Flora's Very Windy Day (3 page)

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

"Will you give me that little boy?" asked the rainbow. "He could guard my pot of gold."

"Gold!" That was tempting. But, thought Flora, Crispin's not fierce enough to guard anything. "No. He's my brother and I'm taking him home."

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

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

"Will you give me that little boy?" asked the cloud. "He could squeeze out my raindrops."

Flora thought that squeezing out raindrops sounded like fun. But Crispin would surely catch a cold, and then who would help him with his nose? "No, I won't give him to you. He's my brother and I'm taking him home."

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

Flora and Crispin flew on and on until they came upon an eagle.

"Will you give me that little boy?" asked the eagle. "He could sharpen my talons."

"You can't fool me," Flora said. She saw the hungry look in the eagle's eye. "He's my brother and I'm taking him home."

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

Flora and Crispin flew on and on until they came upon the man in the moon.

"Will you give me that little boy?" asked the man in the moon. "It's lonely up here, and he could keep me company."

The man in the moon had a kind face, and he did look awfully lonely. But there were no chocolate chip cookies on the moon, and Crispin was so fond of chocolate chip cookies. "I'm sorry, but I can't," said Flora. "He's my brother and I'm taking him home."

"If the wind lets you," said the man in the moon.

Flora stomped her foot—or would have if there'd been anything to stomp on. "I'm tired of hearing that. Why won't the wind let us go home?"

"You should ask him," answered the man in the moon.

Flora hadn't thought of that. "Oh, wind, will you let us go home?"

"I'll let
you
go home as soon as we find the right spot for Crispin," replied the wind. "You do want to get rid of him, right?"

"Yes. I mean, I did. I mean—" Flora wasn't sure what she meant.

"Because I could even use him myself," said the wind. "You know, to work my bellows."