Billy and the Beach Umbrella
Billy held his yellow bucket and his new blue spade. Grandpa carried a beach towel and a big new red-and-white beach umbrella. They were on an expedition to the beach.
Billy found a good spot near the water. He and Grandpa spread out the beach towel on the sand.
“There’s a breeze,” said Grandpa.
“That’s OK,” said Billy. “I’ll find some rocks to weigh down the corners of the towel.” He found a gray rock, a white rock, a pink-speckled rock, and one with an orange stripe.
“Perfect,” said Grandpa.
The sun was hot. “I’m going to have a rest under this umbrella,” said Grandpa.
“I’m going to dig a very deep hole, maybe to China,” said Billy.
After a while, Billy said, “This hole needs water. May I go and get some?”
“Yes, but don’t go out too far,” said Grandpa.
“I won’t,” said Billy.
Billy hopped four steps into the water and sat down. Gentle waves spilled over his toes and knees and splashed his nose. “Time to get water for my hole to China,” he said, and swished water into the yellow bucket. Then he walked back toward Grandpa without spilling a drop.
Grandpa
was very excited about something. He was yelling, jumping
up and down, and waving his arms.
“I’m coming as fast as I can!” Billy shouted.
But Grandpa wasn’t yelling at Billy. He was yelling at the umbrella, which was rolling down the beach.
Billy ran and reached for the umbrella. He got it, and he and Grandpa fixed the umbrella back in the sand.
“You can let go now, Grandpa,“ said Billy. “I’ve got it.”
But the moment he said that, a breeze lifted up the umbrella and carried it along the beach.
Luckily, Billy refused to let go. “I’m holding on, Grandpa, I’m holding on,” he shouted.
Grandpa tried hard to keep up. Before he could reach Billy, the wind whooshed the umbrella over the hole to China and almost knocked over the man setting up his ice-cream cart.
Billy just managed to steer the beach umbrella around it. Then the wind changed directions. It began to blow Billy back the way he had come. He called to the watching kids and their families, “Duck your heads! Here we come!”
A crowd was running behind Billy, and Grandpa huffed alongside, his face getting redder every minute.
Billy’s feet almost left the ground. “Get out of the way, get out of the way!” he shouted.
Just as Billy’s fingers started sliding off the handle, the wind gave one last puff and somersaulted Billy smack onto the beach towel. He was still holding the umbrella.
“You got it! What a remarkable boy you are,” panted Grandpa as he collapsed beside him on the towel.
“It
was nothing,” said Billy modestly.
Grandpa folded up the umbrella and laid it on the sand, just to be sure. Then the ice-cream man pushed his cart toward them. “Care for an ice cream? It’s on the house,” he said.
“Please,” said Billy.
“Thanks,” said Grandpa.
They enjoyed their ice creams and then headed home. “We’ve had quite an expedition,” said Grandpa.
Billy nodded, licking ice cream off his thumb. “Let’s come again tomorrow,” he said.
