Vincent was a boy who loved adventure. He built hiding places among the trees, tied ropes in the forest and swung on them, and in winter he built igloos to play Eskimo in. He was always full of ideas, and his imagination had no limits. But one day he had a real adventure.
When the holidays began, Vincent went to stay with his uncle and aunt for a few days. He loved to go there because there was always something going on. But this time he really had something to look forward to. His uncle had a plan and gave Vincent just little hints to get him excited for what was to come. He told him, “Bring your swimsuit and a little something you would like to give to someone.” So Vincent packed what his uncle told him to pack and kept thinking about what he and his uncle were going to do. He couldn’t wait for the adventure his uncle had come up with.
Until one day the big day came. “Well, today, my friend. Put on your swimsuit, put something comfortable on top of that, grab your backpack with the rest of your stuff, and I’ll pack the rest. We’re off,” his uncle announced to Vincent, and soon they were on the forest path that led to the river. From a distance, Vincent could hear the river flowing down from the mountains. As they approached their destination, Vincent was burning with impatience. He just kept jumping around his uncle, asking him where they were going and when they would be there. Finally they came to the river bank where he saw a small canoe fixed. Inside there was a large empty barrel.
“Get in, Vincent. I have rented this first-class canoe for the day . You needn’t worry, it’s safe. And we’ll put our stuff and our packs in the barrel. They’ll stay safe and won’t get wet. So we’re off.” Uncle smiled and Vincent excitedly jumped into the boat, quickly stuffed everything into the barrel and couldn’t wait to see where they would go. On the way, Uncle explained to Vincent how to handle the paddle and how to keep the boat pointed in the right direction. But that was not all that lay in store for Vincent.
As they sailed past the trees, the boy noticed the arrows that were on the trees. They showed the direction to sail. But then he saw a jutting bank with a tree that had a sign on it that said, “Destination in 100 yards. Go along the river and look for the biggest rock.” Suddenly, his uncle called out: “Vincent, let’s turn to that shore and anchor there.” And so, after much effort and fighting the current of the river, they managed to reach the shore. They tied their boat there and followed the instructions along the river, looking for the biggest rock. When Vincent saw it, he ran to it and began to search around it. He couldn’t wait to see what he would find there. Maybe there would be treasure there. A chest full of jewels or money or another map of where to go next. He searched to see what secrets the rock held.
Suddenly he came across something. A small closed tin box, and it was full. Vincent opened it eagerly, but what he saw in there wasn’t what he had expected at all. A small notebook in a bag, a pencil and a few small objects. A picture, a yo-yo, a bracelet, a compass and a bookmark. Vincent looked at his uncle in puzzlement, “What is that, Uncle?” “It’s called a cache. It’s a special treasure. When you find it, you write it down in a notebook and pick the thing you want, and in return you put something of your own in there. That way the box stays full all the time. It’s not even the contents of the treasure that’s important, it’s the adventure you have in finding it,” my uncle explained.
Vincent’s eyes lit up. It was a hundred times better than jewels and pearls. He chose compass and put in his little metal car. All the way back he kept wondering who would take his car next. Vincent was very glad for the adventure his uncle had prepared for him. And he would never forget that sometimes it’s not the destination that’s important, but the journey.
