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    The Adventures of Hickory Dock: The First Book
    The Adventures of Hickory Dock: The First Book
    The Adventures of Hickory Dock: The First Book
    Ebook85 pages1 hour

    The Adventures of Hickory Dock: The First Book

    By Geno Allen

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    About this ebook

    This mouse did Way more than just run up a clock!

    A stormy wind wracks the “world”, and Hickory is afraid again. His first ever glimpse of sunlight shatters the darkness and sparks an adventure he never could have imagined. Join Hickory Dock the Eighth Great and his new friends as they embark on a journey of discovery full of dangers, intrigues, daring leaps of faith, and the folklore of the mouse world. An inexperienced young mouse, sheltered his whole life, Hickory knows the odds are stacked against him. Will he have the strength of heart needed for the road ahead? Grab your nap sack and venture with Hickory as he finds out what it truly means to bear the renowned name Dock.

    This book is a 9 chapter preview of The Adventures of Hickory Dock, a sweet and sentimental coming-of-age, adventure tale that will appeal to all ages. Get ready for an adventure of a lifetime.
    — — — —
    HICKORY DOCK lives in a cottage on the outskirts of a town he's never known the name of. He doesn't even know the cottage is called a cottage. To him, it's simply the world. You see, he's a mouse. But not just any mouse. He's the great great great great great great great great grandson of the original Hickory D. Dock. The one of whom such a great fuss was raised all those years ago with him running up and down a clock and it striking one and all that. However, Hickory is not allowed to hear that tale, for in it lies a great secret.
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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGeno Allen
    Release dateJul 16, 2016
    ISBN9781311272959
    The Adventures of Hickory Dock: The First Book
    Author

    Geno Allen

    An author with a keen heart for story, Geno Allen has been a writer and performer of skits, poems, songs, and radio plays for much of his life. Now, as he and his wife are preparing to start a family, he turns his hand to novel writing. This up and coming author crafts worlds that engage the reader and draw them into adventure—and into a landscape peopled with characters who work their way into your heart and stay with you long after the story has ended. Geno spent his formative years first in the rural outskirts of a small town in Oregon and then in a suburban desert of Southern California. The woods, hills, rivers, rocks, and pavement he explored served as fertile soil to his ever-growing imagination. When he wasn’t slaying fictitious dragons, crafting worlds all his own, or hamming it up with any number of character voices, he was busy playing bass guitar for his local church, and forging (from sticks) all manner of medieval weaponry—and a pair of nunchucks. Today he’s looking forward to his greatest adventure yet... novel-writing-husband-and-father. For more about Geno Allen visit www.genowrites.blogspot.com.

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      Book preview

      The Adventures of Hickory Dock - Geno Allen

      Table of Contents

      Title Page

      For

      Hickory

      Adventure One:

      Adventure Two:

      Adventure Three:

      Adventure Four:

      Adventure Five:

      Adventure Six:

      Adventure Seven:

      Adventure Eight:

      Adventure Nine:

      Geno Allen

      To my wonderful wife who has always had faith in me and graciously endures my artistic ways, and to my beautiful daughter who always wants daddy to tell her a story, and my father-in-law (who might just be my biggest fan), and Judy who reminded me some sentences actually need commas, and especially to God who imbued me with a creativity that makes stories pour out of me: Thank you—forever—thank you.

      This book is for everyone who still holds a corner of their heart open for child-like wonder. I sincerely hope you enjoy.

      Geno Allen

      Hickory Dock lived in a cottage on the outskirts of a town he never knew the name of. He didn't even know the cottage was called a cottage. To him, it was simply the world. You see, he was a mouse. But not just any mouse. He was the great great great great great great great great grandson of the original Hickory D. Dock. The one of whom such a great fuss was raised all those years ago with him running up and down a clock and it striking one and all that. However, Hickory was not allowed to hear that tale, for in it lay a great secret.

      Adventure One:

      Hickory Dock, a Cat, and the Clock

      One spring morning Hickory Dock woke to find that his Uncle Trickery (or Unk as he preferred to be called) had already gone from the world. Aunt Plumella had quietly made breakfast, eaten, and gone to the attic before Hickory was awake—as she commonly did when Unk was away. She’d left only mouse crumbs for Hickory to eat, and considering the fact that crumbs left by humans are very tiny—and mice eat those like a meal—you can imagine how small mouse crumbs would be. It’s really not much food at all, but Hickory ate it joyfully.

      Looking up he said, And thank you for the food I gratefully receive today. He said it to the air, but not to Aunt Plumella. Hickory knew she didn’t care much for him. She hardly ever spoke to him—and never when Unk was away. But even still he always did his best to treat her with respect and follow the rules of the family Dock.

      It was cold that morning, and a great wind kicked up outside the world, shaking the walls and leaving Hickory scared. Unk once told him, There is great danger outside the world, and you are too small, too weak, and too… gray to face it. Maybe one day you’ll be brave enough to come with me beyond the world, but I doubt it.

      I am brave, Hickory said.

      No. You only think you are. That’s not bravery. That’s silliness.

      The conversation had hurt his feelings and stuck with him, but today he wondered if Unk had been right. Maybe I’m not brave. That wooshing and creaking sound seems like it would be very dangerous, and I don’t think I could be brave in that at all.

      The world, as Unk called it, was an old run down cottage that a human family had abandoned years ago. It had an attic. Aunt Plumella called it her personal space, and Hickory was not allowed to disturb her there, no matter what. There were two bedrooms upstairs, a study downstairs, a kitchen with an old wood burning stove that Hickory had never seen a fire in, and a door that had never been opened in as long as he could remember. The windows had been covered long ago, so no hint of sunlight made its way through. As human houses go it was shabby, but for a small family of mice, it was almost large enough to be called a world. So, Hickory never questioned his uncle about it.

      The wind wracked the world a second time, and something from outside struck the kitchen window. A shard of glass broke away and plummeted to the floor only inches from Hickory. It shattered on impact and glass flew in every direction. A few pieces struck Hickory and stuck in his fur. He was thankful none of the strange flying bits landed in his eyes.

      "What’s that? Hickory said as dust began floating like magical little fireflies through the beam of light that newly shone through the window. It’s twinkly!" he said with joy, and ran to the place on the wall where the beam of light landed. It illuminated a dreary patch of wooden floorboard. When Hickory reached it, it was unimpressive. He followed the dancing bits of light with his eyes and traced them back to the hole in the window.

      "That’s not dreary." He began bounding up the cupboards to the counter and on toward the window sill. He had nearly reached the bright, shining, joy-inspiring opening when—

      "Hickory Dickory Dock! What do you think you are doing?" It was Unk’s bellowing voice. Hickory turned and Unk was standing on the counter, arms crossed, scowling at him.

      I’m… uh… well, I was just…. He pointed to the window. That part of the world broke off. It almost fell on me, and I was just going to—

      What, Young Mouse, are the four rules of the family Dock?

      Hickory answered in a dejected monotone. Don’t leave the world; obey Aunt and Unk, especially Unk; go to sleep when I’m told to; and never go near the clock.

      Right. And what were you about to do? Unk unfolded his arms and tugged smugly at his whiskers.

      I wasn’t going to go outside! Hickory said.

      That is not what it looked like to me, Young Mouse.

      I wouldn’t leave the world. I was just going to have a peek. It looked— He

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