The Slippers Kingdom

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kaiserwoods982
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Re: The Slippers Kingdom

Post by kaiserwoods982 »

The Slippers kingdom - chapter 7
They found themselves at the edge of the lake, at the entrance to the wooden pontoon bridge that led to the temple. The entrance was guarded by three armed soldiers, two men and a woman.
"Why all these precautions?" asked Sandro.
"Because the Golden Slippers have a very high symbolic value for our kingdom, and we fear that the army of the Land of Crocs will try to steal them from us. They have tried in the past, so the statue is guarded at all times," Angela explained.
Cindy noticed that the woman soldier was wearing closed slippers, much like the men's, made of blue velvet with a very thick sole. They looked very sturdy but were stylish. The two men had gray corduroy slippers, also with a very sturdy sole.
The soldiers let them walk on the dock and they quickly arrived at the small temple. The place was enchanting, on this small island in the middle of the lake. Some huge trees surrounded the temple, birds were singing. And the friends entered the temple, which had no walls. They saw the Golden Slippers placed on an altar, protected by glass. It was a sculpture of a man's slipper with a woman's ballerina slipper on top, pointing down. The sculpture was made of gold, and was a little more than a meter high and twice as wide.
They admired the sculpture for a moment and then set off on their way back, delighted by their discovery. They crossed the pontoon in the other direction, and returned to the tunnel entrance. Just before entering, they heard a roll of thunder. The storm was about to break.
They waded through the mud of the tunnel again, not worrying about their slippers. Then they passed through the flooded area. Sandro noticed that no one was complaining about having wet feet anymore. Even Henry seemed to be having fun walking in the water with his mules! He enjoyed the spectacle of his comrades' slippers slipping in and out of the dirty water with each step.
Then they emerged from the tunnel on the other side, under a driving rain. The storm had finally broken. The group began to wait a while in the shelter of the tunnel, hoping that the rain would not last. But it was going to last a long time, and it was getting late. John was the first to step out into the rain.
"I think we should go, we'll get wet, but we have to get back.
The others followed him into the heavy rain. Fortunately, it was summer, and not cold. After only a few minutes, they were all completely soaked. Jane's skirt was sticking to her thighs, showing off her long legs which ended with the ballerina slippers lent by Angela. The t-shirts of each of them were pressed against their bodies, water running down their clothes.
Cindy began to dance in the rain: "Yeah, it's cool, a shower! I love it!" she sang as she waded through the mud in her new slippers. Contaminated by her good mood, the others started to dance too, arms spread out in the pouring rain. It would have been an illusion to stay dry anyway.
Melissa and Henry also had fun walking in the water with their mules. At one point, they took them off, walked barefoot in the water, filled their slippers with water and put them back on.
Sandro enjoyed walking through the puddles and mud with his slippers, as much as he enjoyed watching the others do the same. Angela and Igor were more concerned about finding the right way back down and worried that no one would slip on the way down and get hurt.
The small path that went down to the edge of the lake had turned into a river, with the runoff of the rain, and they had to be really careful. Angela, who had slippers that held her foot well and had a good sole, took Melissa's hand to help her down and hold her back when she slipped. Likewise, Igor helped Henry make his way down safely, sometimes pushing his slippers into the mud to find a better support.
"It's fun, it's true, but these shoes aren't very practical in these kinds of conditions," Henry said, looking at his mules. "I wonder if we wouldn't be better off going barefoot."
"You might hurt yourself on rocks or branches" replied John, "I think you have better time trying to keep your slippers on".
So they walked carefully and slowly down the trail, mud covering their feet to the ankles in places. Cindy was particularly excited and wanted to kiss Sandro in the middle of the descent. "Isn't this fun?" she asked him. "Yes, I love it! And my new slippers are even more comfortable than the others. And I must say, yours are awfully sexy!"
It was still raining when they finally arrived at the lakefront. The rain had turned the lakeside path into a series of puddles, which at least cleaned up the mud. Their slippers returned to their original colors as they walked through the water.
When they came in sight of the village, they started running like children, through the puddles and still in the rain, trying to splash as much water as possible around them. When they finished their run, Angela turned around and said: "By the way, if you like running, I am part of the organization of a race that will take place next Saturday around the village. A cross country race. The distances are not very long, 3 or 5 kilometers. Would you like to participate?»
Cindy and Sandro immediately announced that they were interested, as they were both regular runners, but with sneakers. This would be an opportunity to try running with slippers on. Henry and Melissa weren't available that day, and didn't really like running anyway. As for Jane, she ran a lot and even competed sometimes and said she was up for it. John announced that he would go with her, although he had not decided if he would participate or not.
In the village, they passed several people walking down the street, sheltered under umbrellas, with slippers on their feet. Some were trying to avoid the puddles, others, like our friends, were not making the effort.
Eventually they arrived at Angela and Igor's house. Since it was late, they did not stop long. Jane gave Angela back her blue slippers, which were completely soaked. She apologized for giving them back to her in this state. "It's okay, they'll dry and be as good as new tomorrow. Unless you want to keep them to go home."
"No thanks, I'll put mine back on to go home, they'll be soaked but that's okay." And Jane put her white Isotoner ballerinas back on. They took their leave of Angela and Igor, promising to meet again the following Saturday.
They still had to get back to Sandro and Cindy's house. They found the path through the forest, which had become very muddy. Jane's little slippers were filled with water in just a few steps, and she paid no more attention to them. In the forest, they passed two girls coming in the opposite direction. Their clothes were soaked and had become transparent. As for their ballerina slippers, they were so muddy that it was no longer possible to become their original color.
Melissa had found the technique to walk in water with her mules, and found some pleasure in it. But she was sure that they would be ruined, and this upset her a little.
Then they arrived at the place where there was already some mud in normal time, just after the viewpoint with the bench. The area had become a huge, deep mud puddle. John jumped in first, his black and green slippers disappearing into the mud to the middle of his shins. Then Cindy jumped up and threw herself flat on her stomach in the middle of the puddle and rolled in. The others watched in amazement.
"Soaked for soaked, we might as well have a little fun, right?" she threw. And Sandro followed her, imitated her and lay down next to her in the mud. Jane joined them at once. John looked at them for a moment, but stayed where he was. He enjoyed the feel of the mud on and in his slippers, but he didn't want to be completely covered in it. As for Melissa and Henry, they bravely stepped into the mud, but gave up lying in the mud. When they reached the three who were still wading, Melissa pulled her mule out, filled it with mud and poured the contents onto Sandro's back. Everyone burst out laughing.
They played in the mud for a while, then got up and went back to the house. They went through the gate. When they arrived at Sandro and Cindy's house, Jane immediately went to take a shower to get clean. The couple offered their friends dry clothes, and stayed covered in mud while they waited for everyone to leave.
"So, how did you like this expedition?" asked Cindy. "It was great. I love walking around in slippers, I'm going to buy a more practical pair than this and come back" Jane replied immediately, pointing to her Isotoner ballet flats that had turned brown. The others had also appreciated it very much. They put on their street shoes and went home.
As for Cindy and Sandro, they went to their garden, took a hose and cleaned themselves, creating a new mud puddle in their garden. And they made love in the grass, their slippers still on their feet. It was no longer raining.
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kaiserwoods982
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Re: The Slippers Kingdom

