( Book 1 - Heir to the Throne )

Greetings from Little Harry; and from me, Big Harry, his adopted Dad!
After the enormous success of my series of books 'Born to be a King';
(please, buy my books, or read them again, by clicking on the link below),
I am now helping my 'adopted son' rewrite his own story of growing up...
Have fun; and, please, send us your email if you appreciate our stories!

8. Girls don't have any peckers; our waterfall; and swimming.

    Being thirsty from all our strolling and setting traps, we went to one of the many small water streams.
The others squatted down next to it and scooped some water into their opened mouths, using their folded hands as a cup.
I tried to copy them, but did it a bit awkward; secretly wishing I had brought a cup or a drinking glass...
After some trying, I got the hang of it, and succeeded in drinking enough water before it seeped through my fingers.
From now on, I drank just as the other kids were doing; using my hands, splashing water at my friends, and having fun!

    Of course, from time to time, one of our boys had to 'take a leak', to get rid of the excessive water.
Then, he went to a tree, pointed upwards, and spurted as high as he could, trying to squirt the bugs from the leafs.
Mostly, a few other boys immediately accompanied him, frolicking and trying to outdo each other!
Now and then, I joined them, but my still very small body didn't let me spurt that high.

    Misha teased me about it, playfully telling me I had to grow some hairs first...
Yeah, well... only the oldest boys had a few tiny hairs down there and under their armpits.
After an older boy reached puberty and got more hairs, he always left our group and joined our grown-ups!
    I scowled at Misha, punched his arm, and told him:

    "Look at yourself, with your tiny wisp of barely visible fuzz... Just wait, until I have had my growth spurt!"

    Then, I ducked away, to escape from his wrath.
The others laughed at him, told him I was right, and admonished him not to pick on only the tiniest ones...
Of course, they were only teasing him; and it was FUN to have Misha as my friend!
Besides, I really had to wait for at least a few years, to be able to outdo him or one of the others.

    After some time, I started to wonder why our girls never accompanied us boys in our peeing contests.
They only looked at us, laughed at our bragging efforts, and commented on our splashing successes...
However, that was all they ever did!
Were they ill, or were their bladders not strong enough?

    I observed them for a while, and soon detected something very strange.
When a girl had to take a leak, she always squatted down over a hole in the ground, and let her pee flow freely.
Why didn't she join us to a tree? That was much more fun...

    I waited, until one of our girls had to empty her bladder and squatted down over a hole.
This time, I had a good look at what she did and how she did it...
Suddenly, I felt severely shocked; and I couldn't believe what my own eyes told me!
This girl didn't have a pecker, as we boys so proudly used to aim our pee through!
She had only a small cleft between her legs, from where her pee splashed down into the hole...
Why was that? Did she lose her pecker some day, maybe because she had a nasty accident?

    I looked around at a couple of other girls, and felt even more shocked.
To my astonishment, none of our girls had any peckers!
They all had only the same small cleft between their legs, and nothing more...
A few of them had tiny breasts, and the oldest girl had a faint bush of dark hair down there...
But, none of them had anything usable to pee through!
Why was there such an enormous difference between boys and girls?
Did a girl lose her pecker one day? Or, had she been ill, and underwent surgery to remove it?

    Now, a very important question came up in my mind, and made me shudder...
Would I be at risk to turn into a girl myself, if I wasn't careful enough with mine?
I didn't want to lose my little pecker, because I was way too used to it!
Although I had only a tiny one, I was sure it would soon start to grow, and finally become just as big as Micha's penis was!

    Should I pity our poor girls, who had to live without a decent pecker?
Or, was it normal for a girl to be handicapped like this, and was this how every girl was born?
Although I had seen my Mom's body thousands of times, I had never really looked at how she was built.
Now, I decided to have a closer look at her too, although I was pretty sure she wouldn't have any penis as well...
And, as soon as we were home, I would immediately ask my Dad my burning question, about the risk of turning into a girl!
In the meantime, I would be very careful with my own little pecker, because I absolutely didn't want to lose it...

    Today, we had gathered more than enough animals to have a good meal out of them.
A few older boys took our string bag, and we followed them along all the winding paths and small clearings.
Frolicking and chasing each other, we returned to the fast stream full of dangerous rapids; and crossed it.
Again, the older kids considerately helped the younger ones, while I jumped from boulder to boulder all on my own.
Misha tried to catch up with me; but he slipped and nearly fell into the whirling water, while I reached the other side effortlessly!
Had I really outdone my fourteen-year-old and very experienced friend?

