A Cloud in My Rain Boot

Mila wants to go outside. The left boot is on. In the right one there is something white. “But my sock is already on my foot.”

Mila pulls carefully. The white thing gets longer. And longer. Pop! A little cloud floats above the boot.

“You’re a little Fluff!” Mila taps the cloud. Plip. A drop lands right on Mila’s nose.

Mila holds the boot under Fluff. Plip, plip. “Thank you. But I didn’t want a water boot.”

Mila tips the water out into the garden. A worm quickly pulls its head in. “Sorry, Willi.”

Now both boots are on. Mila jumps into the puddle. Splash! Fluff hops over it. Plip! Fluff can do that too.

“Who can make the biggest wave?” Mila stamps. Fluff rains. The worm would rather wait under its leaf.

Mila fetches a leaf. A boat! It sails to the edge of the puddle. There it gets stuck. Fluff floats above it, curious.

“A little water, please.” Fluff goes plip, plip, plip. The puddle grows. The leaf boat floats again.

The boat sails under the bench. Mila has to crouch down very low to keep it in sight. Fluff simply slips through.

“Fluff, where are you?” Not under the bench any more. Not behind the bucket either. But something is dripping into Mila’s collar.

Mila looks up. “There!” Fluff sits like a little hat on Mila’s hair. Mila shakes. Fluff shakes too.

All that playing makes Mila hungry. On the bench there is an apple and some bread. Fluff comes along. “This is my picnic spot.”

Plip. A drop lands on the bread. Plip. Another one. Mila pushes it to the left. Fluff floats to the left.

“I think you want to eat with me.” Mila holds out a piece of apple to Fluff. The apple goes right through. Fluff can’t eat apples.

Mila moves under the little garden umbrella. Fluff stays outside. Now the drops knock on the roof. Tip, tap, tip.

Mila knocks back. Tip, tap, tip. Fluff patters faster. Mila chews and has to laugh. What a good picnic orchestra.

After the picnic Mila finds the blue flowerpot under the garden roof. No rain got in here. The soil is dry. The little bean lets its leaves droop.

Mila lifts the watering can. Empty. Mila turns it upside down. Still empty. Above Mila’s head something goes plip.

“Fluff! You can help here.” Mila holds the pot under the cloud. Plip, plip. The soil turns dark and damp.

That’s enough now. Mila puts the pot back under the roof. Fluff floats beside it and drips into a bucket. Mila saves the water for tomorrow.

Slowly Fluff turns light and airy again. Mila blows Fluff a kiss. The cloud rises over the apple tree.

Mila waves. “Puddle boats again tomorrow?” High above, a tiny drop lets go. It lands right in the bucket. Plink.

At the door Mila takes off the boots. One goes gluck. Mila looks inside. Just water. “You’d better stay outside today.”