Post by kaiserwoods982 »

The Slippers kingdom - chapter 8

The following Saturday, Sandro and Cindy were waiting for their friends Jane and John to go to the slipper kingdom to participate in the cross-country race. They had not had much time to themselves, and had not been able to buy new slippers. They had just tried to run around their house with their slippers. Sandro's slippers fit well, they were perfect for running and the sole was thick enough to be comfortable even while running.
The new black ballerina slippers Sandro had bought Cindy were a little thin and she thought her red velvet pair would probably be better. But they didn't have a strap and she was a bit worried about losing them in the mud.
Jane and John arrived, their slippers already on their feet.
"Hi! You didn't even bring any other shoes this time?" asked Cindy.
"No, why? John discovered that he loved driving in his slippers," replied Jane.
She was wearing thick grey felt ballerina slippers with a red flower sewn on top, a large elastic strap and a thick black sole. "Look, there are my running slippers!" she said. "At the shop, the saleswoman made a funny face when I asked her which slippers she recommended for cross-country running." They were still clean, she had hardly worn them yet. As for John, he had put his black closed slippers back on with the green sole, trim and elastics. He hadn't bothered to clean them since the last time, a few dried mud stains were visible.
Jane was wearing very short shorts and a T-shirt, which showed off her long legs and shoes. John had on jogging trousers, Cindy had opted for a red skirt, matching her slippers, which was loose enough for her to run comfortably, and Sandro was wearing long shorts. They all wore T-shirts and were barefoot in their slippers.
They went through the gate and walked along the small path into the other world. It was a nice warm day, the ground was dry. They tried to keep their feet clean as they crossed the dirt area before the bench, wanting to avoid arriving in the village with completely muddy slippers.
In the village, they easily found the place where the competition was taking place, near the sports square and the lake. There were a lot of people! Sandro was still not used to seeing a whole crowd wearing slippers and he still felt the same excitement at the sight. And he knew he wasn't the only one: his girlfriend also loved to see it, and he suspected that Jane was not indifferent either, maybe even John...
They went to register for the race and came across Igor, who was part of the organisation.
"Ah, you came, that's great! You'll love the course!" he said, admiring the slippers of the four friends. John announced that he would not be participating in the race, he was there to encourage the other three and take photos. They took their numbers and, as they had some time before the race started, went to reconnoitre the course. Cindy and Sandro were to do the 3 kilometre race, two 1,500 metre laps, while Jane, who was an excellent runner, would do the 5 kilometre, two slightly longer laps of 2,500 metres.
The start was on the sports field, then the course went up towards the forest, turned a little in the forest, came back to the lake, then along some marshes and back to the start. The longer course went a little further into the forest.
But soon the friends realised the cross-country aspect of this course: the organisers were watering the climb to the forest, turning it into a mud track; then the course did not go "by" the lake, but into the lake! They had to run through knee-deep water. Finally, it didn't run along the marshes, but through them!
"Wow," Cindy said, "that's cross-country! It's going to be amazing. The hardest part will be not slipping on that hill at the beginning! It's pretty wet and muddy."
"Yes," commented Jane, "it's going to be fun. I'm glad I bought some good slippers! My white ballet slippers I had last time didn't stand up well, they came unraveled in places."
Before the adult races, there were the children's races. The little ones had a shorter course that avoided the forest and just went through the lake. The older ones had to do the climb through the forest, but did not have to go through the marsh. Our friends watched a race of boys go over this hill. They all had closed slippers like Sandro's and John's, it would have been impossible to make it with open slippers. They slipped a lot. The more skilful ones made it to the top fairly quickly, but some slipped and went all the way down, grumbling or laughing depending on the youngsters, and had to make several attempts before reaching the top. And the organisers continued to hose down the track, spraying the runners as they went.
The three runners went for a run around the sports field to warm up and admired all the people running with slippers on their feet. Cindy would be the first to run, with the women doing three kilometres. Before the start, she went to the bathroom. At the sink, she took off her slippers and filled them with water and put them back on her feet. Another runner looked at her and asked what she was doing. Cindy replied, "I noticed that my slippers stay better on my feet when they are wet. The other runner said, "They don't have straps, so be careful not to lose them, even when wet!
Cindy went to the starting line. There were a good hundred competitors. More than half had ballerinas with straps or elastics, a few had closed slippers like those of the woman soldier they had met last time, and a few had simple ballerinas like Cindy. The start was given. Cindy set off quite quickly and attacked the climb. The ground was very slippery. Her slippers were slipping in the mud and were soon covered with mud. She had to walk to get a better grip on the ground. Some of the competitors had lost their balance and fallen back down on their butts, but Cindy still managed to make it up the first time. As she reached the top, she was sprayed by the organisers' water jets and was soaked within seconds.
In the forest, she passed several competitors. The descent was easier, as the path was a bit rocky but dry. Then she arrived at the edge of the lake, and entered the water, together with the other competitors. The sight of all those slippers flapping in the water was beautiful and she loved the feeling of the water flowing in and out of her slippers. When she emerged from the water she was in the top third of the competitors. The trail crossed some sand and then entered the marshes. She found it very difficult to run in such thick mud and soon found herself with mud stains everywhere from her own footsteps and those of other runners. She saw a runner just ahead of her lose one of her slippers, the strap having broken. The girl stopped and started looking for her slipper in the mud. Cindy had to be very careful: she could feel the mud sucking at her slippers with every step. She also realised that running through so much mud is very tiring and soon found herself out of breath. It was almost a miracle that she made it to the end of the swamp without falling and with her slippers still on her feet.
She took advantage of the easier part through the sports field to catch her breath, and she attacked the second lap and the second climb. But, overconfident, she started to slip halfway up the climb, lost her balance and rolled in the mud with other girls to the bottom, with a great burst of laughter. She had been overtaken by several competitors whose slippers were less slippery. She got up again, covered in mud, and began to climb again, more carefully. This time she reached the top and was able to speed up again in the forest.
Back in the lake, she was able to overtake a few competitors again. She tried to accelerate again for the passage through the marshes. Unfortunately, after a few steps, her left slipper was sucked into the mud and she found herself with a bare foot in the mud. She didn't like the feeling very much, not knowing what she was stepping into. She retraced her steps and, as some of the competitors passed her, she dipped her hands into the mud to look for her slipper. She noticed that some of the other girls had the same problem as her - that was part of the game. Luckily, she eventually found her mud-filled slipper, put it back on her foot and started running again, moving more carefully. Once out of the swamp, she finished the race in a sprint, with a big smile, and was happy to be ranked 32nd out of 105 participants. All the girls were covered in mud at least up to their knees, some from head to toe.
Then it was the men's turn for the 3 km race. Sandro was so excited by the sight of all the women in muddy slippers that he was not very focused on the race. The men were all wearing slippers like his own, closed with elastic bands on the sides. Some had smooth soles, others, like his, had a little more relief.
When the gun went off, he set off cautiously to observe the other runners. The first climb through the mud was fun. He let those who wanted to win go and followed behind. He noticed that the men also tended to slip, some of them making great slides. He easily reached the top and then began to run more seriously through the forest. He really enjoyed the part in the lake, he loved walking and running in the water. Then came the part in the swamp. His slippers fit really well on his feet, he was in no danger of losing them. But the sensation of sinking his legs into 40 centimetres of mud each time was extraordinary and he enjoyed every step. Like Cindy, he quickly ran out of breath with the effort and had to slow down to keep running.
He looked at the other competitors and was impressed by the speed and ease of the top runners, who were running through the mud and water much faster than him. It must have been training. He wondered how many times a pair of slippers could run that kind of race before being totally destroyed.
He attacked his second lap in the second half of the pack, Sandro was not an elite rider and getting a result was not his priority. He hesitated to let himself slip on the climb, like Cindy, for fun, but thought he might have the opportunity to come back once the race was over. He managed to climb again without too much difficulty, the soles of his slippers finding enough grip in the mud. At the top of the climb, close to the water jets, he saw John who took a picture of him - his feet were in several inches of wet earth.
The colour of the slippers of the competitors was indistinguishable, and they were all knee-deep in soil.
He continued the race, skidded back down into the forest, crossed the river and returned to the marsh. With the many runners who had already passed, the mud had been ploughed up and it was becoming difficult to keep his balance. He did his best not to fall. Finally, he finished the race as best he could, finishing 65th out of 122 runners.
As soon as he crossed the finish line, he was greeted by Cindy, still covered in mud, who hugged him and smeared his still mostly clean shirt. Sandro had a terrible erection when he saw his companion's ballerina slippers still covered in mud, like those of all the other runners.
"Bravo, my darling," he said, "you ran very well. You look wonderful.
"Thank you. I loved doing that" she replied. "And you ran well too! I want you so much" she added, with a naughty look.
Then it was Jane's turn for the women's "elite" race. Cindy noted that this time, all the runners had ballerina slippers with straps or closed slippers. Some, like Jane's, were still pretty clean at the start, others had already been soiled in the warm-up.
When the gun went off, Jane immediately moved to the front of the race. She wanted to be able to tackle the first climb without being disturbed by the girls who would be struggling to get up, and she was right: her slippers held up particularly well in the mud and she got to the top in the first few. She continued at a good pace through the forest section, which was longer for this race, and found that her slippers were perfect for this kind of terrain.
In the lake she almost fell because she couldn't take her eyes off her feet as they went back and forth in the water. She then attacked the swamp in 5th position. She had realised that she had to take it easy so as not to tire herself out too quickly, and slowed down a little. Her slippers were sticking in the mud, but the straps held them to her feet and she felt that she was in no danger of losing them. Just behind her, a girl swore: her slipper was so deep in the mud that the strap had broken when she took her foot off.
Jane arrived at the sports field to start the second round. With her very short shorts, and her beautiful legs she attracted the attention of some of the audience. Cindy and Sandro had joined John at the top of the climb and were cheering her on. She did another great climb, passing another competitor during the effort. She managed her run through the forest, closed in on the third in the lake, and passed her in a great final sprint. Jane was on the podium in the elite race!
To get back down John, Cindy and Sandro slid down the muddy slope on their butts and joined the champion as she caught her breath. They congratulated her.
There was still the men's elite race, which the four friends watched from afar, and then there was the prize-giving. A small podium had been set up at the bottom of the run, in the middle of a mud puddle. And it was Angela, Igor's girlfriend, who was part of the race organisation, who handed out the medals. She was dressed very elegantly and wore beautiful black ballerina slippers. But she did not hesitate to walk through the mud to hand out the prizes.
Jane was very happy with her excellent result. She received official congratulations from Angela and a bronze medal.
Afterwards, the four friends met again, and John suggested that the others go and clean up in the lake. They were not the only ones to have this idea: almost all the participants of the race were swimming in the lake, all dressed and of course with their slippers on, to clean the mud that covered them. They swam for a while, discovering that it was possible to do so with slippers.
Then they returned to the competition site to greet Igor and Angela and went back to their world, their clothes still soaked from the lake.
Jane and John thanked their fellow adventurers at length for the day and returned to their car, their clothes and slippers still wet. Cindy and Sandro couldn't stand it any longer and made love in the garden as soon as they were alone.
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Re: The Slippers Kingdom

