"Can I go to Australia?" Janey asked Mama.
"You can go wherever you want with your imagination," said Mama.
Janey didn't know what an imagination was, but she was glad she had one (Mama said she did) to go to Australia.
"If I'm going to Australia, I'll have to pack first." So she went into her bedroom and pulled out two dresses, a shirt, some shorts, a pair of pajamas, and some clean underwear. Then she went to her closet, found her backpack, and stuffed the clothes inside.
She put her backpack on her back, grabbed her teddy bear, and walked into the kitchen where Mama was feeding the baby.
"I need some food to take with me to Australia. What do kangaroos like to eat?" Janey asked.
"Mostly grass," said Mama, "and roots and leaves."
"Yuck," Janey made a face. "I'll just take a sandwich." So she made a peanut butter sandwich and put it in her backpack with a bag of chips and a banana.
"How do I get to Australia?" Janey asked after she put her shoes on.
"You can take an airplane or a boat. It takes a long time to get there. Australia is very far away. It's on the other side of the ocean. But you can get there any way you want with your imagination."
"Okay. I'm going to Australia now." Janey said. She waved goodbye to Mama and the baby and walked out the back door.
Janey jumped onto her bicycle and started away. She rode for a long, long time. She rode over mountains and through prairies. She rode past dear and grizzly bears. She rode through cities and past farms. Finally, Janey reached the ocean.
Janey found a boat that said Australia on it and got on. She decided to watch from the deck as they sailed away from the shore. She sailed for a long, long time. She sailed over waves and around islands. She sailed past whales and dolphins. She sailed through a storm and into the sun. Finally she reached Australia.
Janey thanked the captain for giving her a ride and jumped off the boat to explore Australia. Janey walked all over Australia. She walked through the desert and over beaches. She walked past echidnas and platypuses. She petted koalas and dingos.
After a long time, Janey found a kangaroo. "Hello, kangaroo," Janey said. "May I eat with you?"
The kangaroo was very polite an offered Janey some of his grass.
"No, thank you," she said. "I brought my own food." She pulled out her sandwich and chips and banana and talked with the kangaroo until they both were too tired to stay awake.
Janey dreamed about Mama and the baby. She dreamed about playing tag and dressing up. She dreamed about her house and all the dolls in her bed.
When Janey woke up she decided it was time to go home. She waved goodbye to the kangaroo and walked until she could see the ocean again. She saw a plane that said America on it and she got on.
She watched out the window as the plane took off. She flew for a long, long time. She flew up into the sky. She flew in the air and through the clouds. She flew past blue birds and eagles and doves. She flew over a rainbow and under the sun.
When the plane landed, Janey thanked the pilot and hopped off. She found her bike and pedaled home as fast as she could.
When she got home, she ran through the back door. She ran past her toys and she ran past her dolls. She ran past the kitchen table and her pet fish. She ran past the baby and into Mama's arms.
"I went to Australia, Mama," Janey said. "I was gone a long, long time. Australia is really far away."
"With your imagination, you can go anywhere you want," Mama said.
Janey still didn't know what an imagination was, but she was glad she had one. Janey hugged Mama one more time and said "Tomorrow, I want to go to Japan."
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