2985. Boys' summer camp © Bruce Goodman 5 February 2024

Felix hated meal times at Boy’s Summer Camp. Everyone seemed to push in to get food and he didn’t like pushing in. So he would stand with his empty dish outside the shouting body of shoving-boys and wait. When nearly everything was gone he would scrape a bit of gravy off the side of a pot and put it on the little bit of mashed potato he could put together. He explained to the man in charge of the camp that he was hungry, and the man said he had to learn to push his way in. “It’s part of the aim of the camp to learn to fend for yourself. If you want something go in and get it.” Nothing sounded worse than that to Felix. He had four sisters and no brothers (which is why his parents sent to a boys’ camp over summer). Felix wasn’t used to elbowing his way around. Meal time came once again. Felix elbowed his way to the front and dished up a helping of food. “Hey! Hey! Hey!” said the man in charge of the camp. “You can’t bully your way around like that.” Felix was sent to his tent where he was confined until morning. Contact Author Back to Index Next Story Previous Story