It was an ordinary day in winter. Sam hated road trips because whenever he dozed off in a car, he had weird dreams and the honking of trucks made his head throb.

“Stop it! Be quiet!” Emma, his sister, shouted fiercely into his ear. Sam woke up. He hadn’t known that he was snoring loudly. Sam and his family were going to spend winter vacation with their grandparents who lived in a remote peaceful area.

The journey was normal for other family members, but bit sad for Sam as he had failed his mid-term exams because he never took examinations seriously. He had taken his school bag with him, so he could study during the winter break.

Emma kept on teasing Sam about it because she was a bright student and always aced her exams. There was no space in the car to put Sam’s bag, so his father had tied it on the roof with a rope. When they had driven half way through the journey, the car ran out of fuel. They stopped at a gas station for a break. After some time, Sam asked his dad to stop so that he could take a book from his bag and read it on the way. When they stopped the car, it dawned upon them that his bag was no longer on the roof.

Sam was almost paralysed with fear. Sam’s dad remembered that he had not tied the bag tightly. They drove back on the same road slowly so that they could find it, but it was nowhere to be found. Sam had kept all the course books and notebooks in it. He had also borrowed some books from the school library.

Sam and his family were in despair because he had worked very hard preparing all his notes and this was not an appropriate time to lose them. Sam had lost all hope and tears welled up in his eyes because now he had to buy new books and make his notes once again.

They were about to turn the car when Sam spotted an old woodcutter, with a bundle of wood on his head and Sam’s bag on his shoulder, walking slowly by the roadside.

Seeing his bag Sam was filled with joy and cried in excitement, “Dad, my bag, please drive fast, I don’t want to lose this man!”

They stopped the car and Sam jumped out in front of the old woodcutter, who was stunned to see them all, but realised the reason for the sudden appearance of Sam.

And he said, “I know, I know, this bag must be yours. You look so worried … don’t worry nothing is missing.” He handed Sam his bag smilingly.

Sam was so grateful to the old man for keeping it safe. After that, Sam didn’t let his father tie the bag on the roof, he kept it on his lap and in his embrace for he just had a narrow escape.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 31st, 2018