Bedtime Stories with R.A. Spratt

Friday Barnes and the River Challenge

July 28, 2021 R.A. Spratt Season 1 Episode 75
Bedtime Stories with R.A. Spratt
Friday Barnes and the River Challenge
Show Notes Transcript

This is chapter 12 from 'Friday Barnes 6, Danger Ahead' the book that takes place when Friday and her classmates go away to wilderness camp. In this chapter, they are set the challenge of retrieving supplies from the far side of a river. Friday hopes brains will count for more than brawn and finally their team will have a chance of winning.

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Speaker 1:

Hello, and welcome to bedtime stories with me, RA Spratt. Well, today we've got a Friday bond story from the sixth book in the series, Friday bonds, danger ahead. And I'm going to be reading chapter 12, the river challenge. And for those of you who haven't read this book yet, uh, the sixth book is all about when Friday

Speaker 2:

And her year group or her grade,

Speaker 1:

They all go off to camp. So, um, Fridays are grouped with, uh, the least athletic kids and they're staying in the houseboat and they're competing against kids from the other combination, like the tree house and the whole, uh, for supplies and whatnot. Anyway, you'll pick it up as we go along. Let's start. Here we go. Between the walking, the tedious lessons and the endless chores camp courage was proving to be exhausting. One of the least pleasant things about it was the way the students were woken up every morning. Ride of the Valkyries were still blast in his Friday, Melanie and the rest of the houseboat team made their way up to the mess hall. Is it me? Or are they waking us up even earlier than usual? Ask Melanie Friday's best friend it's early. I said Friday,

Speaker 3:

Really? How can you be so sure

Speaker 1:

As Melanie it's still docks at Friday, Melanie looked up at the black sky. Good

Speaker 3:

Heavens you're right. These people are even

Speaker 1:

More dementedly cruel than I realized. As they arrived at the dining hall, the girls could see that it was a crowd gathered outside. That's odd said Friday. Usually people went straight in and began eating what's happening Friday. I was the first person she came to at the back of the crowd, but that first person was Mirabelle. Mirabella Peterson, Friday didn't recognize her immediately. She had never seen Mirabella Peterson not wearing false eyelashes before Marabella looked Friday up and down then turned away with a sniff of disdain. Friday rolled her eyes. It was too early in the morning for petty social politics. She pushed away through the crowd so she could see for herself, there was a sign on the mess hall door saying closed. Do you think they've decided to save money on food by starving us all to death asked Melanie, I doubt it said Friday. It would be a false economy. They'd have to pay out all the lawsuits to the annoyed parents. Good morning. Maggots camp counselor Geraldine was standing at the back of the group, addressing them hungry. Are you asked Geraldine from the gleeful Glint in her eye? The students could tell that something deeply unpleasant was about to be laid out. Well, I know you're all such Tuffy, fancy ladies and gents. So today I decided to give you a little surprise today. We're going to be serving breakfast down by the river. Oh, that sounds nice. Said Melanie, it's not going to be nice set Friday. There's going to be a catch. The only thing is said Geraldine. The is all on the far side of the river. Everyone grows Geraldine smirked, and there are four huts, but only three packages of food on hot. We'll miss out the tree house members sniggered and looked across at the ragtag group of house boaters who gets the food will be decided by who grabs it. First said Geraldine. I think I'm going to cry. Sit Melanie to cross the river. The only supplies you can use are said Geraldine. Now she positively grinned your rubbish from last year. Okay? That's just a weird idea. Said Friday, plus anything you can find in the forest at a Geraldine. All the students stared at her and appalled silence.

Speaker 3:

Well, what are you standing around for? Your

Speaker 1:

Rubbish is waiting for you down on the riverbank go. The students took off sprinting. Even the house boaters who secretly suspected that any attempt would be up because they were predestined to lose. Come on, said Friday, taking Melanie by the hand and pulling her along. This is going to take brains as well as brawn we're in with a chance. There were four large stacks of rubbish sitting on the riverbank. The houseboat has had the smallest stack, but it's still amounted to about eight bags of garbage. What should we do as Patel empty out the bags and we'll see what we've got separately. Everyone grabbed a bag and started emptying. It was mainly just food wrappers and crumbled packaging. Melanie's bag had a lot of scrunched up paper. What is this? Ask Melanie that's mindset. Susan snatching a handle of the paper away from her, but she dropped a piece near Friday's feet. Right? I could clearly say the woods. DM mum and dad, please come and rescue me as well as the marks. She could sweat with tear stains. There's nothing terribly useful here said hobby. What a shame. None of us threw away. An inflatable motorboat last week said, Melanie, you can use something from the forest said, Patel, should we start finding branches to make a canoe? We could use the plastic bags as twine to tie the branches together said why? Just then they were interrupted by yelling further up the riverbank. That's just stupid. You'll treat your stupid. The video, Jessica, everyone turned to watch the Treehouse team fighting with each other. They were usually playing it too cool to raise their voices. There's whole campus, stupid yelled. Brandon, would you just shut up yelled, Ian, at least they're not doing much better. Said Patel. The houseboat is watched as in, turned away from his group and stopped down to the river. What's he doing as Melanie? When Ian got to the river bank, he didn't stop. He dived in is he drowning himself? Asked Melanie. It's not like Ian to give up so easily and resurfaced, several meters into the flowing water, cutting through the current with powerful strokes. He's not building anything except Friday. He's just going to swim over and get the supplies.

