Fred, a curious boy, goes to the jetty and meets a talking snail who tells him about the ancient Viking stone. With the help of various forest animals like frogs, snakes, hawks and foxes, Fred follows a series of clues to locate the old stone bridge and ultimately discovers the Viking stone covered in moss in the woods. The writing on the stone says "Here lies a very nice place indeed!", which Fred agrees with as he returns home happily with his new animal friends.

2. One sunny Spring morning, Fred a curious little
boy went down to the side of the jetty to throw
some stones in the water.
As he was looking for his third stone to throw,
he saw a large snail looking up towards him
from beneath his curly shell.
The large snail spoke to Fred and said ‘They
tell me that large stone in the water is the
Viking stone! Can you lift it to see the writing
on it?’

3. Fred was surprised to hear the snail talk but
curious to see what the Viking stone was. So he
tried with all his strength to lift it. But it was
too big.
A frog watch e d from a n e arb y we e d an d
croaked ‘ My friends and I can help you lift
that stone, but we also need the help of the big
pike fish’
So together five frogs, the big pike fish and
Fred managed to rollover the stone.

4. Fred walked along the path from the jetty and
came across two snakes relaxing in the morning
sunshine.
‘Have you seen the Viking stone?’ said Fred.
They slowly looked over towards him and hissed
‘They say it is buried deep in the ground a long
long time ago’
Then in a flash, they quickly zig zagged into the
bushes and they were gone.
After the mud had settled in the water, the
snail calmly said ‘No that’s not the Viking
stone, there is no writing on it. I wonder
where it is?’
Fred also wondered and was sure he could
find it!

5. Looking for the old bridge Fred wandered by
the side of the water. Came across a nervous
looking mouse scurrying around and jumping
up and down by the base of a tree. ‘Have you
seen an old bridge? Said Fred. The mouse
stopped and looked around quickly with her
eyes from side to side, then answered
As Fred continued walking by the edge of the ‘Hmmm, bridge, do not remember seeing any.
water he looked up in the sky. Where he saw an You can follow me and meet the Fox, he is
Osprey hawk bird hovering above. very clever and might know about this.’
Fred quickly asked ‘Excuse me. Have you ever
seen the Viking stone?’
The osprey hawk stared at Fred and said
quickly ‘ Find the old bridge and follow the
path’ With that the big bird glided off into the
distance looking for a snack.

6. At the base of the old bridge Fred remem-
bered what the Osprey hawk had said to him
After a while walking to the edge of the woods about following the path from the bridge. He
the mouse introduced Fred to the fox who did looked and looked but could not find a path
know where the old bridge was. His home was from the bridge.
above it! He lived there with his two fox cubs
and their mum. ‘You are lucky you can see the
bridge at this time of year because the water
is low and a lot of it is in the mud. I believe it
is a very old bridge and was probably broken
many many years ago for there are only the
parts left in the mud by the water. But it
made a great little home. Follow me and I’ll
show you.’ Said the fox.

7. Fred walked directly up form the where the Fred followed the old path which was over-
old bridge used to be and came across a deer grown with ivy, bushes and moss. The deer
by some small trees. followed and helped him walk along.
‘Can you see the path from the old bridge? ‘Oww a sharpie bush, is this the right path I
‘Asked Fred. ‘Of course big deers know all the don’t know, maybe we should go back? Hold
paths in the woods. But I don’t I am only two, on what is that?’ Said Fred.
but maybe we can find it’ Said the deer.

8. Fred and the deer looked ahead and as they
came to the edge of the hill in the woods he
saw many trees and a large stone standing
up straight with the sunlight breaking
around it.
The stone was covered with moss. Fred
pulled off the moss and saw the writing,
which had been written into the stone many
years ago. ‘The Viking Stone! What do the
words mean I wonder?’ Said Fred.

9. ‘Is it?!’ ‘My granddad often tells me of this Fred looked over his shoulder and smiled as
old stone. He say’s it has been here many he saw lazy snail being carried by frog and
many years and the he says the writing all his new found friends smiling at him and
means – hmmm I forgot! said the deer the Viking Stone, pike fish, snake, osprey
‘Now I remember! Granddad says the writing hawk bird, mouse, fox and deer.
means ‘Here lies a very nice place indeed!’

10. Happy that he had found the Viking Stone,
Fred walked back through the woods followed
by his friends to his home and he had to
agree with the writing on the stone. It was a
very nice place here, indeed!

11. Contact richard@prjx.com
to receive further adventures or if you
know of any publishers - brands that
might be interested in developing an
iPad app or more stories.
Thanks for reading.
Copyright 2011.