Arlo

the long version

"Little Arlo sat by the window of the cottage, looking down the beautiful valley of the Ker [German, for 'river'], and far away to the mountain which rose in the purple distance. The mountain shut out all the world beyond. "Arlo often sat and dreamed of the things beyond the mountain, which he had never seen. He wondered who the people were that lived there, and if the river still flowed on, down to the sea. He wondered if there were little houses and sheds there on the hill-sides, just like those he could see from his window." Thus begins the beautiful, adventurous tale of a boy and his faithful dog, Krit. Arlo is nine years old and is searching for his parents, the Count and Countess. They have been separated in an attack by the soldiers of the evil Duke, who ruled the District of Soyen, Bavaria, in Germany. I won't disclose more, except to say that every evening, Arlo would fall asleep, hearing, in his head, the song his mother sang to him: "Soft the evening bells are ringing; Silent shadows fill the sky. Sweet the birds their vespers singing; Slumber, slumber, lullabye." Some may call "Arlo" the male version of "Heidi", but yea or nay, it is for children of all ages to enjoy, from the early years of life to the elder years. You'll love it, I'm sure. I loved it so much that I did Book Reports on it in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades. And now, at the age of seventy-four, I'm still reading it several times each year.