The Adventure of Ramsey: Ramsey Goes on an Adventure and Meets Silverstone

A few weeks ago I was sitting with my little brother in the garden, and he asked me to tell him a story. I thought about it, and remembered a stuffed mountain goat he has that he is very fond of. That would be a good subject for a story, I thought. I began to tell him the story of Ramsey the Mountain Goat. This is the transcription of the story, almost as I told it to my brother.

Ramsey was a mountain goat. He was a very handsome mountain goat – the most handsome of all mountain goats, in fact. No other mountain goat had such a fine coat, or such a silky beard, or such shiny horns. And his big black eyes – why, they could melt even a heart of stone.

Ramsey lived halfway up the side of Watermelon Mountain. Watermelon Mountain was so named because some ambitious mountain goat had tried to plant a very large patch of watermelons, which had died, because, as everyone knows, watermelons do not grown the sides of mountains. Ramsey lived in a nice little house made of sticks and grass, thatched with reeds. He had a nice little garden where he grew all his mountainous vegetables. He had a nice bed made out of grass and leaves, a nice table made of wood, and a nice little sink where he kept his little wooden toothbrush. It was a very pleasant house, to be sure.

One morning of a lovely summer day, Ramsey woke up, stretched, and got out of bed. He brushed his teeth, washed his beard, and ate his breakfast. When he had washed his dishes he went outside. He looked around him and said, “I would like to go on an adventure.” He wondered what sort of adventure he should go on. He looked around him and thought, “I’ve never been to the top of the mountain. I think I’ll go to the top of the mountain.”

His mind made up, he put on his hat (to keep the sun out of his eyes) and set off on his way. It was a long, steep trek up to the top of the mountain, and Ramsey was quite tired by the time he got to the top. He had to stop several times to catch his breath and drink water from the mountain streams.

When he got to the top, there was a Rock Gnome, sitting on a rock sunning himself. Rock Gnomes are usually hard to see when they are sunning themselves on rocks, but this one had on a bright red hat, so Ramsey could see him quite well.

“Hello,” said Ramsey to the Rock Gnome.

“Hello,” said the Rock Gnome gruffly. Rock Gnomes don’t get out much, so their manners aren’t the best.

“What’s your name?” Ramsey asked.

“What’s your name?” the Rock Gnome asked back.

“Ramsey,” said Ramsey.

“That’s a silly name,” the Rock Gnome said gruffly. Remember, Rock Gnomes don’t get out much.

“No it isn’t,” Ramsey said.

The Rock Gnome shrugged. “Well. Suite yourself.”

“Thank you, I will,” Ramsey said. “What’s your name?”

“Silverstone,” the Rock Gnome said.

Ramsey thought that was just as silly a name as his, but he didn’t say anything because he was a very polite mountain goat. Instead he said, “That’s a very nice hat you’ve got on.”

“Why, thank you,” the Rock Gnome said gruffly. “I got it for my birthday. My birthday was last week.”

“Well, many happy returns of the day.”

“Thanks,” said Silverstone. “Say, do you want to come visit me?”

“Well, sure, why not?” Ramsey said. “That would be nice.”

The Silverstone got off his rock. “It’s this way.” He led the way to his rock house. He opened his little rock door, which was painted red, and he and Ramsey went in. It was a very nice rock house. There was a little rock table, and a little rock bed (Rock Gnomes sleep on pebbles. They like it very much, though I can’t see why.), a little rock refrigerator, and a little rock sink with a toothbrush.

“Would you like something to eat?” Silverstone asked.

“Yes, please,” Ramsey said. He sat down at the little rock table, and Silverstone brought him a bowl. There were rocks inside the bowl. Silverstone got himself a bowl of rocks, and sat on the other side of the table.

Ramsey didn’t much like rocks. Mountain goats don’t, as a rule. But Ramsey was a very polite mountain goat, so he didn’t say anything. He picked up a rock and put it in his mouth, but he couldn’t chew it. It had a funny, iron-y sort of taste, too, that he didn’t like. He didn’t want to be impolite, though, so when Silverstone wasn’t looking he slipped the rock into his napkin and then into his pocket.

“How do you like your rocks?” Silverstone asked.