Post by kaiserwoods982 »

The Slippers kingdom - chapter 9

The following Friday, Cindy was to attend a picnic at a forest refuge with the small company she worked for. The spouses were also invited, so she planned to go with Sandro.
She was working in a small team, there must have been about fifteen people.
In the late afternoon it was raining. As she got ready to go, she wondered what she would wear. She wanted to look elegant, but still casual. She put on her make-up carefully and opted for black trousers and a white blouse. And on her feet, she hesitated, but finally decided to wear her black ballerina slippers.
She introduced herself to Sandro and asked him how he thought she looked.
"You look beautiful, beautiful. But... are you going to go with your slippers?"
"I hesitate," she replied. "They look a lot like ballerinas, and if there's mud, I'd rather have that on my feet than more delicate shoes."
"OK, you're right. What about me, do you think I can wear my slippers too?" he asked her.
"They look like shoes too, and you'll be more comfortable. So if you feel like it, yes, I think you can wear your slippers, with black socks, it will be very good!", she told him.
So they set off to the picnic with their slippers on. They arrived at the small car park where they found Cindy's colleagues. Sandro knew some of them, and was introduced to the others and their spouses. No one noticed their slippers. Most of the guests were wearing sneakers, except for two women who wore leather ballet flats, and the boss who wore walking shoes.
Once everyone had arrived, they set off down the small forest path towards the refuge. The path was wet, with puddles all over. Of course, Cindy and Sandro avoided to walk deliberately through them. They were walking with Erika, a colleague Cindy was close to, and her husband Jens.
Suddenly, when they were not far from the refuge, the path became much muddier. The first few in the procession stopped and hesitated to continue, trying to get around the area. Then they tiptoed forward so as not to get their shoes dirty. Erika asked Cindy:
"Oh dear, mud! I'm going to ruin my new trainers. Then she looked at Cindy's feet and said, "And you with your ballerina flats! You've got the wrong shoes on!
And Cindy said, "Actually, they're slippers. They look like ballerinas, but I don’t mind getting them wet or muddy and they're easy to clean. Besides, Sandro also has slippers on his feet."
Erika looked at Sandro's feet and said, "That's a funny idea! Slippers! You wouldn't think so. They must be comfortable."
The group moved on. One of the two women in ballet flats tried to walk through the middle of the forest to avoid the mud, but she didn't realise that it was much worse and she sank to her knees and lost her shoes in the process. Two men came to her rescue, helped her out of the swamp and started looking for her ballerinas. Sandro joined them, and he sank into 50 centimetres of mud. He loved the feeling of the cold mud surrounding his slippers and coming in through the top of his feet. It was he who found the woman's shoes, filled with mud. He gave them back to her, but she preferred to continue barefoot.
Meanwhile, Cindy stepped out onto the path without hesitation, smearing her ballet slippers with light brown mud. Erika tried to walk where the path looked less wet to preserve her trainers as much as she could, but she didn't succeed and her feet got wet. Having no choice, the other people also followed, some of them uttering little cries of disgust and complaining at length.
When they arrived at the shelter, which was near a river, Erika said to Cindy:
"Finally, the slippers are a great idea! I don't know how I'm going to save my trainers...".
Sandro, who had mud up to the middle of his trousers, headed for the river. He had offered the woman who had lost her shoes to clean them. He entered the river, sank into the water, rinsed the muddy shoes, and then began to scrub his trousers and slippers. Seeing him, Cindy went to the stream and couldn't resist: she dipped her feet in the water while Erika and a few other people looked on in amazement. She washed her shoes and took the opportunity to kiss Sandro. The two men who had helped the unfortunate woman in the mud approached the water, tried to clean their trousers, and ended up entering the river as well, following Sandro and Cindy.
There was a merry party in the hut, with a lot of alcohol. No one else commented or even noticed Cindy and Sandro's slippers. At the end of the evening, Cindy told Erika and Jens about the existence of the slipper kingdom, which made them curious. They said they were interested in visiting it. Sandro told them that they would need slippers for this, ideally closed and with a solid sole.
It was dark on the way back. Cindy and Sandro walked through the muddy area without question, while Cindy's other colleagues tried to light their way with their phones to limit the damage.
They all left each other in the car park and headed home. In the car, Sandro said to Cindy: "That was a good idea, the slippers! Nobody said anything, and it was very practical. You didn't have to try to walk ridiculously to avoid the mud. And you were the sexiest of all the women there, by far." "So were you," she replied, "you were very handsome, and you even managed to save my poor colleague's shoes."
In the days that followed, Cindy learned that Erika had failed to clean her trainers, which would never be white again. As for Cindy and Sandro's slippers, they put them in the laundry and they came out looking like new, ready for a new adventure.


