Sampa's Journal

Note: Reader Rabbit is one of my favorite educational game franchises. For archival purposes, this is the entire text of Sampa's (Sam's grandpa) journal from the game Reader Rabbit Learn to Read with Phonics: 1st and 2nd Grade. © The Learning Company 2001-2018 (TLC is defunct now). Updated on Mon, Aug 29, 2022, to fix typos.

Chapter 1: The Tale Begins

This is the tale of a brave lion. The lion is about to make a trip to search for his grandson. This is not the first time he has made such a trip. He has been searching for his grandson for a long, long time.

The lion is not sure how long he will be gone. He packs quite a lot of water and food on his ship! He packs five crates of cakes and ten boxes of grapes. He packs sacks of apples and a pile of cheese.
At last the ship is ready. The lion is off!

"I hope I find that baby lion this time," he thinks. "But then, he is not a baby anymore. I have not seen him in nine years! He was just a cub when he got lost."
The old lion thinks back to the time when his grandson was a baby. They lived in Gunk then.

In those days, Gunk was a nice place to live. In fact, Gunk was a great home! Flowers grew in winter. In summer, apples fell from the trees. Best of all, there was enough space for everyone!
The lions who lived there were very happy.

The old lion and his grandson were very close. The cub always had a big smile for his grandpa. He had a cute face, and a little nose.
The old lion smiled as he thought of his fine cub.

Life was fun for the cub. Every day he woke up ready for something new. The cub would pull himself up on a gate while Grandpa cut a prize rose for a vase. While Grandpa worked on his maps, the cub would play under the lime trees. In those days, life was all fun.

Grandpa and the cub had a great life in Gunk. But good times do not last forever. Soon the old lion would have to make a trip. He would have to search for something.

Chapter 2: Change Comes to Gunk

The old lion spent many days on his ship. The ship rose and fell with the waves. The sea around him gleamed. He had lots of time to think about the old days in Gunk.

Gunk was such a fine place then. You could do just about anything. You could buy a kit and make a kite. You could romp or roam. You could play for a bit, get a bite of pie, and then play some more. (In Gunk, you could have pie any time you liked.)

Lions were not the only ones who lived in Gunk. Monkeys lived there, too. The monkeys and the lions got along with each other. No one made anyone mad. There was enough space for everyone.
Then change came to Gunk. It began with one small hat.

The hat was on the head of one small monkey. The monkey was not happy about the hat.
"I hate this hat!" she said. She took off the hat and threw it down. "I hope I never see it again!" With a hop and a skip, the little monkey ran off.

Soon, a big monkey came by with an old rug. He saw the hat. "This must be a junk pile!" he said. He threw the rug on top of the hat.

Then a monkey came by on a very little bike. He said, "I am too big to ride this old bike. I will put it on the junk pile!"
The junk pile began to grow.

Soon the junk pile was as high as a house.
"I need to get rid of this old pan and this glass pane," said a monkey. "But the junk pile is too high. What can I do?"
She began a new pile of junk. The new pile grew and grew.

More monkeys came to Gunk. They made more junk piles. The junk piles took up a lot of space.
The lions were not happy.
"There is too much junk in Gunk!" they said. "At this rate, we will have no room to roam!"

"We need a new home," said one lion. "We need a plane."
"We do not need a plane," said the old lion. "We need a plan. We also need a flying ship. And I have both of these things!"
So the old lion took a pot from the pile, put it on his head, and came up with a plan.

Chapter 3: Old Lion Leaves Gunk

Things were bad in Gunk. Monkeys had made piles of junk everywhere. One day the lions met next to a pile of old toasters.
"We clean up one junk pile, and another one takes its place!" one lion said.
She ducked as a flying toaster hit the pile with a thunk.

Then, the oldest lion in Gunk spoke up. "We need to leave Gunk," he said. "I will take a trip in my flying ship. I will find us a dream home."
The lion cub began to cry. The old lion gave his grandson a pat on the cheek. "Do not cry," he said. "Grandpa will come back soon."

"Well. What do you think of my plan?" the old lion asked.
The lions thought for a while. They knew that the old lion was very wise.
"It's a deal!" they said. "Find us a place to roam. But watch out for pirates!"

