1. A Boat for the Festival
Nia is a little turtle with a yellow bag. She lives near a pond with Grandfather. Every summer, the village has a boat festival. Animals bring small boats to the pond. This year, Nia wants to bring a boat with blue waves and a bright red sun.
Grandfather opens the door of his shed. There is paper on a long table. There are brushes in an old cup. Nia chooses a large white sheet. Grandfather shows her the first fold. She presses it with one small hand. The paper makes a quiet sound under her fingers.
The next fold is difficult. One side is longer than the other. Nia pulls at the paper, but Grandfather stops her hand. He opens the fold slowly. Now she can try again. Pip, her duck friend, watches from the doorway. He holds the paper still while Nia folds it.
At last, a small boat stands on the table. Nia paints blue waves on its sides. Pip asks for a yellow sun, but Nia chooses red. She wants everyone to see her bright boat. Grandfather puts a cloth under it. Then he goes inside to make their evening meal.
The paint is wet. Nia opens the shed window to help it dry. Cool air comes across the table. She puts her brushes in the cup and runs inside with Pip. Her yellow bag hangs on the door. Behind them, the window stays open above the little paper boat.
2. Water on the Table
In the morning, rain taps on Nia's bedroom window. She looks outside. Water falls from the leaves into the pond. The festival is today. Nia puts on her boots and takes her yellow bag. Grandfather walks beside her to the shed. She cannot wait to see the blue waves.
But there is water on the table. The boat is wet and one side falls in. Red paint runs across the cloth. Nia stops at the door. Her mouth is open, but no words come out. Grandfather closes the window. Then he moves the boat away from the water.
Pip comes to the shed with a green umbrella. He sees the boat and looks at Nia. There is a yellow feather near the cup. Nia points at it. "Is this your mess, Pip?" Her voice is sharp. Pip's smile goes away. He holds the umbrella close to his chest.
Grandfather lifts the wet cloth. He points to drops of water below the window. Nia looks at the drops. She remembers opening the window for the paint. The feather is from Pip's wing, but the window is open because of her. The feather does not explain the wet table.
Nia puts down her bag. "The open window is my mistake," she says. "I am sorry, Pip." He puts his umbrella by the door. "We can look for more paper," he says. Grandfather finds a dry shelf for the first boat. They leave it there while they clean the table.
3. A Test in the Basin
Pip has shiny paper in his bag. It is thin and silver. Nia likes it very much. Together they fold a small boat. It looks like a fish in the light. Nia reaches for the paint, but Grandfather brings a basin of water. "First, let us try it here," he says.
Nia puts the silver boat in the basin. It sits on the water for a moment. Then water comes over one side. The paper bends and the boat falls in. Pip lifts it out with a spoon. He looks surprised. "It is pretty," he says, "but it does not stay up."
Grandfather finds a thick sheet of used paper. One side has old writing on it. The other side is empty. Nia turns the empty side out and makes another boat. This time, her folds are straight. Pip helps her press the corners. They put a little green leaf shape on each side.
The new boat floats in the basin. Nia counts slowly while Pip watches its sides. Soon the bottom feels soft. Grandfather lifts it out before it fills with water. "It floats for longer," he says. "But paper still gets wet." Nia sets it on a dry cloth, away from the window.
There is a knock at the door. Rabbit brings news from the village hall. The rain is too strong for the pond festival. There is a long table inside the hall instead. Everyone can bring a boat and tell its story. Nia looks at the dry shelf. "Can we bring two?" she asks.
4. Two Boats on One Table
The first boat is dry now, but its side is still bent. Nia presses it gently into place. Pip puts a small strip of paper across a tear. The red sun has a long pale mark below it. Nia does not hide the mark. She puts both boats in a wide box.
Grandfather carries the box through the rain. Nia holds the umbrella above it. Pip walks beside them with the yellow bag. Inside the hall, animals move their chairs away from the table. There are boats of wood, paper and leaves. There is even a boat inside a large glass bottle.
Nia puts her boats next to each other. Rabbit looks at the pale red mark. "Is that a long fish?" he asks. Nia starts to laugh. "No, it is my sun after the rain." She shows him the bent side. Then she explains the open window and the two tests in the basin.
Pip takes the silver paper from the yellow bag. "This is our first test," he says. Rabbit touches it carefully. It feels very thin. Another small turtle comes closer to the table. "Can you show me the folds?" she asks. Nia finds a clean sheet and makes room beside her chair.
This time, Nia makes the first fold slowly. Pip holds the corners. Grandfather sits nearby with a cup of tea. Rain runs down the hall window, but the table is dry. A new paper boat begins to stand between Nia's hands. The other turtle chooses a yellow sun for its side.