Please, don't hesitate to comment and make some suggestions for the next chapters!
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kaiserwoods982
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Re: The Slippers Kingdom

Post by kaiserwoods982 »

The Slippers kingdom - chapter 10

Cindy and Sandro were waiting for their friends Melissa and Henry, with whom they were to return to the Slipper Kingdom. The latter had enjoyed the first trip to the Golden Slippers and wanted to have a picnic by the lake.
Cindy had decided to wear her black ballerina slippers again, and Sandro was still wearing the pair of closed slippers his girlfriend had given him. Melissa and Henry arrived with trainers on their feet. Before crossing the gate, the four friends had a beer in the garden. Melissa told them that her pink plush mule slippers had suffered a lot from the previous trip: they had never really turned pink again, and they were partly untied in the front, especially the left foot. She had bought herself a pair of blue closed slippers (but without elastics), much more solid, but she had taken her old mules back with her in a bag to "finish them off" and save her new pair if the path became more muddy.
As for Henry, he had simply taken back his old corduroy mules, which were really worn but solid. He added that he had bought a new pair, identical, which he was keeping for home.
They all put on their slippers and walked through the gate. It was very warm and dry in the slipper kingdom. There was not a single puddle of water to cool their feet. Even the usually muddy area before reaching the forest was dry. So much so that the ground was dusty. Sandro rubbed his feet against the ground on purpose, so much so that his slippers turned brown with dust.
Then they crossed the forest and arrived at the village. To get to the lake they had to walk along the sports field. They were surprised to see a lot of people on the football field: something was going on. Curious, they approached and discovered that there was a slipper-throwing competition. The participants were allowed to run a little bit and had to throw the slipper as far as possible.
The four friends watched for a while. The men and women were competing in two different categories, and the performances were measured very seriously. It was the first landing point of the slipper that was decisive, since sometimes they could bounce or roll in the grass. Most competitors threw mules, which were much more practical for this purpose. A few threw closed slippers, the heel of which they did not put on, or which they crushed. It was clear that some of the participants had a lot of experience and an impeccable technique. The best throw was over 35 metres!
The sports field had been watered shortly before, and the grass was wet. There was even a large puddle in one place. Cindy and Sandro were very excited to see all the people throwing their slippers, and all the public in slippers in the wet grass.
Cindy, Sandro, Melissa and Henry looked at each other: it was still possible to register. Each competitor was allowed three attempts and had to go and find their own slipper after the throw. It was possible to borrow throwing slippers if you did not want to throw your own.
Melissa took out her old mules, all dirty and partly untied, and put them on. Henry decided that he would throw the slippers on his feet. Sandro did not want to throw his slippers and borrowed a pair of black mules. Cindy took a pair of men's mules and put them on over her ballerina slippers so that she wouldn't have to walk through the wet grass barefoot.
It was Henry's turn first. As everyone has a favourite foot for shooting, only one attempt was made at a time. He took off, and flew his slipper with all his might. It went high, too high and not far enough, and fell back only about ten metres in front of him. On his second try, he corrected too much and threw too flat. His mule bounced and rolled into the grass a few more metres. Finally, his third attempt was the best: he crossed the 25-metre line!
Cindy was the second. She took a little momentum and it seemed to Sandro that she was aiming for the puddle on the right side of the field. The mule landed right in the middle. It wasn't very far, but it was well aimed. She noticed that the woman who had to measure her test did not hesitate to dip her purple mules in the puddle to do her job. Cindy walked through the grass and then through the puddle, which was more of a mud puddle, in her ballerina slippers. She was pleased to feel the moisture seeping in. She picked up the soaked and muddy mule, returned to the throw line, and slipped her dirty ballerina inside. Her second throw landed in the puddle again, but a little further away. She looked at the others and said, "Two points already! Can you and Melissa do better, darling?
She went back to get the dripping mule, which had rolled around a bit in the puddle. She put her ballerina back in and made her last throw. She tried to throw further, and came up just short of the 20-metre line.
Then Sandro followed. He was not used to wearing open-back shoes. He gave up trying to gain momentum and swung his foot forward. His mule went almost horizontally and too far to the left to reach the puddle. With his slipper closed on his left foot and his right foot bare, he went to retrieve his projectile. His second attempt landed right in the puddle. As he went to retrieve it, he placed a bare foot and a slipper-covered foot in the mud. The moisture did not have time to penetrate his slipper. He retrieved his mud-filled mule and slipped it onto his foot. On the last try he went over 20 metres, but didn't do as well as Henry. "You win, honey, I only hit the puddle once!"
Finally, Melissa took off, with her pink mules ruined. To Cindy's delight, she had also aimed for the puddle, but her first throw was too short. She took a bit of a swing on her second try and her slipper landed right in the middle of the puddle! She went looking for it, dipping her other mule in the mud as well. The material was like a sponge, her slippers were much heavier when wet. Her last attempt landed very close to the previous one, also in the puddle.
"The girls won!", Cindy trumpeted. "Four to one!" Melissa returned with both mules even more damaged than before: you could see the toes sticking out of the left one, and the right one was starting to come apart. And a little mud was coming out of the moss with each step. She decided to keep them on her feet for a while longer.
The four of them knew very well that they could not win this competition, but they had had a lot of fun. They watched the competition for a while, then decided to go to the lake. Cindy suggested they go for a swim before eating. This time they had all brought swimming costumes. They changed discreetly. The bottom of the lake was muddy and not very comfortable for bare feet, so Cindy and Sandro decided to keep their slippers on for swimming. Melissa decided to put her closed slippers back on to go in the water, as she couldn't swim in mules and didn't want to go barefoot. As for Henry, he entered the water up to his waist with his mules on, but at some point they got stuck in the mud. Digging with his foot, he managed to free them, and they floated to the surface on their soles. The other three swam for a while in their slippers. The water was really good.
Then they ate by the lake. Sandro's eyes were drawn to Cindy's soaked slippers, and she often looked at his. They talked for a long time and then headed home. Melissa decided that she would keep her old mules for as long as she could walk in them. She rinsed them in the lake, and put them back on her feet for the return journey, to the great surprise of the others. They were really ruined, but Melissa was still able to walk. As for Henry's mules, they were starting to get a bit loose on top, but they could probably make several more passes through the water and mud.
Back at Sandro and Cindy's house, Henry and Melissa put on their trainers and headed home. Cindy and Sandro put their slippers out to dry in the sun, and put on their other pairs - Cindy's red velvet ballet flats and Sandro's corduroy closed slippers. They went out into the garden to water the plants, and watered their feet generously. They couldn't stand it any longer, so they made love on the lawn, their slippers still covered in wet soil.