    Still following the oldest boys, our group went back to the first steep ravine.
Again, we climbed the slanting boulders and jumped across the nasty cracks, while the older kids helped the younger ones.
Again, Misha only helped me when a bolder was too steep, or when a crack was too dangerous to jump for my small legs.
Then, we didn't go back to the first huge clearing and our camp; but we turned to the right, into another small path...
Didn't we go home, to roast our animals? Where were we going now?

    Suddenly, we arrived at a beautiful waterfall, displaying a rainbow full of wonderful colors in the bright sunlight!
I was totally in awe, stopped dead in my tracks, and gasped from my sudden and powerful emotions...
Never before had I seen anything like this, and its beauty overwhelmed me totally!
This splendid play of light and colors was the most beautiful grandeur I had ever seen!
I got tears in my eyes, went to Misha, and silently worked my small hand into his bigger one...
Misha didn't say a word, but stepped a bit nearer and softly squeezed my trembling hand.
Then, I looked up at him, and saw he had tears in his own eyes as well!
Many other kids were also wiping their eyes with the backs of their hands, furtively looking at each other.
Fortunately, I was not the only crybaby here...

    After a moment of silence and feeling sentimental, we started to descend into this much smaller ravine.
Again, the older kids considerately helped our youngsters climb downwards safely.
Again, I didn't need any help, while my legs seemed to know exactly how they had to step from ridge to ridge.
I WAS a natural; maybe from a past life as a little trapper, when I tried to catch up with my Dad...

    At the bottom of the ravine, we waited patiently until everybody else had joined us.
Now, cheering enthusiastically, we tumbled over each other to reach the huge curtain of water showers!
I followed the others, who threw their bodies under the splashing water and started to jump up and down.
Following them, I stepped carelessly under one of the forceful water streams...

    At the same moment, I choked up; and I thought I was going to die!
My small body cramped and shivered in the icy cold water, and I couldn't breathe any more...
I tried to yell to the others for help, but my blocked throat refused to produce any audible sounds...
Now, I panicked, turned around, and fled from the waterfall as fast as my small legs could carry me.
This waterfall shower curtain was DANGEROUS!
It almost KILLED me, dammit!

    I trembled and panted; until, slowly, my shivering diminished and I was able to breathe again.
What the heck had happened to me, all of a sudden? What had taken away my breath?
From my safe distance, I turned around to look at the others, and glared at them.
Why had they tried to kill me, by letting me jump under such a dangerous thing that almost killed me...

    To my utmost surprise, all the other kids seemed to have lots of fun under the same water stream!
They were jumping up and down, cheering, and splashing even more water at each other!
What the heck... Why didn't the water let them choke up, like it did to me?
This wasn't normal!
Or, was I not normal, being the only little boy in our group who couldn't enjoy this splashing water shower?

    After a moment, Misha saw me, glaring at the waterfall from some distance, still trembling all over and looking frightened.
He seemed to be a bit surprised, and looked at me with a questioning face...
One of our girls, Biny, saw me too; but she seemed to feel a bit worried, and started to walk towards me.
    Misha joined her until they reached me; and he asked me with concern in his voice:

    "What is the problem, little man? Are you wounded? How can I help you?"

    "I don't know... Under the waterfall, I couldn't breathe any more, and I thought it tried to kill me..."

    To my surprise, both Misha and Biny started to laugh!
Why were they laughing at me? Had I done something stupid, without knowing what I did wrong?
This time, I almost started to cry from my embarrassment...
    However, Biny saw my teary eyes; and consolingly put her arms around my shoulders while she told me:

    "Don't be afraid. You only forgot to jump up and down, until your body is used to the cold! Come on, let's try it again..."

    Both she and Misha stretched an inviting hand out towards me, to guide me back to our waterfall.
Hesitantly, I took both outstretched hands; still feeling a bit shivery, but deciding to trust my friends.
Ultimately, the waterfall hadn't killed anybody else, so why should it kill me?
Guided and reassured by my friends, I stepped under the forceful cold-water stream again...
This time, I started to jump up and down immediately; and my friends were absolutely right!
Within a few seconds, my skin started to tingle, and I was able to breathe again.

    "See? We've told you. Next time, just jump up and down, until your breath returns..."

