The next day the Mitchels packed their car with the necessary items they needed for their camping trip.
"Well dear we have all of the warm clothes we'll need and lighting fluid for the campfire as well as the marshmallows, and of course our tent, fishing gear, and video camera. Do we need anything else?" asked Mr. Mitchel.
"No, Henry. We seem to have everything right here. Now let's put them in the trunk," replied Mrs. Mitchel.
So they opened their car's back hood and packed their many suitcases into it which were a tight fit.
"I hope we'll be able to fit Dennis' things in," said Mrs. Mitchel with concern. "By the way where is Dennis?"
Mr. Mitchel turned towards the front door and called out, "Dennis, are you ready yet?"
"Almost, Dad!" Dennis called back. "I just need a little help with the TV set!"
Mr. and Mrs. Mitchel looked at each other questioningly. What did Dennis want with the TV set, they were both wondering. They quickly went into the house and found the TV set unplugged and Dennis struggling to pick it up.
"Dennis, what are you doing with the TV set?" Mr. Mitchel inquired.
"I'm trying to take it out so we can take it with us, only it won't fit into my suitcase," Dennis replied still struggling with it.
"Now Dennis we can't take the TV set with us," said Mr. Mitchel. "And we won't need it either."
Dennis paused in his struggling. "We won't? But what will do for entertainment?" he asked.
"We'll have plenty of ways to entertain ourselves," replied Mr. Mitchel heartily. "We'll go hiking in the deep woods, fishing in the great lakes, and we'll all roast marshmallows and sing folk songs around the campfire. That is the whole point of this vacation. To do things away from home which we don't do at home."
"Alright Dad," said Dennis. "Here's my suitcase." He handed him his suitcase and he nearly dropped it for the weight of it.
"Dennis, what on Earth did you pack?"he asked.
"My rock collection," replied Dennis. "I'm sure to collect more rocks on our trip."
They packed Dennis' rather heavy suitcase into the back of the car. Then Dennis stood in front of it and called out, "Hey, Ruff! Here boy!"
And immediately his great sheepdog Ruff came bounding and barking up to him and licked his face before jumping into the backseat of the car.
"Okay, Dad. We're ready now," said Dennis as he climbed in beside Ruff.
"Wait a second, Dennis," said Mr. Mitchel. "We cannot take Ruff with us."
"Why not?" asked Dennis sounding crestfallen.
"Well we can't have the extra trouble on the way and on the trip," explained Mr. Mitchel.
"Aw, Ruff won't be any trouble, will you, boy? And he can watch over us while we sleep in our tent outside and keep away the monsters of the woods," Dennis protested. "Come on, Dad. Please?"
Dennis parents looked at his pleading eyes and felt unable to say no to him at this time. "Well, I guess so," Mr. Mitchel relented. "Okay, son. Now buckle up."
"Oh boy! Thanks Dad!" exclaimed Dennis as he buckled his seat-belt.
Some hours later they were driving briskly down the long road to their destination and the car was filled with the sound of Dennis' loud singing.
"Ninety-one cans of root beer on the wall! Ninety-one cans of root beer! Take one down and pass it around! Ninety-two cans of root beer on the wall!"
Mr. and Mrs. Mitchels ears had finally had just about enough of this song. "Son, do you think you could try singing a different song now?" Mr. Mitchel asked calmly.
"Sure, Dad," said Dennis and immediately began singing a new song. "Old McDonald had a farm! Ee I ee I ohhh! And on this farm he had a cow! Ee I ee I ohhh! With a moo moo here, and a moo moo there! Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo!"
Ruff soon joined in Dennis' song with barks and howls.
"Old McDonald had a farm! Ee I ee I ohhh! And on this farm he had a dog! Ee I ee I ohhh! With a..."
"Ruff ruff!"
"Here, and a..."
"Ruff ruff!"
"There! Here a..."
"Ruff!"
"There a..."
"Ruff!"
"Everywhere a..."
"Ruff ruff!"
It was many hours later when they arrived at their destination. They parked their car in a designated area and then went into the local forest ranger station to register themselves.