“Mmmm, vewy goob,” Ramsey said as best as he could around a mouthful of rock.

Silverstone beamed happily. “Are you thirsty?” he asked.

“Yes, I am,” Ramsey nodded.

Silverstone went to his stone refrigerator and took out a pitcher. He poured a grayish liquid into a rock cup and gave it to Ramsey. Ramsey took a drink. It didn’t taste good at all, but he didn’t want to be impolite, so he drank it all. “What is it?” he asked.

“It’s mineral water,” Silverstone told him. “It’s my favorite. I usually save it for special occasions, and I drink stream water normally, but you are my very first Mountain Goat guest, so I wanted to give some to you.”

“Why, thank you,” Ramsey said.

“Well, now that you’re finished, would you like to see my rock books?” Silverstone asked.

“Yes, please.” Ramsey didn't know what a rock book was, but he liked books.

Silverstone went to a rock cupboard and took out a book. It was made out of thin pieces of rock. He put the book on the table and opened it. There was a page made out of granite, all gray with streaks of white in it. There was a page made out of sandstone, yellow and crumbly. There was a page made out of red rock, and one made out of shiny emeralds. There was one made out of sapphires, and another made out of rubies. They were quite pretty.

“I make them to sell to other Rock Gnomes,” Silverstone told Ramsey. “They’re quite popular.”

“Oh, could I buy one?” Ramsey asked. “How much are they?”

“Well, I usually sell them for fifty rocks,” Silverstone said, “but for you, ten rocks.”

Ramsey was quite touched. “Why, thank you,” he said.

“Do you have any rock money?” Silverstone asked.

“Hmmm.” Ramsey thought for a moment, then remembered the rocks in his pocket. “Yes, I do!” he cried. He took the rocks out of his pocket – there were ten of them – and gave them to Silverstone.

“Now what kind of cover do you want on your book?” Silverstone asked. He showed Ramsey all the different kinds of covers. There were covers made out of silver, covers made out of gold, out of sapphires, rubies, and even diamonds.

“Oh, they’re all so pretty.” Ramsey scratched his head. “I don’t know.”

“Wait, I have just the thing.” Silverstone scampered off to his cupboard and took out a book. The cover was made out of all different kinds of stones, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, diamonds, and even some silver and gold.

“It’s perfect!” Ramsey cried. “Thank you, Silverstone.” He looked at the stone clock on Silverstone’s wall. It said the time was a quarter to five. He sighed. “Oh, I really should be going. My aunt is coming to dinner at six, and I have to have everything ready. She’s rather particular, you know.”

Silverstone didn't know, but he had relatives of his own, and he understood. “Well, let me give you a ride down the mountain.”

“A ride in what?”

“In my rockmobile. It’s the latest model.”

“Well, thank you, that would be very nice.”

Silverstone led Ramsey outside to his garage. He opened the door and there was the rockmobile, a lovely little car made out of rock. It is a little known fact, but Rock Gnomes are very advanced in industrial affairs.

“What a nice car!” Ramsey exclaimed when he saw it. Mountain Goats do not have cars; they rely on their own four feet to get them around.

“Thank you.” Silverstone was quite pleased. He was very proud of his car. He polished it every day so that it shone like silver, and always made sure there was plenty of blueberry juice to make it run.

Ramsey climbed into the passenger seat of the car, and Silverstone climbed into the driver’s seat. He started the car, and away they went down the side of the mountain. “You know,” Silverstone confessed as they drove along, “I’ve never been to your part of the mountain.”

“Well, I had never been to your part of the mountain, either,” Ramsey said. “I’m very glad I went.”

“I’m glad you went too. I’ve never had a Mountain Goat friend before.”

They reached Ramsey’s thatched house halfway down the side of Watermelon Mountain. Ramsey thanked Silverstone as he got out of the car. “I had a very lovely afternoon,” he told his new friend.

“So did I,” Silverstone agreed.

“Would you like to come to my house tomorrow?” Ramsey asked. “I could show you around.”

“Yes, please, I would like that very much.” Silverstone waved to Ramsey as he started back up the side of the mountain. Ramsey watched him go, and then turned into his house. He had a lot to do to prepare for Aunt Ramonia.