The Adventures of Mon And Tauk by Paul T. Cook






*Naturalistic Observations* by Paul T. Cook (Bremerton, Washington, 1975) Witness the death of a tree after a storm, perhaps a very heavy rain as invaders in the night, striking swiftly and with heedless warnings. Or at times in the bright sun the potential house, once a gem in the forest, the length submitted to the quadrant fall. Once beautiful coat, the bark, bears ugly scars but reveals the solid trunk of year layers. We ponder, "Why this tree?" further, "Why this mighty natural wonder?" Passing curiosity goes not beneath its coat. The seeker, loving or appreciative of nature pauses to examine, to analyze, to discover. This fibrous cadaver will become its own grave, but "Why this tree", again heard by unconcerned boughs. Environment for trees, not unlike that of man, reveals soft soil at the precious point where once the roots of life had nurtured. It drank of thirst freely, never in want from shallow water table, short to reach. Troubled times from air, not even gusts had swayed a branch or dropped a seed of holiday adornment. Unconditioned in this habitat in the rigors of a storm, certain of the population in this stand fall, unprepared, some not even knowing. Observe some others in the stand still reaching to the sky for enlightment, towards earth's center for nutrient, reaching ever reaching not in waiting. Tall and straight from heavenly reach, as hundreds of fingers work into the depths of soil towards drink and food, elusive yet available, to the tireless and deserving, these trees still grow, still live to provide, to share their usefulness and beauty. How often now we mortals also fall from stunted root, awaiting care that never comes from undernourished, or over-tended earth. Without strong root, a whisper of breeze becomes as if a mighty storm, unable to sway and flex, as boughs in health. Some fold and droop, prerequisite to eternity, as if a tree without its ground.

The Adventures of Mon And Tauk by Paul T. Cook

Illustrated by Tanya Stewart

ISBN: 0-533-14937-1

Published by Vantage Press, Inc.

419 Park Ave., South

New York, NY 10016

Meet Mon and Tauk, a fun-loving brother and sister pair. These two mussels spend their day clinging to their pier in Fort Pond Bay, waiting for the tide to come in, and telling tales about many of their fellow Fort Pond Bay dwellers.

Tauk takes her responsibilities as an older sister very seriously, and sets out to tell her brother, Mon, everything he needs to know to survive life in the bay. Mon loves to hear the stories of all their aquatic friends; from Louie the Lobster and his miraculous escape from the lobster trap, to Gus the Dolphin and his adventures in warmer waters down south.

Paul T. Cook shows his love of the Fort Pond Bay area in this delightful children's tale. The Adventures of Mon and Tauk introduces children to various forms of sea life and teaches them about the effects that human beings can have on the environment around them.

A publisher is being sought for "Die Abenteuer von Mon und Tauk" the German translated version of "The Adventures of Mon and Tauk" which was published in English language in 2005.

EXCERPT - The Adventures of Mon and Tauk

Page 8

"What was it like, Tauk, when Mom and Dad were here?"

"Mon, just a few weeks after you quit drifting as a larva and you attached yourself to this piling while a spat, Mom and Dad were crushed by one of the boats mooring at the dock. They were always clinging close together, so they met their fate, along with several very nice neighbors, during this same mooring. Dad was getting quite old, but in good shape. He exercised his valves religiously every day and he was well respected by all the other bivalves, all the swimmers, and all the crawlers below. His best friends though were Gus the Dolphin and Melvin the Skate. Gus and Melvin were just as sad as I when this happened. since the tide was in at the time, they were able to swim up to our cluster and give their condolences. Of course it pleased me that Gus and Melvin took time out to visit me, but I was sad for a long time afterward. When you began to grow and became more mature, I felt much better because you and I became very close.

"Reading of episode" from The Adventures of Mon and Tauk to mixed group of students at Montessori Int'l School, Bonn, Germany