The old lion fixed the leaks in his ship. He made sure his boat could float and fly. Then he loaded up the ship. He packed dry meat, sweet peas, green tea, and sixteen cans of peaches. He also threw in his maps and some books to read.

At last, the day came for the old lion to leave. All the lions came to see him off.
"Speech! Speech!" they said.
"I will sail the seas and fly through the sky!" said the old lion. "I will find a place where lions can roam free!"
"Yay!" said the lions. "Good luck and goodbye!"

The old lion set sail. He went high into the sky. The ship made good speed. Soon Gunk was far below. After a while, it could not be seen at all.
The flying ship went on and on. Far below, the old lion saw the sea. Its foam looked like white cream.

Soon the ship was over land again. The lion saw oak trees and wide plains below. He also saw three railroad lines, five trains, and at least nine towns.
"That is a nice island," the lion said. "But lions can not roam there."
The east was NOT a good way to go.

Chapter 4: The First Stop

The old lion was flying high in the air. He was going east. Soon he wished he were going north or west instead. Why? Because large hunks of cheese began to hit the deck!
"It is the pirates!" thought the old lion. "How dare they hurl cheese at me!"

"You can not scare me!" yelled the lion with a glare.
Did the pirates care? No! They threw another chunk of cheese. BAM! The old lion took a firm grip on the wheel as the ship spun around.
Far below, he saw an island, Then everything became a blur. The ship was going down!

The ship hit the water hard. Sea water swirled over the deck. The old lion turned the ship's wheel toward the island. The next thing he knew, the ship hit the sand with a thud.
The mast was bent and the ship had a dent, but the old lion was not hurt. He got out and looked around.

The island was full of plants! There were short ferns and tall ferns. There were roses with thorns, and roses without thorns. Big vines curled up into the trees.
It began to get dark. The old lion was worn out. He set up camp and went to bed.

The next morning, the lion took a walk. He found a pear tree, and he ate two pears. Then he saw another kind of pair. It was a pair of plants.
The old lion stared at them. They were like no plants he had ever seen. These plants could walk and talk!

The plants had thin, green stems. Each one had a head full of fluff. They were picking nuts from a nut tree. "Hello!" the lion said. "Can you tell me the name of this island?"
"Hello, sir!" said one little plant. She gave a twirl. "You have landed in Peacemont! I am Tuft, and this is Bud."

"What nice fur you have. Are you a bear?" asked Bud.
"No, I am a lion," said the old lion.
"We are lions, too!" said Tuft. "We are dandelions!"
The old lion spent all day helping the dandelions. He found out a lot of things about them. They are good at art. They like to sing. They like to eat nuts.

"Peacemont is great!" said the old lion. "But I must leave soon. I have to find a home for my lion friends."
"OK," said Bud and Tuft. "But let us fix your ship."
Soon the ship was ready to go. The old lion was ready, too.
"Come back soon!" the dandelions said as the ship rose into the air.

Chapter 5: A Trip to Harmony

The old lion had just left Peacemont. His ship was flying north. He looked at the sea far below. He saw a large patch of kelp.
"Lions are everywhere," he thought. "First, there were dandelions in Peacemont. Now, there is kelp in the shape of a lion!"

Just then, the old lion smelled a rat---a pirate!
"I do not want them to hurt my ship again," he said. "It is a good thing my ship can fly under water!"
He gave a hard turn of the wheel. With a burst of speed, the ship went straight down into the sea.

It was dark under the sea. Dim shapes swirled and whirled all around. The old lion turned on the ship lights.
A shark gave the lion a cold stare as it swam by. A sea star gave a little wave of an arm. There was a squirt of ink as a pair of squids went by.

The old lion saw a fish dart in and out of the kelp. The fish had spines that looked like a mane. He wore a crown.
"What kind of fish are you?" asked the lion.
The fish gave a huge ROAR. "I am a lionfish!"
"Lions really are everywhere!" said the old lion.

"I am Rex, the KING of Kelp Forest!" roared the lion. "What are you doing here?"
"I mean no harm," said the old lion. "I am looking for a place where lions have room to roam."
"I roam where I please," said Rex. "Nothing scares me, not even sharks. I was born brave!"
"You are a lion, then!" said the old lion.

