Postbag Elsie

"Clink, clink, clink." Elsie heard the gate at the end of the lane, and she ran down the stairs in her socks.

That was the sound of the post lady, Mrs. Penny, coming. And Elsie had a job. Every morning, she carried the post round the little houses on Bramble Lane, and she was very proud of it.

Today her bag held three letters, one parcel and a postcard with a sheep on it.

"Off I go," said Elsie.

She went to the blue door first. The letter dropped in. Flap!

She went to the green door. The letter dropped in. Flap!

Then she came to the yellow door, and the letter box was too high. Elsie stood on her toes. She jumped. The letter would not go in.

"Hello?" she called. Nobody came.

She tried again. She hopped, stretched and wobbled. The letter bent in the middle. That was not good at all.

Elsie sat down on the step and looked around. A flowerpot stood by the wall. It was big and round, with a fat red tulip in it.

"Aha," she said.

She pushed the pot to the door. It went scrrrrape across the stones. Then she climbed on top, and the tulip tickled her nose.

"A-choo!"

The letter flew out of her hand and straight through the box. Flap!

Elsie laughed so hard the pot wobbled. Inside, a dog went woof, woof, woof, and a small voice called, "Is that the post?"

"It is!" said Elsie. "Mind the tulip!"

The last stop was the postcard with the sheep. Elsie held it up and gave the sheep a wink. Then she carried the empty bag home, swinging it as she went.

Behind her, the dog barked at the door one more time, and a letter rustled open. Down the lane, the gate went clink, clink, clink, and was still.