knowonder!

Reading to Danny

by Guy Belleranti

Mary stared out Sara’s living room window. “The clouds are getting darker. Let’s go outside and play before it starts to rain!” She ran for the door.

“Wait!” Sara called. “What about my promise?”

Mary swung around and put her hands on her hips. “What promise?”

“My promise to read to Danny.”

Mary rolled her brown eyes and looked at four-year-old Danny. “You can wait until later for Sara to read you a story, can’t you Danny?”

Danny crinkled his nose. Then he shook his head and thrust his new book into Sara’s hands.

“I guess he can’t,” Sara said. She plopped down on the couch beside her brother. “Sit down Mary. This is going to take a while. I promised I’d read him the whole story.”

“Great,” Mary muttered. She slumped down on the other side of Danny.

Sara opened the book. “The world at Jackson’s house changed forever when Enormous Dog moved in. Enormous licked the dirt off Jackson’s face. LICK, LICK!”

“Ha, ha!” Danny laughed.

“Enormous LICK LICKED the kitchen floor until it sparkled like diamonds,” continued Sara. “And… Enormous LICK, LICK LICKED Papa’s bald spot until his fuzzy fringe dripped like a waterfall. LICK, LICK, LICK!” Sara stuck her tongue out and panted and barked.

“Ha, ha, ha!” Danny squealed and covered his face.

Mary didn’t laugh but she did feel a smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

Sara turned the page and–

KABOOM!

“Oh no!” Mary said. “Thunder.”

“And rain.” Sara added, pointing at water streaming down the window.

“Looks like we won’t be able to play outside at all now,” Mary grumbled. “I might as well go home.”

“Go home?” Sara shook her head. “No way! There might be lightning. And even if there isn’t you’ll get all wet for sure.”

Mary frowned. “You’re right. I’ll stay ’til it stops raining. But what am I going to do all that time?”

“Maybe you can read to Danny, too.”

“Me?”

“Sure. We’ll take turns.” Sara held out the book. “Here. Read the next couple of pages.”

Mary crossed her arms over her stomach and shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

Sara turned to her brother. “Would you like Mary to have fun and do some of the reading?”

Danny crinkled his nose a moment, then nodded.

Sara grinned and lay the book in Mary’s lap. ”

“But I’ll do a lousy job,” Mary said. “I don’t have a brother or sister so I’ve never read out loud to anyone. I’ll be terrible at it.”

“No you won’t,” Sara said.

Mary stared down at the book, then looked at Danny’s eager face. “Well…okay. I’ll try.”  She flipped the book open and turned to the page after where Enormous Dog licked Dad’s head like a waterfall. “LICKITY, LICKITY, LICK!” she said flapping her tongue fast in front of Danny’s face.

“Heeheeeee!” Danny laughed, rolling into a giggling ball.

Mary began reading and continued until Danny peeked out and unrolled himself.

“Your turn, Sara,” Mary said, handing over the book and wiping laugh tears out of her eyes.

Sara took the book, read some pages, then handed the book back to Mary, who read, “So Jackson’s house, and Jackson’ face, became the cleanest in history thanks to Enormous Dog. SLURP, SLURP, SLURP! The End!”

Danny rolled on the couch, giggling. So did Sara and Mary.

“THAT…WAS…FUN,” Mary said when Danny, Sara and she had all giggled themselves out. She passed the book to Sara. “I’m glad we kept your promise.”

“Me too,” Sara said. “Did you like the story Danny?”

Danny nodded. Then he took the book from Sara’s hands and thrust it back into Mary’s. “Can you please read first now?”

Mary’s jaw dropped.

“Go ahead Mary,” Sara said. “You can read the pages I read and I’ll read the pages you read.”

Mary thought a moment, then said, “Hey, why not.” With a big smile she opened the book, stuck out her tongue Enormous Dog-like, then pulled it in quickly and began to read.

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