"Harmony is my kingdom," said Rex. "I will show you around. Then you can go."
They saw a school of very smart fish. They saw a catfish that could purr and a dogfish that could bark.

At last, the old lion turned to Rex. "I must start my search again."
"Well, you cannot stay here," said Rex. "Harmony is right for one lion. And that is me!"
"That is OK," said the old lion. "It would be hard for lions like us to live under water."
So the old lion flew his ship up through the water, and into the air.

Chapter 6: A Home Is Found

It was dawn on a cool morning. On his ship high in the clouds, the old lion yawned. He rubbed his eyes with his paws. Then he hoisted a sail.
Soon he was flying south. The lion looked down and began to laugh. "That is funny!" he said. "That island looks like a lion!"

Just then, there was a loud squawk near the lion's ear. The sound almost made him vault off his ship.
"Sorry! It is my fault!" said a voice.
The old lion looked around. A hawk was on a pole right by his head!
The hawk held out a claw. "My name is Scout," said the bird. "I do not mean to snoop, but why are you here?"

"I am looking for a land with room to roam," said the old lion. "And I may have found it." He pointed down. "I want to take a look around that island."
Scout was not shy, so he asked, "May I join you? I can tell you about the island."
"Sure!" said the lion. He flew the ship down to the ground.

The old lion got out of the ship and looked around. He saw hills and plains, and grass and trees.
"Who lives here?" he asked.
"A few animals, but not too many," said Scout. "An owl lives in the woods, and some trout live in the brook. However, there are no crowds or towns."

Scout took the lion all around the island. The old lion saw a place to make a fort. He saw places with good soil, where plants grow and flowers bloom.
"I have found it at last! This is the land where proud lions will soon roam free!"
The old lion jumped for joy.

The old lion ran to his ship. "I must get the other lions!" he said.
"Will you know how to get back here?" asked Scout with a frown.
"Good point," the lion said. "I will draw a map."
He began to draw. His map showed Gunk, where he had begun his trip. It showed Peacemont and Harmony.

"Does this island have a name?" the old lion asked.
"No," said Scout.
"Then I will give it one," said the lion. "This island looks like a lion. This island is full of things that are good for lions. So its name should be something lions are proud of… our manes! From now on, this island will be called Mane!"

Chapter 7: The Flight to Gunk

The old lion was ready to leave Mane. "I can't wait to tell the other lions my news!" he said. "At last, I have found the right home for us!"
"Have a good flight!" said Scout.
The skies were bright and blue as the old lion flew off!

Back in Gunk, the lions waited. The old lion was due back from his trip.
High above, a flying ship came into sight. The cub saw it first. He pointed up and made a happy growl.
The other lions looked up, too.
"It is the cub's grandpa!" they cried.
The news spread fast.

All the lions went to meet the ship. The old lion picked up the cub and patted his head. "You have grown!" he said.
"How was your trip?" one lion asked.
"Did you find us a new home?" asked another.
"I will tell you everything," the old lion said.
The old lion spread out his map. "Yes, I found a new home for us," he said proudly. "It is the island of Mane. I Mane there are hills and plains and fruit trees. The sun is warm and the sky is bright blue. Best of all---Mane has lots and lots of room!"

The lions wanted to know everything about Mane. "Are there flying toasters in Mane?" asked one lion.
"Is there junk there?" asked another.
"Can we roam anywhere we like?" a little lion wanted to know.
The lion said, "No flying toasters. No junk. And yes, we can roam high and low."

"When can we move to Mane?" asked the lions.
"In a few days," said the lion. "We will see how it goes. First, I have to make a ship big enough to carry us all. I need to pick a crew. And you need to pack. Pack everything, because we may never come back-"
The lions went to work!

Chapter 8: A New Homeland

At last, it was time to leave Gunk. The lions met at sunrise. The old lion had made a huge ship to take them to Mane. There were so many things to put on the ship! There were teapots and toolboxes. There were backpacks and birdbaths. There was even a bathtub!

All of the lions got onto the ship. There were grandpas and grandmas, moms and dads, and cubs of all sizes.
"Is everyone ready to go?" asked the old lion.
His grandson was not ready to go. A baseball had rolled off the ship. The cub ran after it!