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chris
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Re: The Slippers Kingdom

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more classic wedge slippers please😁
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Re: The Slippers Kingdom

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chris wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 4:48 am more classic wedge slippers please😁
Thanks for your comment, I hope you enjoyed the story so far! I will try to add some classic wedge slippers later in the story, but you'll probably agree that these are not the best shoes (or slippers) for walking in the woods or in a river.
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Re: The Slippers Kingdom

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The Slippers kingdom - chapter 11

Over the next few weeks, Cindy and Sandro returned to the slipper kingdom several times. Sometimes it was just for a little while, in the evening after work, to take their minds off things. They would go through the gate, walk along the path and, if it was too dry, go for a walk in the freshly ploughed neighbouring field until their slippers were covered with soil. They both loved the feeling of walking in wet earth, mud or water with their slippers on. And they both felt excited at the sight of each other's slippers. Sandro always put on the black closed slippers that his partner had given him. He found them incredibly comfortable and liked the way they looked.
Cindy alternated between the light black fabric ballerinas that Sandro had bought her and her red velvet ballerinas, with a slightly thicker sole. Sandro liked them both. And all of their pairs had stood up to this treatment so far. They never thought their slippers would be so sturdy.
They had also gone down to the river twice to soak their feet, and had seen the two fishermen once again, who still had the same slippers. Finally, they returned to the village, ate in a restaurant and saw Igor and Angela again. They had learned from them that it was possible to take a bus from the village that would take them in 30 minutes to a small town that was also a mountain resort.
That Saturday, they had planned to spend the whole day in the kingdom of slippers to visit this town. They decided to take a clean pair of slippers in a backpack so that they would not arrive in town with muddy feet.
They left mid-morning. It was raining lightly and the path to the village was muddy, but that didn't stop the two lovers from walking. Cindy had on her red ballet slippers and Sandro had on his corduroys. They sank into five centimetres of mud in places. In the forest they came across a group of four teenagers, three young women in Isotoner ballerinas and a young man in closed slippers, all of whom had their feet completely covered in mud and didn't seem to care at all. Sandro wondered where they had come from and what they had done.
Just before they reached the village they changed pairs and put their dirty slippers in their bags. They always liked to watch the villagers walking down the street in the rain with their slippers on, finding it perfectly normal. Some even wore mules.
They took the bus. Of course, the driver also drove with closed slippers.
The road was beautiful: first they drove along the small lake, then the road went through a gorge. They came out on a plain. According to the explanation they had, the main road led to the capital of the kingdom, which they would visit another time. But the bus took a mountain road up another valley. They arrived at a small town, a mountain resort called Mount Slippers.
There was a lot of activity in this city: tourists were numerous, some with big walking backpacks, others well dressed to enjoy the shops and the luxury hotels. Many people were drinking something on the many terraces. And above all, everyone was wearing slippers. Some elegant women were wearing open wedge slippers, some casual men also had open front slippers, like sandals.
Sandro and Cindy noticed a shoe shop and decided to go there. Of course, it was actually a slipper shop. At the entrance, an advertisement said: "All our slippers are water resistant and machine washable". As in all shoe shops, the assortment was separated into men's, women's and children's, and for each there were several departments: 'city', 'sport', 'winter', 'home'.
Naturally, the men's department was smaller than the women's. In the city department, there were elegant slippers, closed with elastics, like the ones Sandro had on his feet. There were several variations in texture and colour, some mules and sandal slippers. In the "sport" department, there were the same closed slippers, some with more profiled soles, and some bootie slippers as well. For winter, men had a choice of several styles of closed slippers, some of which were furred, some of which were woolen, there were also bootie slippers and a model of Finnish slippers called Reinot, which men often wear in the snow there. For the "house", there were mules, sandals and fancy slippers, with or without solid soles.
Sandro found that his own slippers could be found in almost every department!
For women, there was a much wider choice of colours, decorations and styles. The dominant style was still the ballerina slipper, with many variations. A saleswoman came quickly to ask Cindy if she wanted advice. She was wearing wedge slippers. Cindy said, "I like slippers, but I'm not from here. So I'm discovering. For example, the ones you have on your feet, do you ever wear them outside, or are they just indoor slippers?"
The saleswoman replied, looking at her wedge slippers: "I wouldn't go in the snow, hiking or even in the mud with them on, but yes, I often wear them for walking around town, I think they're stylish. And they've already been through the rain, so they're more solid than they look. Plus, they're great for walking in puddles - they don't get your feet wet.
Cindy smiled and looked at the city section: more than half the shelf was full of different types of ballerinas, mostly Isotoner. The saleswoman told her that this was the fashionable model for young women - as Cindy and Sandro had already noticed. "It's nice and durable, but not ideal for walking on uneven ground." There were a few mules with decorations, mostly velvet or cotton, the saleswoman's wedge slippers, and a few models of open-fronted mules.
In the sports department there were some simple ballerina slippers with thicker soles, and many with either straps like the ones Angela had lent Jane to go and visit the golden slippers, or elastic bands to hold the foot, like the ones Jane had bought later for the cross-country run There were also closed slippers, like the men's, in velvet or wool, like the ones Cindy had seen on the soldier's feet.
For winter, the shop had booties, closed slippers, warm Finnish Ainots and always ballerinas, some of them with fur. Cindy asked the shop assistant what she thought of the Ainot for winter. She said, "They are cute, very warm and indestructible. The downside is the sole, which is totally smooth. It's a real shame. As soon as there's ice on the ground, you're sure to fall."
"And what are these?" asked Cindy, pointing to a pair of thick woolen socks that didn't cover the foot. "These are gaiters. They cover your lower leg and the top of your foot. With these, you can walk in the snow in ballerina slippers without getting cold!". Cindy was convinced and took a pair for herself.
The home department had a few soft-soled ballet flats, like the ones Jane had worn the first time she came to the kingdom, various mules, fancy plush slippers and other wedge slippers. But for Cindy, the whole point of the slippers was that they could be worn anywhere.
Sandro and Cindy would have bought the whole shop, but in the end they only bought the gaiters for Cindy and promised to come back another time.
They went to a restaurant for lunch and then stopped at the tourist office in Mount Slippers. They were interested in the offer of guided mountain walks. They smiled when they saw photos of hikers with slippers on their feet. In one picture, they were walking on a glacier with metal crampons attached to their slippers. They asked about the price, the physical condition required for the hike and the equipment they needed. They were told that they needed closed slippers, and a spare pair for the night at the refuge. Sandro's were fine, Cindy's ballet flats seemed a little light. She thought her red pair, with a thicker sole, might be fine.
They toured the town for a while, then went back on the bus and headed home. When they left the little village, they didn't want to put the cold muddy slippers in their bag back on, and walked through the forest and the muddy path with the ones on their feet. They arrived home with each both pairs of slippers covered in mud. They quickly washed the ones in their bag and put them on their feet, still wet.
Then Cindy called her friend Jane:
"Hi! We've returned to the Kindgom of slippers, and have found a three-day mountain hiking tour with a guide. We'd be sleeping in huts, crossing a glacier. I thought you might be interested."
"Yes, definitely!" replied Jane, "But... is this hike also done in slippers?"
"Yes! That's the fun part! A three-day hike in the mountains, wearing slippers. Isn't that crazy?" asked Cindy.
"It's a great idea, I love it!" confirmed Jane, "We're in. And they agreed on a date and sorted out some practical matters.
Cindy went to kiss Sandro and told him that Jane and John would be going on the hikking-in-slippers tour with them.

