"We're going
letterboxing!" answered Uncle Marvin.
"What's 'letterboxing'?"
she asked, picturing in her mind a bunch of alphabetical characters
wearing gloves and punching each other.
"It's kind of
like going on a treasure hunt," he replied. "I just know you'll love
it! But, first, you need a special letterboxing code-name. Hmmm..."
he pondered, "What should we call you?"
"Can I be BUTTERFLY?"
she suggested.
"Funny, I was
sorta hoping you'd say that," he said, as he reached for his backpack.
"I have something for you. An artist friend of mine in Vermont carved
it. I hope you like it." He pulled a little block of wood out of his
pack that appeared to have an eraser glued to it.
Sensing a bit
of disappointment on her face, he explained, "It's a rubber stamp...
Let me show you." He put his hand into the pack again, and pulled
out a small, flat box. It was an ink pad, Tina realized, like the
one she'd seen the librarian use to stamp the due date in a book she
had checked out last week.