Speaker 3:

But surely the currents too strong said why?

Speaker 1:

Ye as he approached the middle of the river, the current did begin to get in trouble. He was being pushed further and further downstream set Friday. If you don't want to be hungry for the rest of the day, gather up all the garbage bags and start tying them together. Why else? Melanie, we're going to make a rope said Friday, the houseboat is set to work, grabbing garbage bags and tying them end to end. Suddenly there was a loud cheer. They looked up to see that Ian had made it to the other side, although he was a good 200 meters down stream. Thanks to the current. Oh, he's one said Patel, that doesn't matter said Friday. We only have to beat one of the other two teams. The tent team, we're building a raft out of sticks and tying inflated garbage bags to the underside for flotation. The whole team were building a canoe. They'd found an old log when using tin cans to scrape the rotten wood out of the middle. Meanwhile, Ian had run up to his team supplies and began dragging them towards the river. It was a packaged up cube of boxes. Keep working urge Friday. The houseboat is now had nearly 20 meters of rope on the far bank in gave the supplies, a big shove and they tipped over the edge into the water, his team cheered, but then the supplies sank quickly disappearing from view. The tree house team started yelling outraged abuse at him,

Speaker 3:

Exclaimed TRIA, get up food back up, scream,

Speaker 1:

Jessica and leaped into the water, which was surprisingly deep, close to the bank and began duck diving down to try and find the food. What sort of food sinks asked Melanie? It must be canned. So said Friday. There's no air and a can of food. Nothing to give it buoyancy. It's just a tin full of liquids and solids. There's

Speaker 3:

No reason why it would float. It's like a box full of rocks.

Speaker 1:

We've got 25 meters of rope said way. I don't think there's anything else here that we could use. Good set. Right now. Gather up all the big

Speaker 3:

Two-liter juice bottles. What are you planning to use them for

Speaker 1:

Us? Susan, I'm going to shove them up inside my cardigan to make a buoyancy jacket said Friday, Jamie bottles up her cardigan. As she spoke, the other started helping her. And she soon looked like the Michelin man, a fuzzy brown version of the Michelin band. But the Michelin man, nonetheless, there was a loud splash behind them. The whole team had launched their canoe. They all cheered to have their team got in with makeshift paddles and they were given a push off from the bank. Oh dear said Friday. What said Melanie? I hope they can swim set Friday. Why asked Harvey? Watch said Friday, the canoe is took a couple of strokes out into the river. Then they reached the full flow of the current. The water hit the side of the canoe and rolled it over. Throwing both students into the river. The canoe then rolled over on top of them and went downstream. I don't want to fall in the river said why my swimming is not that good. I'd rather go hungry for a day. Give me the rope said Friday, I've got this. She grabbed the rope and ran up the bank. What's she doing as Patel? I'd say she was running away, said Melanie. But I think she take the 30 drink bottles out from under a cardigan. And she was going to do that. The bank rose up several meters above the water and she's having to run up hill set Susan poor Friday. Once she got to the top, they could see Friday, jump up and start climbing a tree. She's gotten better at tree climbing. Since she came to high crest, observe Melanie, it just goes to show even clever. People can still learn something by going to school. Now, Friday was edging her way out, along a branch. If she dies, do you think they'll cancel the competition and let us all eat as Patel? Hopefully I should think so said Melanie, because we'll all have to go down to the police station to fill out statements. Friday had climbed down and was backing away from the river. Further up the bank. There was another splash. The tent team had launched their raft. It seemed a lot more stable than the canoe. And it was a large they'll easily be able to bring their food back in. That said way downstream. The whole team had all jumped in the water and were swimming there. Log across the river. They might not be able to ride in that canoe sit Melanie, but they'll be able to use it to bring the food back. What's right. I doing asked Harvey. They all looked up to see Friday's stand still for a moment and then run at full speed, which looked very silly with the bottle stuffed up to cardigan towards the river. She's lost her mind worried Melanie Friday, let's straight off the bank of the water. She's going to die scream Susan. But Friday I had a firm grasp of the end of the rope. She swung out over the water. Well past the middle of the current before letting go and plopping down just a few meters from the far bank, the houseboat has erupted in screams of joy.

