Pip and the Muddy Boot

Theo was stamping in puddles by the harbour, splash, splash, splash, with his new red boots on. Dozens of little boats bobbed at anchor beside him, and Theo wanted to see every one of them.

His friend Mina was walking along the wall with her paper boat. She had folded it all morning. It was white, with a blue stripe, and she had set it carefully on a rock to dry.

Theo jumped into one more puddle. SPLOSH! Brown water flew up and landed on the paper boat. The blue stripe ran. The white turned grey.

"My boat!" said Mina.

Theo's tummy went tight. "I didn't mean to," he said. Then he ran off to look at the boats. Mina sat down on the wall and did not say anything at all.

Theo looked at a yellow boat. He looked at a green one. But he kept feeling the tight feeling. It followed him like his own shadow.

He went back. "I'm sorry," he said, but it came out very small, and the wind took it away.

Mina did not turn around.

Theo thought hard. Then he noticed something. The boat had a hole in its side, and his fingers were just the right size to fix it.

He took out a dry leaf from his pocket, folded it, and made a tiny leaf boat. It was wobbly. One side was bigger than the other. He put it next to the grey boat.

"This is for you," he said. "I'm sorry I splashed your boat. I'm really sorry."

This time Mina heard him. She looked at the wobbly leaf boat and her mouth went crooked.

"It looks like a hat," she said.

"It does," said Theo.

They set both boats on the puddle together. The grey one and the leaf one turned slowly round, bumped, and bobbed side by side. Mina laughed, and the water rippled, tap, tap, tap, against the wall.