Nora and the Echo Cave

Nora lived beside a small hill with a round, dark cave in it. Every day, she heard sounds from inside. Drip. Plink. Drip.

“Echo Cave is talking,” Nora said.

Her big brother Sam liked to call into the cave. “Hello!” he shouted.

“Hello!” the cave shouted back.

Nora did not shout. She stood at the entrance and held Sam’s hand. The cave was cool and dark inside. Its echo sounded very big.

One sunny morning, Nora saw a little silver bell gleaming on a goat’s blue collar. Nearby, the goat nibbled leaves.

“Your bell is pretty,” Nora called.

The goat lifted its head. Then it trotted into Echo Cave.

Clink, clink, clink. The bell sound grew softer.

Sam hurried to the entrance. “I can see the goat,” he said. “It is just around the bend.”

Nora peered into the cave. She wanted to help the goat. But her feet stayed still.

Sam picked up a long walking stick. “We can go together,” he said. “I’ll hold one end. You hold the other.”

Nora took a deep breath. She held the stick in one hand and Sam’s hand in the other.

One small step.

“Step,” said the cave.

Nora smiled a little. “It copied me.”

They walked past smooth gray walls. Water drops shone like tiny beads. Then Nora heard the bell again.

Clink! Clink!

Around the bend, the goat stood beside a shallow puddle. Its blue collar was caught on a low rock. The silver bell was trapped underneath.

“I will try,” Nora said.

She crouched beside the goat. Very slowly, she lifted the collar over the rock.

Clink! The bell came free.

The goat gave a happy bleat. It rubbed its soft nose against Nora’s sleeve.

Outside, the sun felt warm on Nora’s cheeks. She fastened the bell securely onto the goat’s blue collar.

The goat trotted up the hill. Clink, clink, clink.

Sam grinned. “You went into Echo Cave.”

Nora looked at its dark, round entrance. “Yes,” she said.

Then she called, not too loudly, “Goodbye!”

“Goodbye!” answered the cave.

This time, Nora waved.