Flora's Very Windy Day (2 page)

"However," said Flora, "you may notice that my little brother is wearing regular old purple boots."

Now the wind tripled its strength. It swirled and swooped, and whizzed and walloped, and then—oh, my!—Crispin was being lifted off the ground.

Just a little bit at first, but the wind grew stronger and Crispin went higher, and then higher, and then higher still.

He was being blown away.

He looked very frightened.

And suddenly Flora was kicking off her super-special heavy-duty red boots and spreading her coat to the wind and—oh, my, oh, my!—she was sailing up toward Crispin.

She grabbed his hand and closed her eyes and wished she were anywhere else in the world.

But soon Flora realized that being blown by the wind was comfortable, like riding along on a squishy flying chair. She decided to open her eyes.

Just then they came upon a dragonfly.

"Will you give me that little boy?" asked the dragonfly. "He could polish my wings."

"Silly dragonfly," scolded Flora. She knew that Crispin was too clumsy to clean such delicate wings. "He's my brother and I'm taking him home."

"If the wind lets you," said the dragonfly.

Flora and Crispin flew on and on until they came upon a sparrow.

"Will you give me that little boy?" asked the sparrow. "He could sit on my eggs."

"What a mess that would be," said Flora. As if Crispin could sit on eggs without breaking them. "He's my brother and I'm taking him home."

"If the wind lets you," said the sparrow.