Speaker 3:

Can't believe it cried Harvey. She actually knew what she was doing. Yelled Waihee

Speaker 1:

Grabbing patella and a big hug. Friday was not a good swimmer, but with 30 plastic bottles inserted in her clothes, there was no way she could sink. She awkwardly peddled over to the bank. Quick said, Melanie, let's get the rope. Then we can throw it across to help pull it back. The house by 10 started scrambling up the hill Friday made it to the nearest pile of supplies, took hold and started to pull it over to the bank. She then took the empty bottles out from under her cardigan and began hooking them onto the plastic strapping around the box and was still a duck diving into the water, trying to find his sunken food. He looked over and saw what Friday was doing. You think you're so clever? Don't you said Ian Friday, just fastened the last bottle to the packaging. I honestly hadn't given it any thought. She said every standardized examination I've ever taken certainly supports that conclusion. But there is a theory that human intelligence can be broken up into seven different types. And I'm well aware that I am a blithering idiot at emotional intelligence inside and slumped on the bank, surrounded by his water log supplies. You know, sometimes you're so pedantic that you go beyond being annoying and I can almost feel sympathy for you Friday nodded. That's probably the oxygen starvation talking because you've had to duck dive down under the water so many times when you've caught your breath, I'm sure I'll start irritating you again. She started one button, the fly on her jeans. Hey, what are you doing? Yelled and leaping up and turning away. So he wouldn't be subjected to any unexpected nudity I've got Andy's onset. No one wants to see your legs said, Ian, I'm still wearing my cardigan. And t-shirts said, Friday, get over yourself. You'd say more of us, Emma swimmers. But why are you taking your trousers off fast? And it's a survival skill set. Friday. I read up on them before we came away to camp. If you need to make a buoyancy vest, you just take off your trousers, tie the ankles together, get them wet. Then fill them up with air and hold them around your neck. She waded into the river. I'm not very good at swimming. Friday explained as she grabbed hold of her supplies and pull them towards her. The supplies bogged down in the water. But with the bottles attached all around the outside, the package floated like an iceberg with 10% above the water. Friday yelled Melanie from the far side of the river, grab, hold patella, the rope around his head with his good arm. He'd tied a rock to the end to give it momentum. Then he let go. It hurtled through the air. Watch out criterion for what us Friday, as she turned to glance at Ian the rock with a rope attached to it, hit Friday on the side of the head and winced Friday. Totted on her feet for a moment, then passed out, face down in the water and leptin and grabbed her, pulling her onto her back. She flooded easily in that position because of the buoyancy vest inside the number of times I've had to rescue you. He grabbed the one 10 of sardines. He'd managed to save from his own supplies. Put it on top of Friday's brick, tied the road to it. Then took hold of Friday and waited out into the river. The houseboat has started pulling him in the package back across as they drew in the rope, hand over hand. The cool water soon made Friday regain consciousness. Oh, what's happening? She asked I'm saving you again, said Ian. Okay. So Friday, but you won the supply challenge that Ian, all I managed to retrieve as a can of sardines, nevermind said Friday, the girls in your heart, keen on slimming anyway and laughed. The next thing Friday knew there were five pairs of hands grabbing hold of her and the supplies as the houseboat is weighted in and help them from the water. Are you all right? As Melanie? I think so said Friday, rubbing her head. It was nice at the end to hug you. As you swam back with him said, Melanie, I wasn't hugging her, said Ian, I was rescuing her by swimming. Sidestroke said, Melanie, you say potato. I say, it looked like a nice hug. The tree house team loses, announced Geraldine glaring. Scornfully at her favorite team. The tent team and the whole team were working together to bring back the one remaining block of supplies in the canoe. The third block of supplies was still at the bottom of the river. No doubt. Well on its way downstream towards the ocean, the tent in the whole people can share their supplies. The Geraldine, the tree house team will spend a whole day going without

Speaker 4:

It's all your fault. Wayne Scott

Speaker 1:

Said, Jessica busily, we should throw him out for fraternizing. With the enemy said, Mirabella, hang about Cedric. Wayne. Scott is our best athlete. You don't want to cut your nose off to spite your face Mirabella gassed in horror. Oh, I told you I'd had plastic surgery. What? Our strike terrified or the reaction he'd caused. It's just an expression, you know, off to dare you yelled Mirabella. She launched herself at Drake trying to slap him, but he died into the river to get away.

Speaker 3:

Come back here. You coward. Stop called Friday. There's no

Speaker 1:

Need to be angry with Drake or Wayne Scott. I mean, Ian there on first name basis said, Melanie, you won't go hungry, said Friday. We'll share our supplies with you. We will ask Patel, but they're always so mean to ask protested why? Ye I know said Friday, but if I drowned on the other bank, we wouldn't be getting anything to eat either. We wouldn't have got any supplies without Ian's help. That sounds fair enough said Harvey. There are only six of us said Melanie. So there would be extra to share. It's a deal then said Friday. Thank you said Ian, but don't think this means that we're going to, like you bond said TRIA. I would be horrified if you did set Friday. And that's the end of the story. Thank you for listening to support this podcast just by a book by me, RA SPRAT. There's 24 titles to choose from from across the Friday barns, nanny Piggins and pesky kids series, as well as shockingly good stories. The book based on this podcast, you can order any of them through your local bookstore or go to my website, RA sprat.com and click on the book. Depository banner. They have all my titles and free international shipping. That's a for now until next time. Goodbye.