Blue Boots for Dancing in Puddles

Blue Boots for Dancing in Puddles

Rain tapped on the window all afternoon. Nova Grace pressed her nose to the glass. "Dance outside," she said. Unicorn nodded so hard that his mane bounced. But Nova Grace looked down at her socks. She needed blue boots first.

They looked under the bed. They found one sock, a crayon, and a very small spoon. Unicorn sniffed the rug and sneezed. Nova Grace giggled. "No boots," she said, and she shook her head like a careful detective.

Then Nova Grace opened the Toy Chest. Out came a drum, a scarf, and a squeaky duck. Unicorn stuck his head inside to look deeper. Nova Grace held his tail so he would not tumble in. At the very bottom, something blue shone.

It was the Blue Boots! Nova Grace pulled them out with a big tug. She sat down on the hallway floor and pushed in one foot, then the other. Unicorn held the door open with his nose. The boots fit perfectly.

Outside, the rain had made the whole garden shiny. Nova Grace looked at the puddles. She looked at the dry porch too. Unicorn pawed the ground and waited. Which way would the dancing begin?

Nova Grace jumped into the biggest puddle. Splash went the water, right up to her knees, and the boots kept her toes dry. Unicorn pranced in circles beside her. They spun and stomped until the puddle rippled like a drum.

Unicorn tried a puddle too, and the water sprinkled his nose. He shook his head and made Nova Grace laugh. She hummed a tune, and they danced in a wobbly, wet circle, round and round.

At last Nova Grace sat on the step and pulled off her boots. She tucked one tiny pebble from the best puddle into her pocket. It was a secret to look at another time. Unicorn leaned on her, warm and damp.