Mud Takes Two

It all began on a quiet autumn morning, with nothing to do but stare out into nothing. Two young kids were wanting some excitement so they went to their parents and asked them a question. They asked if it would be possible for them to go out on their ATVs since it had rained the previous night and the ground was a giant mud puddle just waiting to be enjoyed. Their parents didn't mind and gave them the okay, so with hearts full of anticipation for their newest adventure they set off on their vehicle of choice.

The pair started through the fields around the house, where deep ruts had formed from rainy weather before. Water up their feet was splashing all the while they traveled through, and soon both were muddy to the point no one could recognize their faces. Covered in mud and having the time of their lives, the pair decided to leave their familiar range and head out in search of grander lands to make their day complete. Upon leaving the range they had just made a mess of, their father came out to have a look at the damage. He gasped in horror at the fields he had been tending since now they looked as if the borders were comprised of intertwining snakes. Soon he was on his little ride and rushed out to find his trouble-making teens to give them the talking to of their lives.

Not long after leaving their home did the two young teens discover a road up into the hills. They had never gone up it before since their father told them it was a hiker's worst nightmare. Ignoring the danger and wanting to test their mettle, the two decided to take the chance to get messy and enjoy what the road ahead could offer. Spinning their wheels the two launched their assault on this road with a vengeance and climbed as fast as they could while dodging all sorts of potholes and boulders. After a few close calls with mud-sliding drifts and a face full of angry bees, one would think to turn tail and run but not these two. They quickly reached the top after a mind-boggling brush run and soon not only were they covered in mud, but leaves, bugs, and branches of all shapes and sizes.

Upon realizing just how much mud they each had put on, the troublesome duo decided to head back down to their favorite swimming hole to wash away their worries. Their father meanwhile had been trying to figure out just where his little mischief makers had run off to. Much to his surprise, he was not expecting two beings coming down the mountain at him looking less clean than a Sasquatch on a date in the middle of spring. With a closer inspection, he came to realize his two kids were underneath this muddy menagerie of nature. Hopping off his ride he brought them both to a stop and asked them just where they had been.

The two reported on their wild adventure, and soon they were having to avoid the look of their father whose face said that the fun was at its end. Once the angry yells and speeches of the teenager's father were over, the two asked if they could reflect in the river. Surprisingly he readily agreed and all of them, father included, to a much-needed dip in their favorite swimming hole. The mud quickly left them all and everyone looked forward to coming back home.

Upon reaching the home they loved so much, the two teenagers' father gave them one last talking two, and these were his words. "The reason I told you never to go up that road is that it's littered with stinging nettle, angry bees, and full of potholes. However, you were lucky you had all that mud with you. Otherwise, you would not be singing a joyous tune right now since you would be scratching for weeks till you looked like sun-burned zebras". After going inside, the two vowed never to go up there again, unless they had some of nature's hidden blessings after the rain.