The lions did not see the cub run off. The ship left without him.
A seagull came by.
"You are so small!" she said to the cub. "Who do you belong to?"
The cub did not say anything.
"Oh, dear. You are not old enough to talk!" said the seagull.

"You are too young to be alone," said the seagull. "Someone needs to take care of you."
The seagull thought for a bit.
"I know someplace where you will be happy and safe," she said. "Hop on my back! I will take you there!"

Meanwhile, the lions were on their way to Mane. They flew over Peacemont and saw a rainbow. They flew over Harmony and saw seaweed in the shape of a lion head. They ate popcorn and took snapshots.
They reached Mane at sunset.
"Our island has the shape of a lion head too!" the lions said. "What a great surprise!"

The lions got off the ship. "We like our new homeland!" they said.
"There is not much daylight left," said the old lion. "We should look for firewood. My grandson loves campfires! Where is he, by the way?"
No one knew. Each lion had thought the cub was with someone else!

The lions searched everywhere. They looked inside the ship. They searched the island from the seashore to the treetops. The lion cub was nowhere.
"My grandson is somewhere," said the old lion. "I will not rest until I find him!"

Chapter 9: The Search Begins

There was a major problem in Mane. The old lion's grandson was missing!
At first, the lions thought that the cub had hidden somewhere. They looked under blankets and in baskets. "Where are you?" they called. "Will you come out for a donut?"
All was silent.

The old lion was upset. He ran around in circles like a chicken.
"Call out the army! Call out the navy!" he cried. "My baby grandson is lost!"
"We do not have an army or a navy," said the other lions.
"That doesn't matter," said the old lion. "We have to find him!"

The old lion took a yellow pencil out of his pocket and began to take notes. "When did we last see the cub?" he asked.
"No one has seen him since we left Gunk," said a lion.
"That is it!" said the old lion. "He must still be there! I must return to Gunk right away!"

There was not a moment to lose. The old lion put on a jacket and jumped onto his flying ship. He flew straight to Gunk. He did not even stop for dinner.
Gunk was just the same. There was junk everywhere. The lion landed next to a pile of old motors and tractors.

The old lion began to search for the cub. He met a monkey.
"I have lost a cub," said the lion. "He might be in danger! Have you seen him?"
"Yes," said the monkey. "He was not in danger. He was very happy! He and a seagull flew away together. I don't know where they went."

The old lion was happy to hear that the cub was safe. "Where should I look next?" he asked. "I don't know where to begin!"
The monkey gave him a book of maps. "Try this atlas!" he said. "I found it in a junk pile."
"Thanks!" said the lion. "I must go!" He flew off into the sunny sky.

Chapter 10: The Search Continues

The old lion left Gunk. He looked down at the junk piles with distaste. "The monkeys are nice," he thought, "but those junk piles should be illegal! They are unclean and unsafe!"
The lion was unsure about where to go next. He rechecked the atlas. "I will go west," he said.

As he flew, the old lion thought about his grandson. "I know I will find him," he thought.
"There are so many things we will do together. I will take him to preschool. I will reread his favorite books for him. We could even revisit Gunk if he wants to!"

The old lion flew for many hours. "I will not let myself fall asleep!" he said. "I must search nonstop!"
He splashed water on his face to refresh himself. But it was impossible to keep his eyes open. During the predawn hours, the lion grew very tired. He fell asleep. The lands below floated by unseen.

The lion woke up above Harmony. He saw Rex the lionfish.
"This is most irregular!" roared Rex. "What do you want?"
"I thought my lion cub might be here," said the old lion.
"Nonsense! I am the only lion in Harmony!" said the impolite lionfish. "Goodbye!"

The old lion flew to many lands. In each place, he retold the story of his lost grandson. No one had seen the cub.
The lion searched for a long time. He was tired. His mane was uncombed. He was almost out of food. It was time to rejoin the lions of Mane.

The old lion landed on Mane.
"Did you find the cub?" the lions asked.
"No," said the old lion. He began to unload his ship. "I will not stop looking, though. I need to fix my ship. I need to reseal the bottom and repaint the top. Then I will repack, and be on my way again."

The old lion was unlucky on that first trip. Through the years, he made many more trips to search for the cub. He still searches for the cub today.
Nine years have passed. The old lion knows every land, near and far-- except for one that must be out there somewhere.