Ben and the Puddle Boat

Part One

The rain had stopped. A big puddle sat in the middle of the path.

Ben put on his red boots. He ran out to see what he could find.

He found a wide green leaf. He found a long thin stick, too.

Ben stuck the stick in the leaf. Now he had a boat with a sail.

He set the boat down on the puddle. It rocked a little, and then it floated.

A small snail crawled along the edge. It looked at the boat, and then at Ben.

"Do you want a ride?" asked Ben. He held out his hand to the snail.

The snail slid onto the leaf. Ben gave the boat a soft puff of air.

The little boat sailed across the puddle. The snail sat very still, like a captain.

It bumped into the other side. The snail slid off and gave a tiny wave.

Ben grinned. "Thank you for sailing," he said. Then the sun came out.