"Welcome to the British Columbia Mountains, folks," the forest ranger said cordially. "Just remember, no littering, no feeding of the animals here, and as my good friend Smokey says, 'only you can prevent forest fires'."
"Of course," Mr. Mitchel agreed as he signed them in.
"And before I forget, here is a brochure for all the things to see around here and also a map so you don't get lost," the forest ranger continued as he handed them the items which he took from out of his desk.
"Thanks very much," said Mr. Mitchel. "These should come in very handy."
"Do they mention where to find the monster around here?" asked Dennis curiously.
"Monster? What monster?" asked the forest ranger in confusion.
"You know, Bigfoot," said Dennis.
The forest ranger chuckled heartily as did Dennis' parents. "Bigfoot! Oh my! So you've heard about the sightings that have been reported around here!"
"Now Dennis, there is no such thing as a Bigfoot, it's just a legend," Mr. Mitchel chided.
"That's right," said the forest ranger. "And I bet all the sightings that have been reported around here are really just bears or else just hoaxes. Well, enjoy your stay."
They left the ranger station and started to head to their campsite. Then suddenly Dennis' pet frog, Willie, hopped out of Dennis' front pocket and bounded away from them.
"Willie! Come back here!" cried Dennis as he rushed after his frog with his parents trying to keep up with him.
Dennis chased his frog around the woods until he was out of breath and when he paused to catch his breath he watched Willie for a brief moment as he hopped away into a den of thick trees. Disheartened, he sat down on a tree stump and looked down at the ground.
Dennis' parents found him soon. "You lost him, huh?" said Mr. Mitchel.
Dennis just nodded sadly.
"Well, I'm sure you'll find another frog soon," Mr. Mitchel said trying to cheer him up.
"No, I won't," said Dennis. "Willie was one in a million."
"Did he by any chance look like this?" asked a low, deep voice suddenly from behind him.
Dennis looked up and over his shoulder and he saw a tall man dressed in old buckskin clothing and wearing a mountain hat with long white hair hanging out of. His face was wrinkled with brownish skin and his eyes were deep set and full of mystery. In his hands he held a small green frog which Dennis instantly recognized as being his.
"Willie! Thanks Mister! I thought I'd lost him," exclaimed Dennis as he took Willie into his hands again.
"My pleasure," replied the old man. "My name is Fer Young and I am a leader of the Salish tribe around here. I am always glad to help any visitors who come here."
"So you know about everything around here?" asked Dennis.
"Indeed I do," replied Fer Young.
"Then do you know about the monster Bigfoot who lives here?" asked Dennis eagerly.
"You must excuse Dennis, he is just a little boy," Mr. Mitchel said quickly.
"Of course," replied Fer Young. "And we do have a Bigfoot around but he is no monster and we call him and his clan the Sasquatches which means 'wild man of the woods', a name that fits them as they are they guardians of these woods and they live somewhere up near the mountains where they keep watch over everything."
"Have you ever seen a Sasquatch before?" asked Dennis.
"Yes, I have met a few on numerous occasions in my life," replied Fer Young. "When I was much younger I met a young Sasquatch and we exchanged gestures for a moment and then I gave him some of the fish I had just caught and the next day I found he had left some wild berries and fruits for me outside my door. Then a few years later while I was out fishing and almost drowned presumably the same Sasquatch came to my rescue."
"Wow! That is so cool!" exclaimed Dennis. "I'd sure like to meet a Sasquatch myself."
Fer Young smiled. "Perhaps you will. The Sasquatches are said to have mystical powers and can make themselves invisible to human eyes at will for they are very shy, but they can also look into a human soul and see if it is a pure one and if it is they may choose to reveal themselves. I believe I see a pure soul in you, Dennis, and so I'd like you to have this." He took from around his neck a thin string with a strange ruby red stone on the end of it which had a queer shape somewhat like a footprint.
"Gee, thanks," said Dennis. "What is it for?"
"I have a feeling you will find out soon enough," replied Fer Young and then he bade them goodbye and they went their separate ways.