One day a young girl named Rebecca went to visit her grumpy old grandpa. She loved him a lot even though he had a patch over one eye, always had an old gun hanging out of his belt, walked with a funny limp and smelt of fish. She often dressed up the same way and today she had made a sword out of alfoil and cardboard, a pirate's hat out of one of her dad's favourite hankies and a black patch made out of a plastic drink bottle top over her eye.

"Rebecca", he said grumpily, "It looks like you're the only one in the family who will ever be a pirate so I'm going to give you my treasure map, my sword and my old pirate's hat."

"Really Grandpa?"

"Arrrhh. Yes." he said. "I'm getting too old to be off chasing after treasure, fighting dragons and escaping from dangerous whirlpools and volcanoes. Here's my old treasure map."

He reached down and unbuckled his wooden leg and out of the hollow in the end he pulled a creased and greasy bit of paper and handed it to Rebecca.

She unfolded it really carefully and looked at the lines and words scrawled all over it. She could see a skull and cross bones, a volcano and a big X near an old Oak Tree.

"Arrhh. It's a map. I drew it myself. Sorry about that spot of blood in the middle and the burnt edges. I had to fight for my life to get off that island."

" Cool! What happened Grandpa?"

"Arrrhh. I was just starting to dig for the treasure when a ... Arrrhh. Arrrhhh. It's me heart."

Rebecca's old grandpa fell to the floor holding his chest and looking really pale. She ran to the phone and called an Ambulance.

"They're coming Grandpa."

It wasn't long before she heard the strange wailing siren of the ambulance and the local dogs joining in howling the same way. She ran outside and waved to the ambulance officers. They brought in their emergency pack and after a while lifted her Grandpa onto a stretcher. They told Rebecca that her grandpa had had a heart attack and would have to take to hospital.

"Find the treasure girl," he said as they lifted him into the back of the ambulance and drove off towards the hospital with the siren wailing.

Rebecca looked at the map and wondered how she was going to get to the treasure island so she could dig up the treasure. She had didn't have a boat, couldn't fly, didn't have any money. "Oh, I wish, I wish there was a way to get there. Grandpa really wants me to."

She heard a tinkling sound and in the window flew the most beautiful fairy she had ever seen.

"You made a wish," said the fairy who was pointing a glittering wand right at Rebecca. "Would you like to swim or fly to the treasure island?"

"Oh fly please."

The fairy waved the wand round and round whispered some strange words, threw some sparkles into the air and tapped Rebecca on her head. "Follow me," she said as she flew out of the window.

They flew out of the house and out over the sea past islands and whales and fishing boats until they got to an island with a smoking volcano in the middle and a huge skull and cross bones painted on a rock near the beach.

"This is it," said Rebecca, "Stop."

They landed and started to follow the directions on the map all the way to the foot of a big Oak Tree.

"This is the spot," she said, "but how are we going to dig in this ground? Grandpa had that heart attack before he gave me anything else."

The fairy touched Rebecca's alfoil and cardboard sword with her wand and turned it into a strong, shining shaft of steel. Rebecca started digging in the dirt. It was hard work but it wasn't long before she heard a clunk as the sword struck something hard. She got down on her knees, brushed away the dirt and realised that she had found a treasure chest made out of wood with steel bands and a large lock.

She hit the lock with the sword but it didn't break. "Oh I wish that silly old lock would just fall off on the ground."

"OK," said the fairy and the lock fell off onto the ground.

Rebecca pushed the point of the sword under the lid and prised the chest open. It was full of black cloth which Rebecca gave a shove with the point of her sword. There was a groan as the cloth began to move and unfold.

Rebecca jumped back as a figure dressed in black stood up in the chest and reached out to grab her with its long twisted fingers.

"Help!"

The fairy flew down into the hole with its wand pointing at the demon but she was too slow. The demon's other hand flashed out and grabbed her by her wings and pulled her towards its mouth.

Rebecca could see the demon's fangs glinting in the sunlight and knew she had act quickly. She reached down and grabbed the sword and plunged it into the demon's chest. Black blood sprayed out of the wound as the demon fell shrieking into the old chest. Rebecca slammed the lid shut, fitted the lock in place and watched as the fairy sealed it with her wand.

"Thank goodness," sighed the fairy, "you put him back in his place. Thank you Rebecca."

"That's all right, I guess. I wish we had found treasure in that chest though. Grandpa will be disappointed."

"Maybe we can still find some treasure," said the fairy. "Where has that map got to?"

Rebecca pulled it out of her pocket and unfolded it and held it up so they could both see it. The fairy swished her wand back and forth behind the map so that the light shone through.

"Oh, wow! There's another map showing through. Look there's another X beside that lake."

They flew across the island to the lake and there in a cave found another chest. The fairy raised her wand to remove the lock but nothing happened. The lock was still firmly in place. "Oh I wish I could ask Grandpa what to do."

"OK," said the fairy. There was a flash of light and Rebecca found herself in a hospital room, the treasure chest was on the floor and Grandpa was in bed.

"Grandpa, Grandpa. I need your help."

"What? What is it? Oh, Rebecca, you're back."

"Yes Grandpa. We've found this treasure chest but we can't get the lock off. Do you know how?"

"Well, I might. I might. Get my false leg out of that cupboard in the corner there will you girl."

Rebecca fetched the false leg and handed it to her Grandpa. He pulled on the big toe until it popped out. "Got you me hearty. Now let me see that lock."

Rebecca pulled the chest over towards Grandpa's bed and lifted the lock up as high as she could. Grandpa turned the big toe around and Rebecca could see a key on the other end of it. She watched as Grandpa slipped the key into the lock and gave it a twist.

The lock clicked open and Rebecca opened up the chest. It was full of gold and diamonds, rubies, emeralds and pearls.

"Hoh, hoh, hoh, me hearties. A treasure chest full of treasure. It gladdens me heart. I feel better already."

Rebecca's Grandpa sat up in bed. Strapped on his false leg. Popped the key toe back into place. Grabbed a handful of pearls and jewels and walked around the hospital giving treasure out to the nurses and patients and hospital workers. When he got back to his room he said, "Come on Rebecca. Close that lid again. Put that chest in a wheel chair. We're going home and on the way I think we'll stop and buy a new sailing boat."

Rebecca felt so happy to see her Grandpa well again she gave him a big hug and a kiss as they pushed the wheel chair with the treasure chest in it down the hall way towards the lift.

(This story was created by myself and children at Manly State School After Hours Care (Manly, Brisbane) during and after an interactive improvisation at the end of a performance.)

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