"What are you doing boy?" asked a gruff, gentle voice from behind him.

Daniel turned around with a start, "Looking at the playhouse uncle."

"Oh," said the uncle, "You stay away from there."

"Why?" asked Daniel.

"It's very old, and there are creatures that go in there sometimes," said his uncle sternly.

"I don't think it is safe anymore," said the uncle, his voice quieting to a whisper. "I built the playhouse twenty-three years ago for your cousin Maria."

The uncle looked at Daniel and said very roughly, "You stay out of there," and he walked off towards the buildings at the back of the farm.

Daniel sat back on the log that he had been sitting on and continued to look at the playhouse.

Daniel and his family were staying at his uncle’s house for the summer while his father built them a new house.

Their house burnt down just before Daniel finished Grade 2 and they moved to uncle’s place, a large old two-level white house located about 200 yards from the playhouse.

Daniel looked at the playhouse, "It didn't look unsafe," he thought to himself. He turned around to see if his uncle was gone.