Please, don't hesitate to comment and make some suggestions for the next chapters!
chris
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Re: The Slippers Kingdom

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kaiserwoods982 wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 4:41 am
chris wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 4:48 am more classic wedge slippers please😁
Thanks for your comment, I hope you enjoyed the story so far! I will try to add some classic wedge slippers later in the story, but you'll probably agree that these are not the best shoes (or slippers) for walking in the woods or in a river.
yes very nice storyline. well i guess there are a lot of wedge slippers in the slipperland arround😁 and i guess due to the intense use they have to be replaced often. once worn out and smelly i could imagine them beeing disposed in fireplaces or household furnaces and incinerators 😈🔥🔥👍
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Re: The Slippers Kingdom

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The Slippers kingdom - chapter 12

Two weeks later, early in the morning, Jane and John arrived at Cindy and Sandro's house to leave for a three-day mountain hike in the Slipper Kingdom with a guide. They each had a large rucksack with warm clothes and sleeping bags as they would be going to high altitudes and sleeping in huts. The special feature of this expedition was that it would be done exclusively with slippers on their feet, as no other footwear was allowed in the kingdom.
Jane had on her feet what she called her "running slippers", with which she had run cross-country a few weeks earlier: they were thick grey felt ballerina slippers, with a red flower sewn on top, a large elastic strap and a thick black sole. In her bag she had a new pair of Isotoner ballerina slippers, the kind that were fashionable among young women in the kingdom, with a synthetic sole for outdoor use (unlike the first pair she had worn in the kingdom, which had a leather sole and had not stood up to the mud).
John was still wearing his black closed slippers with green borders, elastic bands and sole. They looked a bit worn now, obviously he used them a lot and not just for his excursions into the kingdom. He had bought a new pair, still closed slippers, but in brown felt, which he had taken as a spare.
Cindy was pleased to note that her friends no longer bothered to wear shoes on the way home: they came directly with their slippers. She hadn't had time to buy more slippers for herself. She planned to hike in her red velvet ballerina slippers with a good black sole, which she had already used many times in the mud and water - and done cross-country. She was a bit worried about getting cold in the snow and on the glacier with her ballerinas, but she had the gaiters she had bought in the Mont Slippers shop last time. As a spare pair, she had taken her other, lighter black ballet flats, but did not plan to hike in them, as the sole was too thin and would not be comfortable for walking on rocky paths.
Finally, Sandro had his two pairs of almost identical black closed slippers, one in corduroy and the other in thick canvas. He planned to hike in the corduroy ones and keep the others for the commute.
They were all wearing jeans, and had warm clothes and a change of clothes in their bags, as well as food and drink for the day. Except for Cindy, they all had socks on.
Ready to go, they walked through the gate and into the Slippers Kingdom. It was a beautiful autumn day, still sunny and quite warm. When they arrived in the village, they took the bus to Mont Slippers. A woman was driving the bus, and as they sat in the front seat, Sandro could see his feet, clad in beautiful blue ballerina slippers, pressing the pedals with precision.
On the way, Jane says to her friends:
- You know how I regularly go running with a group of friends? Well, one day I went with my slippers, the ones I have on my feet. They looked at me strangely and asked me if I was really planning to run in the forest with ballerinas, if I had not forgotten my trainers. I explained that they were slippers, that they were very comfortable, that I had run in them before, that they were sturdy and much cheaper than a pair of running shoes. They thought it was weird and off we went. On the course there was a bit of a muddy spot. One of my mates nearly slipped, but I didn't. At the end of the race, we all had a bit of mud on our feet. I had run really well, and a friend of mine said that my amazing shoes did indeed look good for running, and that she should try them sometime. I told her that you can also put them in the laundry without any problem. We'll see if one day she comes running in slippers too, I'd like that. I've been back several times since then, with my slippers which have become my official trainers. They're still in perfect condition, I love them!
- Excellent!" replied Sandro. That's how the Slipper Kingdom will invade our world!
- And I must admit that I wear my slippers a lot in the normal world too," added John. I don't run with Jane, but I wear them for walks and gardening. They're so comfortable, you don't have to worry about getting them dirty, and I have to admit I like the feeling of warm feet in slippers that sink into mud or water.
- I love it too!" replied Cindy.
A few moments later they arrived at the Mount Slippers mountain station. They went straight to the tourist office, where they had an appointment with their guide. They were surprised to discover that they would actually have two guides: Mike, an experienced guide, and Rachel, a guide in training. They introduced themselves, and took an inventory of the equipment they had with them to make sure that nothing was missing. Then Mike went through the slippers of the four tourists. He found nothing wrong with John's and Sandro's. Jane's seemed OK to him, but he was concerned about Cindy's and said:
- We normally prefer closed slippers for this hike, because of the cold and snow. I know it's more masculine than ballet flats, but it's also safer. And your sole seems a little thin to me. Don't you have anything else?
- Yes, another pair of even thinner ballet flats. But I've bought gaiters, and I'm not afraid of the cold.
- Well, all right, let's go. I once had a customer who went all the way round in little Isotoner ballerina slippers. She was cold, her feet hurt on some of the rocky sections, but she made it to the end. And yours seem to be stronger than that.
They set off and walked towards the cable car that would take them to the starting point of their hike. On the way, Mike explained:
- We don't have big hiking boots here, you know that. But it's important to be well shod anyway, you have to be careful in the mountains.
Mike was wearing grey corduroy closed slippers, which were scuffed in many places, probably from rubbing against rocks. They were definitely not new, and seemed very sturdy.
- I've been wearing this same pair on all my hikes for the past two years. They have been everywhere and are indestructible. The only thing that wears out after a while is the sole. I've already had them resealed twice, and here we go again! Of course, you can see that they are not new anymore. But a solid pair of slippers lasts a long time. And you don't get blisters the first few times you wear them!
