Rudy Backpack

A loud „Toot, toot!" and the train pulls into the station. Lisa loves train travel, even more than car travel. Nevertheless, she fidgets at the exit because it's her first time on vacation in Tyrol all alone with her dad. And specifically, in the valley where her dad used to go with Grandpa very often. Arriving at the hotel, Lisa immediately wants to see the new playground. „Not so fast, young lady!" her dad calls out from the bedroom. „Do you remember the picture of Grandpa and me on the mountain pasture?" „Of course! I have it in our kitchen," she calls back. „That's exactly what I mean. On that mountain pasture there are the very best speck dumplings, that's where we're going first, I think I can still remember a great shortcut.' Both of them take their backpacks and off they go!

Finally in the woods! Suddenly, they stand before a fork in the path. Lisa looks at her dad questioningly: „Which way should we go?" He ponders, „I don't remember anymore either." Then his face lights up. „Rudi Rucksack can help us! Your grandpa told me the story of a good forest spirit back then, whom only children are allowed to call. Luckily, I still remember the rhyme. Lisa, call out as loud as you can: ‚One-two-three, Rudi Rucksack come to me! Two-three-four, show us what you're capable of, once more!'„ No sooner said than done, suddenly a creature with thin arms and legs and big, round eyes peeks out from behind a fir tree. "Hello, I'm Rudi, can I help you?" he asks in a friendly, gnarled voice.

„Which way leads to the mountain pasture?" asks Lisa. „Phew, good question! I don't have a map, but we can build a special compass!" He pulls a needle from his belly, rubs it on his felt hat, and then places it on a leaf in a puddle. It immediately begins to spin and finally points in one direction. „Thank you! You're the best! Do you want to join us?" Lisa exclaims enthusiastically. „Gladly!" laughs Rudi, swings himself onto Lisa's back, and falls silent as if he had fallen asleep.

After a while, they come to a wide stream, and there is no bridge in sight. Lisa calls out, „One-two-three, Rudi Backpack, come here! Two-three-four, show me what you can do!" Immediately, the talking backpack begins to rummage in its belly. A diving mask flies out, „that won't help us much." Suddenly, he holds a long rope in his hands, „this magic rope is what I was looking for!" „As if by magic, it stretches across the water. This way, Lisa and her companions can safely wade through the stream.„ – "We made it! Thanks, Rudi!"

But after a while, Dad looked at the sky and said worriedly, „those dark clouds don't bode well, I can already feel the first raindrops." Lisa is afraid of thunderstorms. She doesn't hesitate for long and calls out, „One-two-three, Rudi Backpack, come here! Two-three-four, show me what you can do!" Again, the forest spirit begins to rummage in his belly. He pulls out a noodle strainer and looks at Lisa and her dad questioningly. „No, we need something else for that, a tent or something." Rudi keeps searching and holds a large tarp in his hands, „I just don't have any tent poles." „But you still have the magic rope for that! We'll stretch it between two trees, lay the tarp over it, and we'll have our shelter," Lisa explains excitedly. With the first large drops, the three are already snuggled under the tarp and are glad that the alpine meadow is only a stone's throw away.

The thunderstorm will soon pass, and the hike continues. „Look, Dad, I can already see the hut!' calls Lisa. "And I can already smell the bacon dumpling soup!„ laughs her father, "just like 30 years ago.„ On the alpine pasture, Rudi Rucksack bids them a wistful farewell: "Take care, you two, I have to go back to my forest. You know how to find me, and Lisa, tell your friends too!„ They wave after him for a long time.