If ever there was an intrepid and adventurous little girl, it was certainly eight-year-old Lola. Lola lived with her parents and grandfather in a house in a small village, surrounded by mountains, a river and lots and lots of trees.

Every day after school once Lola had done her homework, she would eat a snack and think up a new adventure. Today, Lola put on her explorer glasses and picked up her backpack, where she kept a compass, a bottle of water, a lamp and a GPS that her parents had given her for her birthday.

“Mum, I’m going into the garden for a bit“, said Lola. “Ok, Lola, but be careful and come back in before it gets dark” replied her mother.

Lola ran out into the garden, which was as big as a football pitch, and her grandfather, who was sitting on the veranda, said: “What’s today’s adventure? If you need a companion on your travels, just let me know“.

“Oooh, yes please, Granddad,” said Lola. “Come with me – I need you to help me complete a really, really important mission!!!”

So Lola and her grandfather went to a part of the garden where

there were lots of trees and bushes. “Come on, Granddad, look at this!!” said Lola. “What is it?!” he replied. “Can’t you see? It’s a trap for the ants that mum or dad must’ve put there… That yellow dust is poisonous, you know. We’ve got to do something, Granddad, because if not all the ants in the garden are going to end up dead!”

“So what’s your plan to save them?!” asked her grandfather.

“Well, I thought of making another road so that the ants can get into their anthill without having to go past the bit with the poison“, answered Lola.

“That’s a great idea. And that way your parents won’t realise, because the poisonous dust will still be in the same place and the ants can get home safe and sound,” commented her grandfather.

They quickly began to mark out a path to the anthill around the poisonous dust using a small spade that Lola had in her backpack. To make sure the ants wouldn’t take the wrong road, grandfather and Lola scattered some small grains of wheat along the path so that the ants would follow the food.

It was starting to get dark, and Lola and her grandfather went home very happy after the day’s adventure, content to know that the ants would get home safely.

“Granddad, this is between you and me, ok? If Mum finds out, she’ll tell me off!!“, said Lola.

Her grandfather smiled and said: “Of course, Lola dear, it will be our little secret“.

And Lola was very happy because she had completed the day’s mission, and more importantly, she had shared it with someone she really loved – her grandfather.

THE END