Rachel also had black closed slippers with elasticated sides, like the men's, but with discreet floral alterations and a very thick sole. They were not new, but looked less worn than Mike's. Both guides wore thick wool socks in their slippers.
They arrived at the cable car and made the ascent in the company of a dozen tourists. Some of them were carrying backpacks and closed slippers, obviously intending to go for a walk. Others were in mules, one woman even had wedge slippers, and were probably just going to admire the view from the terrace of the restaurant at the cable car's arrival.
Mike detailed the route of their hike: the first day would be about a 5-hour walk. A small path would lead them first through the last of the trees and then through gently rising pastures. Before arriving at the hut, there would be a tricky descent through the rocks, a river to cross and then a steep climb to the hut.
The second day was the biggest part with 7 hours of walking on the programme: they would leave before sunrise, cross a scree and then arrive at a glacier. There they would put on crampons and rope up for safety. They would have to cross the glacier and then climb to the top of Mount Slippers. It wasn't really mountaineering, they wouldn't need ice axes, but this part would be in the snow and probably with crampons. Once they reached the top, they would descend the other side to the second hut.
Finally, on the third day, they would return to their starting point by going around the mountain, through pastures and a marshy area and then return home.
As they left the cable car, they noticed that it was already colder and put on their jackets. After a final visit to the station's toilet, they were ready to leave.
At the beginning of the path, Sandro was amused to see a kind of traffic sign: it said "no open slippers". A stylised mule was crossed out in red on a white background, surrounded by red. He asked Mike why this was the case.
- We've seen too many times that people have ventured out on these paths with really unsuitable footwear, and there have been many accidents. Slippers with a closed heel hold the foot better and are therefore mandatory on these trails.
- It's funny," explained Sandro, "in the Alps I saw the same sign with women’s high heels...
And the little group of six hikers set off.
They started by climbing a little, the path winding through the last trees. The path was easy, a little dirt, and they walked at a good pace. For the four tourists, walking in the mountains with a big backpack and slippers on their feet was a bit strange. But everything was fine, and they felt lighter and more flexible than with heavy hiking boots.
Then they arrived at the treeless altitude, in pastures. The trail was wet in places. Cindy was pleased to feel the damp grass caress the tops of her feet and slightly wet her slippers. Everyone was walking briskly.
They passed a few people walking in the opposite direction, including a group of women in Isotoner ballet flats with synthetic soles. Although Sandro had seen a lot of them since he came to the slipper kingdom, it still excited him to see women in slippers walking in the wild. And he began to admire his wife's slippers, who was walking right in front of him. Suddenly he swore: he had put his foot in a cow dung! His left slipper was covered with it. The others laughed when they saw his dirty foot. He tried to rub it in the grass to clean it, but he couldn't get the brown, smelly stuff off.
- It's okay, honey, you can clean it up in the next stream we come across," Cindy told him.
A little late, they stopped to eat. Sitting on large rocks, they were relieved to be able to put their bags down. With their feet in the air, Sandro was able to observe each other's slippers. It seemed to him that the sole of John's right slipper was coming off a little at the front, but he said nothing.
They set off again and continued to climb. The grass became sparser and the path became more and more rocky. At times Cindy could feel the large stones trying to stick in her soles, which was not very pleasant. The slippers of her companions all had thicker soles than hers and did not seem to mind. But it was bearable, and made up for by the pleasure of hiking in slippers.
They jumped over a small stream. Sandro stopped and dipped his left foot in to clean it. With disgust he rubbed the corduroy to remove the last traces of cow dung. The water was really cold, and he gave up trying to get his other foot wet.
Later they reached the slightly more difficult spot where they had to descend to the bottom of a gorge, cross a river and climb up the other side. The descent through the rocks was steep with a lot of dust which made it very slippery. Luckily there was a rope along the way and Mike asked everyone to hold on to it.
Luckily there was a rope: their feet were slipping on the small stones, their soles not finding a firm grip. So they let themselves skid down to the bottom while holding on to the rope. The six hikers arrived at the bottom without a hitch. Then they had to cross the river. Mike told them:
- You have to go through the water, there's no bridge, but it's not very deep. But it's cold. There are three schools: those who cross as they are, those who take off their socks and put on their trousers, and those who cross barefoot, which I don't recommend.
Mike was from the first school. He stepped into the water, wearing his slippers and thick socks, showed the others where to go and stood on the other side to help those who needed it. The riverbed was covered in stones, so it was not easy to keep your balance. Rachel stepped into the water, also in her slippers and socks, held on tightly and helped the others.
Cindy stepped forward first, dipped a slipper into the water. She still had no socks on. As soon as she was in the water, she cried out, "It's cold! It's really cold!" She grabbed Rachel's hand, moved forward, and managed to keep her balance. In a few steps she reached the other side, took Mike's hand and helped her to the other side.
Sandro followed. He had decided to do as the guides had done, i.e. cross as he was. He too felt the icy water seeping into his slippers, and crossed safely. John crossed in turn. As he reached the other side, Mike noticed that his sole was becoming more and more loose on the front right side, so much so that small stones had become lodged between the sole and the slipper.
Finally, it was Jane's turn. She had decided to take off her socks and pull up her trousers. She almost lost her balance in the middle of the river and was caught at the last moment by Rachel. Eventually, everyone made it to the other side. Cindy admired Rachel who had stood in the freezing water for a long time to help them.
Then they began the climb. The ground was still quite slippery because it was almost sandy, so they used the ropes to climb up. Cindy was surprised to see how, after only a few minutes, she was no longer cold, her feet having warmed up the water in her slippers!
After almost half an hour of strenuous climbing, they came to a flatter area and saw the hut where they would spend the night.
In the entrance Mike took off his shoes and asked the others to take off their hiking slippers here, which they would put on to dry, and put on their other pair. A dozen pairs of slippers were already drying, those of the other hikers who were going to spend the night in the hut. The four tourists looked at all these hiking slippers with interest.
They had finished their first day of hiking.

