They Hiked at a Lake
Mack and Zack liked to take long hikes at a lake. One of the best paths was at the west end of the lake. There, they hiked past a big grove of pine trees. Mack collected pinecones. He used them to make gifts for his mom and dad.
The next best path at the lake was the east end. There the boys hiked up a big hill. Zack collected rocks. He used them to line the paths at his home. His dad liked the way the stones looked along the paths.
One day, Mack and Zack needed a change. This time, they hiked past the big lake. They looked for pinecones but did not find any. They looked for rocks to collect but did not find pretty stones. They stopped to look at frogs as they jumped in the reeds. They looked at ducks as they dived in the water. They gazed at a stream as it flowed into the lake.
At three, Mack and Zack went home. Zack’s dad asked about stones for his paths. Mack’s mom asked to see more pinecones. Then the boys told Mack’s mom and Zack’s dad about the things they saw at the lake. Mack’s mom said that friends were better than gifts and stone paths. Zack’s dad agreed.