Violet was excited because today was Saturday. Every Saturday, Violet went to visit her best friend Lilly, who lived nearby. To visit Lilly, Violet only had to walk through her back yard, cross a small stream, climb over a sandy bank, and walk across Lilly’s backyard to reach Lilly’s door. But this Saturday, there was a problem. The sky was full of dark clouds. Rain was falling. The ground was wet. The grass was wet. The trees were wet. Violet was sad. She wanted to visit her friend. But she knew that if she got her hair all wet, and if she got her face and clothes all muddy, her mom would be upset. She went to her room. “What will I do?” Violet asked her toys. “I know!” said her favourite toy, Victoria Princess. “If you cover yourself from the rain, you won’t get wet!”Violet put on her rain hat. She got her umbrella. Now, she would be safe from the rain. She left her house and walked across her back yard. The rain did not touch her. She was safe and dry. But then – SPLOOSH! – Violet stepped in a deep puddle. Her shoes were soaked. Her socks were soaked. Her toes were soaked. Violet ran back to her room. “What do I do now?” she asked her toys as she dried her soggy feet. “I know!” said Benji the Bunny. “If you cover your feet from puddles, you won’t get wet again!” So, Violet put on her rain hat. She got her umbrella. She pulled on her rubber boots. Now, she would be safe from the rain and the puddles. Violet left her house and walked across her back yard. The rain rolled off her umbrella and rain hat and her hair stayed dry. She walked straight through every puddle and her boots kept her feet dry. Then, Violet came to the stream. To cross the stream, Violet had to walk across stones to reach the other side. She had done this many times before, but never while wearing her rubber rain boots. Violet stepped from stone to stone, but her rubber boots slipped on the rocks and – KER-SPLASH! – She fell into the stream. Her toes were soaked. Her legs were soaked. Her shirt, and her pants, and her socks were soaked. Violet trudged back home to her room. “Now what do I do?” she asked her toys as she wrung out her soggy pants. “I know!” said Charlie the saddle-horse. “If you cover your legs, your clothes will not get wet!” So, Violet put on her rain hat. She got her umbrella. She pulled on her rubber boots. Then, Violet put on her rubber over-alls. Now, she was safe from the rain and the puddles and the stream. Violet left her house. She crossed her back yard and splashed in the puddles. She came to the stream and walked right through, kicking water this way and that – SPLISH SPLASH SPLISH! She was safe, and dry, and happy. she was almost at Lilly’s house. Violet got to the sandy bank on the other side of the stream. The rain had turned the sand to a thick mess of deep mud. Violet tried to walk through the deep mud, but her rubber boots sunk – GOOSH! She tried to walk but her feet were stuck She tipped over and – SPA-LAT! – she fell flat on her face. She was covered in mud from head to toe. Her face was soaked and muddy, her clothes were soaked and muddy. Mud even got up into her hair and down into her rubber boots. Violet trudged back to her room. Her toys looked at her, covered in mud from head to toe. Victoria Princess said, “What happened to you? Didn’t you use your umbrella and rain hat?”“Yes,” said Violet. Benji the Bunny said, “And you wore your rubber boots?”“Yes, yes!” said Violet. Charlie the Saddle-horse said, “And you covered your legs with over-alls?”“Yes, yes, yes!” said Violet. She was frustrated. “It seems like no matter what I do to protect myself from the rain and the puddles and the streams and the deep mud, I am still going to get soaked and dirty.” Violet sat in her room. Her toys did not know what to say, for once. She sat and she thought…… and she thought…Then, Violet left her home… wearing her swim suit! She ran across her back yard, feeling her hair and face getting wet from the rain – and it felt okay. She jumped into every puddle she saw, splashing her toes through the water – SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH! -and it felt good. Violet came to the stream. She dunked her head and hands into the deepest parts of the water – KE-BLOOMP! She splashed water this way and that – SHWOOSH! KA-SPLISH! KER-WOOSH! – and it felt great. She came to the sandy bank that was turned to deep mud on the other side. Violet dove into the mud – SPA-LAT! – rolling around, this way and that, and covering herself with it – and it felt okay. Better than okay, it was so much fun! Finally, Violet ran across her friend Lilly’s back yard and came to Lilly’s door. She knocked. Lilly answered the door. She was dry, her hair was in bows, and she wore a pretty dress. Violet smiled at Lilly, her face and body covered with mud. She said, “Hi Lilly! I came over to play!” Lilly said, “You cannot come inside, Violet. You are covered with mud. You are soaked from head to toe. And you are only wearing a swimsuit.” Violet stood on the doorstep… thinking…“Well,” Violet said, “why don’t you put on your swimsuit?” And with that, Violet and Lilly spent all Saturday splashing in puddles, swimming in the stream, and rolling in the mud. They had the most fun they have ever had on a rainy day.