polly and Zack

  Far, far away there was an alligator kingdom located on an island in the middle of the sea. A young boy alligator named Zackary lived there with his father who was a guardsman for the Alligator King. Zackary was very happy living there with his dad and he was respected because of his father’s position as a guardsman for the king.

  Like most alligator boys—even though he was told not to go beyond the mountain ridge that divided the island—curiosity got the best of Zackary and he decided to explore the island. He climbed the mountain for more than half of the day. He was young and strong, and his curiosity kept him from getting tired. He finally reached the mountain top where he sat on a rock and enjoyed the view. He could see all over the island. It was now high noon and the sun was beaming down on him. He was very thirsty. He did not bring any water with him. He realized he had come much farther than he anticipated, and much farther than he was allowed to travel alone. His eyes searched the valley for water. Perhaps he would see a river or lake. Far in the distance he could see a pond glittering in the sunshine. In anticipation of the cool water of the pond in which he would play, swim, splash and quench his thirst, he joyfully went slipping and sliding down the mountain side.

  Once down the mountain, Zachary ran and hop scotched toward the water. (Being an alligator boy, he could smell water for a long distance). As he reached the pond, he realized it was everything he had hoped it would be. The water was cool and thirst quenching. Zackary was diving in and out of the water. He was splashing, twirling and jumping, hopping and snapping. He was so pleased, he wiggled with delight.

  Before Zachary realized it, it was dusk. Feeling very tired, he looked around for a comfortable spot to rest. Happily exhausted, he laid down on a soft bed of leaves behind some bushes where he fell asleep until he was awakened by some strange mumbling and rumbling. It was dark now and he could see only shadows in the moonlight. He rubbed his eyes. He finally recognized the figures in the dark—they were alligators who were being led by alligator guards toward the water.

  Something is not right here, he thought. Is it because there’s no talking, laughter or playful interaction as they move toward the water? In fact, there was sadness in the air. Zack decided to come out from behind the bushes to investigate further. Coming nearer to the group, the guardsmen recognized Zack and called to him not to get any closer and, in fact, to turn around and go home immediately. The more the guardsmen shouted at him, the faster Zackary ran toward them.

  Innocent like a young boy, he stood there looking up at the guardsmen and, at that moment, the moon came out from behind the clouds and shed bight light on the pond and surrounding area. All of a sudden Zackary realized what was different about all of these alligators: they were GREEN! His mouth dropped open because he had never seen a green alligator. Zack was a golden brown alligator and so were all the other alligators at home on his side of the island. Some were light brown and some were dark brown. Never had he seen a green alligator.

  “Cool!” he said and started to walk toward the group of green alligators. “What is your name?” he inquired of the first one he reached. The green alligator looked sadly at Zackary and whispered, “I am not allowed to talk to you.” “But why?” asked Zack. At that moment, Zack felt a tug on his shoulders. It was the guardsman and he looked at Zack with stern eyes. He spoke in a deep, commanding voice. “We will phone your father. Let him take care of you. You disobeyed the rules!” No more was said. Zackary was placed in a shed where he waited for his father to arrive.

  Zackary’s father came to get him that same night. On the way home, Zack broke the silence between them when he asked “Why can’t I play with these green alligators?” “Because,” his Dad responded. “Why are they not on our side of the island?” Again his father’s response: “Because.” Zack continued to question his father. “Why have I never seen a green alligator?” After a brief pause his father looked at him and spoke in a serious voice, “Every alligator is born with the same color. Some turn green when they approach young adulthood. If that happens, they then have to live on the other side of the island. A long time ago there was a king who did not like the green alligators so he banned every one that turned green and made them move to the other side. They are as free as we are. The guards are there to make sure they don’t trespass to our side of the island. This is the ‘law’.” “But, dad,” Zack questioned, “didn’t God make grass green?” “Yes, son, he did.” “And dad, didn’t God make trees green?” “Yes, son, he did.” “And didn’t God make the ocean green?” “Yes, son, he did.” A great silence followed, after which Zack whispered to his father, “I like the color green, dad.”

  After his visit to the other side of the beautiful island, Zack was just not happy. He felt betrayed because he had not been told the truth. His island was not as perfect as he had once thought. It hurt when he thought about his fellow green alligators. He wanted to know them, but was not allowed to visit them. His heart was broken and his world was shattered.

  One day he was strolling along the ocean piers, watching the sailboats. He had always wanted to be a sailor. Why not become a sailor? What stopped him? Fibbing about his age, the captain allowed Zack to become a sailor boy. Zackary was happy again. He sailed all over the seven seas of the world. Life was good. He occasionally returned to his home island and visited his father and friends.

  “Look, lad,” the captain said one day as he approached Zack, “times have changed and we now carry passengers on this vessel. I want you to serve these passengers their me
als.” “Alright, captain,” replied Zack. “I would be happy to. But where are these passengers? I have not seen them.” “Deep in the bowels of this ship,” he answered. The captain added, “They do not want to be seen.” Zack climbed the stairs to the bottom of the ship. Whistling, his head swaying and tail tapping, he approached the door to where the secretive passengers were boarded. Opening the door, he stopped cold in his tracks. “What is this? Green alligators on this ship! That could only mean trouble,” he thought. But, a feeling of happiness then overcame him. “Why didn’t I think of this—helping the green alligators leave the unhappy side of the island? This is actually cool, man. Yea, cool.”

  Happily Zackary cared for the green alligators and he quickly befriended all of them. He made many more trips like that one. These journeys to free the green alligators took them to a huge island with many different colored alligators and all kinds of people, all of who lived in harmony.

  During one of his visits to his home island, his father, who was still a guardsman for the alligator