Flora's Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall

"Mommy! Crispin spilled my paints again!" shrieked Flora.
    "I told you to keep your paints out of his reach," said her mother.
    "I tried," said Flora, "but—"
    "Oh, look at this mess. Outside, Flora. Right now!"
    "I can't go outside," protested Flora. "The wind is very strong and will blow me away."
    "Nonsense," said her mother.
    Flora thought for a moment. "Of course, I could wear my super-special heavy-duty red boots. They'll keep me from being blown away."
    "Fine," said her mother. "And take Crispin with you."

    Now, Crispin did not have super-special heavy-duty red boots to protect him from the wind. His boots were purple and couldn't do anything but keep his feet dry.
    Oh, well, Flora thought. It wouldn't be
her
fault if Crispin blew away.

    So Flora put on her coat and hat and her super-special heavy-duty red boots.

    And her mother put Crispin into his little coat and hat and regular old purple boots.

    And when all that was done, Flora's mother opened the door and Flora and Crispin stepped outside.

    The wind was indeed very strong that day. It pushed and pulled, and twirled and twisted. But no matter how hard it blew, Flora stayed firmly on the ground.
    "Ha ha! You dumb wind," said Flora. "You can't lift me up, because I'm wearing my super-special heavy-duty red boots!"
    The wind did not like being laughed at. It doubled its strength and blasted mightily at Flora, but still she didn't budge.
    "However," said Flora, "you may notice that my little brother is wearing regular old purple boots."

    Now the wind tripled its strength. It swirled and swooped, and whizzed and walloped, and then—oh, my!—Crispin was being lifted off the ground.
    Just a little bit at first, but the wind grew stronger and Crispin went higher, and then higher, and then higher still.
    He was being blown away.

    He looked very frightened.

    And suddenly Flora was kicking off her super-special heavy-duty red boots and spreading her coat to the wind and—oh, my, oh, my!—she was sailing up toward Crispin.

    She grabbed his hand and closed her eyes and wished she were anywhere else in the world.

    But soon Flora realized that being blown by the wind was comfortable, like riding along on a squishy flying chair. She decided to open her eyes.
    Just then they came upon a dragonfly.
    "Will you give me that little boy?" asked the dragonfly. "He could polish my wings."

    "Silly dragonfly," scolded Flora. She knew that Crispin was too clumsy to clean such delicate wings. "He's my brother and I'm taking him home."
    "If the wind lets you," said the dragonfly.

    Flora and Crispin flew on and on until they came upon a sparrow.
    "Will you give me that little boy?" asked the sparrow. "He could sit on my eggs."
    "What a mess that would be," said Flora. As if Crispin could sit on eggs without breaking them. "He's my brother and I'm taking him home."
    "If the wind lets you," said the sparrow.

    Flora and Crispin flew on and on until they came upon a rainbow.
    "Will you give me that little boy?" asked the rainbow. "He could guard my pot of gold."

    "Gold!" That was tempting. But, thought Flora, Crispin's not fierce enough to guard anything. "No. He's my brother and I'm taking him home."
    "If the wind lets you," said the rainbow.

    Flora and Crispin flew on and on until they came upon a cloud.
    "Will you give me that little boy?" asked the cloud. "He could squeeze out my raindrops."

    Flora thought that squeezing out raindrops sounded like fun. But Crispin would surely catch a cold, and then who would help him with his nose? "No, I won't give him to you. He's my brother and I'm taking him home."
    "If the wind lets you," said the cloud.

    Flora and Crispin flew on and on until they came upon an eagle.
    "Will you give me that little boy?" asked the eagle. "He could sharpen my talons."
    "You can't fool me," Flora said. She saw the hungry look in the eagle's eye. "He's my brother and I'm taking him home."
    "If the wind lets you," said the eagle.

    Flora