    The splashing of the cold water on my naked body now felt really nice!
A moment later, I cheered and danced around under the water curtain, joining my friends.
They splashed some more water at me, and I splashed them back in return.
Fortunately, nobody else had seen my panicking...

    I accepted that I had to learn quite a lot more things first, before I could be a REAL trapper.
Just being a 'natural' clearly was not enough...

    After some time, we started to follow the many whirling and foaming water rapids downstream.
To my surprise, the stream suddenly ended into a beautiful lake, surrounded by steep ridges and flowering bushes!
Everybody cheered loudly, while they cannonballed their bodies into the inviting water right away!
Immediately, they started to play and chase each other around the lake.

    That is... everybody else played in the water, except for me.
I went hesitantly to the edge of the lake, and stared into its dark and bottomless depth in doubt...
Was it really safe for me, to plunge into this enormous bathtub, without knowing how to swim?
What, if I sank down to the bottom, and couldn't return to the surface any more?
Nobody had ever taught me how to swim, and I was only a tiny runt...
Would my friends be able to rescue me, before I sank too deep and drowned?
Besides, how would they know I was drowning, after they couldn't see me any more?

    Hesitantly, I sat down on the bank, put my feet into the crystal clear water, and felt around...
To my surprise, I immediately detected a small ridge, just below the water surface!
This was a really good service from our Mother Nature!
Thank you, Mother...
I stepped onto the small underwater ridge, and carefully probed it to see how far it stretched out into the lake.
'Safety first', as all the grown-ups always told their kids!

    Deciding about what I wanted to try out first, I looked at what the other kids were doing...
Most of them were swimming around, playfully chasing each other, or diving and resurfacing again and again.
However, a few kids just floated around; moving lazily, or lying perfectly still and looking at the clouds over our heads...
Yes, floating around was the first thing I wanted to teach myself; because it seemed to be the easiest thing to do!

    I took a deep breath, closed my mouth, and went down onto all fours; cautiously putting my face under water.
For a moment, I waited; until my ears were used to the sudden silence, and I had to come up to breathe again.
Now, I turned around until I was on my back, trying to let my body float just below the water surface...
It worked! My face stayed out of the water, thus letting me breathe easily, while my body started to float automatically!
It sank down slowly when I breathed out, but it floated up again after I breathed in.
I felt relieved, now that floating turned out to be so easy; and I decided that swimming could be FUN!

    Drifting on the water surface was a nice feeling; and I did it for some time, staring at the clouds over my head.
Then, I decided to go on to the next step, which had to be teaching myself how to swim, like all the others were doing!
I wanted to join my still frolicking friends, and be able to partake in their splashing water games!

    I turned my body around, by moving my arms and legs, until my face disappeared under the water surface again.
Now, I stretched my legs out, feeling downwards, trying to find the safe ridge and stand on it...
After a second, I panicked, involuntarily swallowing a gulp of water!
WHERE WAS THAT RIDGE?

    Unnoticed, I had drifted into this vast lake, now being unable to find any solid ground to get out of the water!
I couldn't refill my lungs with air, and slowly started to sink into the bottomless water darkness below...
Desperately, I splashed around with all four limbs, swallowing even more water, not knowing how to surface again...
A nasty pressure started to build up in my ears, and my little heart hammered in my chest like crazy.
I was DROWNING, and I didn't know how to rescue myself!
This was my last adventure on earth; and it would also be the sorrowful end of little Prince Harold...
Would my parents be very sad?

    Suddenly, two strong hands gripped my arms, and brought me back to the surface!
I gasped, coughed out a lot of water, finally refilled my longs with fresh air, and started to cry.
This was the most humiliating experience I had ever felt in my young life as a little Prince!
Sobbing desperately, I wrestled around and clamped myself onto my savior with all my might.
    Then, I saw that I clamped onto my friend Misha, who grinned:

    "Now, don't panic, and trust me. Please, loosen your death grip and climb onto my back, so that I can swim us to safety..."

    Misha helped me climb onto his back; and swam us to the small underwater ridge, where we halted.
He sat down onto the ridge, turned me around, took me onto his lap, and forcefully pressed against my stomach.
Then, he waited patiently, until I had coughed all the water out of my lungs, and my panic slowly subsided.
Finally, I calmed down, and immediately started to be curious again.
What had gone wrong?
How could I have saved myself, as all the other swimmers seemed to know?
    Misha looked relieved when the life returned into my eyes; and he sighed:

    "Sorry, for being too late! All the time while you floated around, I kept an eye on you. Then, suddenly, you disappeared under water...
"Now, I want to teach you how to surface on your own, without any help. Please, look at what my legs are doing..."

