After a few more minutes the Coachman had returned and moved to address everyone.
"All right, guys," the Coachman began. "In a moment, we'll cast off and hopefully within the hour or so we'll be at Pleasure Island with plenty of time for you play to your hearts' desires."
The boys and girls then all erupted into very loud cheers at the Coachman's words and he set about to put the steamboat ferry into motion. Moments later, the steam blew from the ship's pipes and its foghorn blared, signaling that they were casting off.
This drew even more cheers from the hundred or so kids crammed tightly aboard the ferry.
Paola watched excitedly as the ferry inched closer and closer to Pleasure Island. It had been a long trip, maybe an hour or two, but they were finally here!
The entire island was surrounded by walls and rocks. The only way onto the island itself was through a cave that contained a hidden harbor for the ferry to dock.
The ferry glided across the water and through the cave entrance, stopping to dock alongside a wooden barge within the cave itself. Opposite from the ferry was a large stone wall that was like that of a castle complete with a wooden drawbridge.
The Coachman stepped off the ferry and strode briskly towards the stone wall.
"We're here, kids!" the Coachman shouted in a friendly tone. "Pleasure Island. Get ready, for when I lower the drawbridge and you enter the park... you'll NEVER want to leave."
Paola, Nicole and the girl they had met on the ferry, Giovanna, joined with the other kids on the ferry in the chorus of cheers.
The Coachman then raised a lever to one side of the cavern wall and moments later the drawbridge swung down to reveal two large wooden gate doors underneath a stone arch. Above the arch was a sign that read: "PLEASURE ISLAND".
Curiously though, there was what appeared to be the carved face of a donkey right above the sign for some reason or other.
Music, -- fun fair music -- then began to boom from behind the gates. Paola and her friends could hardly contain their excitement and they all started jumping up and down at the thought of all the endless fun that were sure to have!
"Race ya!" Nicole said with a smile.
"You're on!" Paola replied to her friend's challenge.
"I bet I can out race you both" Giovanna said with a glare in her eyes.
Suddenly the wooden doors swung open, allowing entry into the island itself and it was a mad dash for the hundred or more boys and girls aboard the ferry to be the first ones there.
As Paola raced alongside Nicole and Giovanna past the gates and across a stone bridge, they became AWESTRUCK by what awaited them.
It was the world's biggest, most magical amusement park they had ever seen. There were roller coasters, the tallest ferris wheel in the world, a carousel, circus tents, midway games, fireworks and more!
It was a children's paradise!
A large animatronic clown's head with a moving mouth and eyes sat atop an arch that was anchored between two large candy cane striped pillars. It spoke out a prerecorded greeting: "WELCOME to PLEASURE ISLAND!"
"You'll never have to listen to your parents or teacher's EVER AGAIN! Do whatever you want! Enjoy yourselves! Get your cake, pie, and ice cream. Eat all you can. It’s all free, kids, it's all free. Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!"
As the crowd of kids bolted for the various attractions, Paola and her friends stopped for a moment to take in the sights of their new surroundings and plan what to do next. Paola turned to her left and saw the carousel in motion.
She tugged on Nicole's shoulder and pointed excitedly to the carousel. "Nicole, let's ride the carousel first" she said with glee!
"Ok," Nicole replied. "Then let's get some cake or ice cream."
"I think I'm gonna get ice cream first," Giovanna said. "I'll meet you at the carousel afterwards." The trio then split up. Paola and Nicole approached the carousel and waited for it to stop before boarding.
But there was something different about the Pleasure Island carousel. Unlike other carousels, which featured horses, this one had donkeys instead. Rather sad looking ones too!
As Paola and Nicole climbed aboard their own donkey on the carousel, Paola scratched the side of her head in bewilderment. "Nicole," she asked her friend. "This carousel has donkeys instead of horses. I've never rode a carousel with donkeys before."
"Maybe the designer wanted to change it up a little" Nicole said with a shrug of her shoulders as the carousel began to move.
Or maybe there was something different and strange about Pleasure Island all together.