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Re: The Slippers Kingdom

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The Slippers kingdom - chapter 13

Tired from their day's walking, the friends rested with a hot drink. They noticed that, for once, no one had sore feet or blisters.
- It's great to walk in slippers! Your feet don't hurt in the evening, said Cindy.
- Yes, and to cross the river, even with walking shoes, the water was too high, we would have had wet feet anyway.
- That's for sure. And forget about drying walking shoes overnight, unlike our slippers, added John.
They had all put on their spare pairs. John had his new brown felt closed slippers, which he would wear for walking the next day, his other pair being ruined. Jane had her little Isotoner ballerinas, Cindy had her pair of black ballerina slippers and Sandro had his black canvas closed pair. As for the two guides, they had indoor mules, black for Mike and pinkish white for Rachel, both with synthetic soles.
They ate the meal served in the hut quite early, in the company of the other hikers. And after the meal, as night fell, they noticed that it had started to snow. They went out in front of the hut to admire the scenery covered with a few centimetres of snow. They had all kept their indoor slippers on to take a few steps in the snow, even the guides with their mules. Jane got her feet a little wet with her little slippers, but she didn't mind.
Back inside, Mike gave them some instructions for the next day:
- We're going to get up early, around 4:30, and leave an hour later. It's going to be snowy and cold, so we'll have to dress really well. We'll put on the crampons as soon as we leave and get to the glacier by sunrise. After crossing the glacier, it's a big climb to the summit. We can take a break and reach the top of Mount Slippers before noon. Then we'll go down the other side and get to the next hut by mid-afternoon, I think.
Cindy still wondered if she would be cold in her ballerina slippers, which were completely open on top of her foot. But she had no other choice.
After a last beer, they moved to the dormitories.
Around 4:30, Mike woke everyone up. They had a quick breakfast and dressed warmly. They all put on thick socks and trousers for the snow, Cindy also put on her gaiters which covered her ankles. They noticed that their walking slippers were dry, which was nice. They buckled their packs, turned on their headlamps and set off. They were perfectly equipped for the high mountains, with big backpacks, gloves, beanies, warm jackets and... their slippers!
About ten centimetres of fresh snow had fallen, into which they sank with their slippers. The snow was cold enough to be dry, which would keep their feet dry. They walked for a few minutes without the crampons and they noticed that they were not slipping as long as they could sink their feet into the snow. The four friends had never walked in the snow in slippers before and discovered that their feet were not cold. Mike said, "As long as the snow is cold, your feet stay dry and warm. Tomorrow we might get wet snow, so it will be different."
Then they came to a place where there was older snow under the last layer. Mike and Rachel put down their packs and took out the crampons. It felt strange for the four friends to put crampons on top of slippers! But once they were adjusted, they worked very well. Sandro was very excited when he saw his girlfriend's and his friends' slippers covered in snow, and with metal crampons!
They walked onto the glacier just as the sun was coming up. The sky had cleared and the landscape was beautiful. Their feet were white with snow and they walked comfortably in their slippers. The glacier was not dangerous, so Mike explained that there was no need to rope up, just follow his trail. For him and Rachel, doing this kind of excursion in slippers was a perfectly normal thing to do.
They crossed the glacier, their crampons digging into the ice as the snow was blown away. When they reached the other side, Mike asked everyone if they were all right. No one was cold, neither their feet nor anywhere else. Cindy congratulated herself on buying her gaiters to protect her ankles from the snow. Only the tops of her feet were in contact with the snow, protected by thick wool socks. Jane, who also had ballet slippers, regretted not having gaiters as well: even though her slippers were thicker than Cindy's and partly closed with a wide elastic strap, she had the least protected feet. But she wasn't cold.
They began the steepest part of the climb. At times, in the snowdrifts, Mike would sink knee-deep into the snow, always leading the way for the others. It was a good thing they had crampons, otherwise they would not have been able to climb.
A little over an hour later they reached a flat spot. Mike offered them a break and took some hot tea out of his bag, which he distributed. After a moment's rest, he said:
- This flat area is a small frozen lake. The wind has blown the snow away, so if you like you can take off your crampons and try skating on the ice.
Leaving her bag in the snow, Rachel set an example: she took off her crampons, ran across the lake and locked her legs, her sturdy slippers making a long skid across the ice. It reminded Cindy and Sandro of their mud-sliding contest a few weeks earlier. They all took off their cleats and followed Rachel's lead. They had fun sliding around on the frozen lake with their snow-covered slippers for a while. Cindy won the game, as her soles were the smoothest, but Jane didn't think so: she opened her bag, took out her Isotoner ballerinas, which she put on with difficulty because of her thick socks. This pair of slippers had an even smoother sole, so she was able to compete with Cindy, and they each took long slips.
As for Sandro and John, they also made a few skids but were mostly busy watching their companions run on the ice. John was happy with his new slippers, which held his feet well and were warm. He hadn't planned to wear them for the hike, but they were fine. The snow would have come in through the loose soles of his old pair, so he was better off.
Then Jane put her walking slippers back on, they put on their crampons again and started the last part of the climb. The sun was shining, it was only -8°C, equipped as they were, the temperature was bearable. An hour and a half later, they had reached the top of Mount Slippers, at 3,412 metres. The view was magnificent: at the very bottom, they could see the station from which they had taken the cable car, the glacier, other slightly lower peaks, and a vast plain in which they could see a large city, the capital of the kingdom. Rachel told them which way was the village they had come from, which way was the Land of the Crocs, against which the Kingdom of the Slippers was at war, and which way was the Duchy of the Moccasins, a friendly country.
They congratulated each other on the success of the climb, took many photos of the landscape, of themselves and their snowy slippers. Then they started the descent. Mike noted a few clouds forming in the distance, and advised them not to dawdle.
Still with crampons, the descent on the other side of the mountain was fairly easy, but as there was more snow on this side, they were not moving very fast.
They were only half way down when the sky darkened and the wind picked up. Anticipating that visibility might be poor or worse, Mike decided it was safer to rope up. So they walked, tied together. Shortly afterwards, snow squalls began to arrive and the temperature dropped rapidly.
The hike suddenly became much less pleasant: the blowing snow whipped their faces, it was sometimes even difficult to keep their balance and they could not see more than about fifty metres ahead. After almost an hour in these conditions, Cindy approached Rachel and said:
- I'm not OK, I'm very cold!
- Where is it? Your feet," Rachel asked.
- No, my feet are fine. My fingers. I can't feel my fingers.
Rachel saw that Cindy's gloves were wet and frozen. Rachel offered to exchange gloves and told her that it was only about an hour's walk to the hut. No one else was cold, but Mike insisted on not taking a break and getting to the hut as soon as possible.
They finished their tiring day in deep snow, sometimes sinking to the middle of their legs, and completely covered in snow from the wind. Finally, they were relieved to arrive at the hut. They took off their crampons to walk the last few hundred metres. As soon as they entered, they shook off all the snow on top of them and took off their snow-covered slippers.
- How are your fingers? Rachel immediately asked Cindy.
- I think they'll be fine, I'll get warm. Thanks for lending me your gloves. It seems mine weren't warm enough. On the other hand, I'm really surprised I didn't get cold feet.
Everyone's slippers had protected them well, despite spending more than eight hours in the snow!

Please, don't hesitate to comment and make some suggestions for the next chapters!
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