    Misha told me to stand on the ridge and look at what he did, while he plunged back into the water.
He put his arms high into the air; and slowly sunk into the depth, until he was deep under the surface.
Fortunately, the water was very clear, and I could easily see every movement he performed.
I looked intently at how he used only his legs, opening and closing them, while kicking the water with his feet.
    A moment later, his head plopped up again, and he grinned at me:

    "Now, trust me, and jump into the water next to me. I will hold your hands, while you copy my movements..."

    Three minutes later, I left Misha's hands, and happily dived under water and resurfaced all on my own!
I never knew that diving under water and swimming up again would be this easily, and could be so much fun.
Now, I knew exactly what I had to do, if I panicked again below the water surface...
All my fears about drowning were gone, and I started to enjoy my swimming lessons very much.

    Then, Misha showed me how to use my arms and legs at the same time, to propel myself forward.
Soon, we were swimming next to each other, and I even dived under him and popped up at his other side!

    Suddenly, Misha grinned devilishly, and DUNKED me, by pushing me under water forcefully!
For a moment, I lost my orientation and panicked, until I remembered what he had taught me.
Then, I resurfaced immediately, spluttering and coughing, and feeling ready to murder him!
How did he DARE do this to me, being my former friend but now my eternal foe...

    Misha laughed at my sudden fury, stuck out his tongue, and dunked me again!
Now, I was REALLY mad at him; and I felt ready to chase him towards hell, to get even with him!
I tried to push him under water, but he was too fast and escaped easily, again laughing at me.
Immediately, I launched myself at him again, splashing after him, trying to swim faster with all my might.
How would I be able to catch him?

    I chased him across the lake, still feeling very angry and trying to get even with him.
Soon, I discovered how to use my arms and legs properly, to let my body glide through the surrounding water.
My arms and legs started to move rhythmically on their own, making me swim faster and faster.
All on my own, I taught myself how to swim properly, using my anger as my impelling force...

    Finally, I pulled up next to Misha, who suddenly seemed to be tired and went slower and slower...
Still feeling angry, I jumped towards him and dunked him; by pushing his head under water and sitting on it.
That should teach him a lesson!
Of course, Misha immediately dived a bit deeper, and swam from under me with ease.
    To my surprise, he put his arms around my panting body, and complimented me:

    "That is what I wanted you to do! Now, you are a REAL swimmer. Come on, let's join the others and have some more fun."

    Aha... That is why Misha had dunked me and made me angry!
He only wanted to make me swim faster, so that I could teach myself how to use my limbs properly...
Thank you, my dear friend; and sorry for being angry with you!

    I smiled at my ex-foe and re-found friend, and obediently followed him towards the other kids.
They accepted me immediately; and we had lots of fun dunking each other and being dunked in return.
From that time on, I was a real water rat, and wanted to go for a swim whenever I had a chance...

    At the end of the day, the air became too chilly, and we decided to go home.
We were tired, but felt happy, now proudly carrying our own caught animals from the string bag.
We gathered around our campfire as usual; to prepare our animals and roast them over the campfire.
First, I went into our surrounding bushes, to perform my self-allotted task as our Chief Cook!
I collected many nice herbs, chopped them into small pieces, and mixed them with a few drops of oil to make them sticky.

    All the kids smeared their animals with my nicely smelling herbs mixture, of course painstakingly controlled by me.
They roasted them over our glowing campfire, and soon a nice aroma filled the air.
Even the grown-ups sniffed approvingly, smiling at their little Chief Cookie.
All my friends offered me a chunk of their animals, so that I had more than enough meat to fill my own hungry stomach!
Tomorrow, I would roast my OWN animal, for the first time...

    Again, our roasted animals tasted delicious; and, soon, we were stuffed to the brim and burped loudly, to thank their spirits.
Being dead tired, but feeling wonderful, we went to our caravans, to wash the smear off our faces.

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I am desperately looking for somebody special who could help me better my stories!
Please, provide me with as many useful comments and suggestions as possible...
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I am still looking for a competent proofreader!

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I wish you lots of Love in your life, and Profound Peace in your heart.

 Harry AnderS, Dutch psychotherapist and writer of 'books with a message'