Muriel’s Red Ribbon

Muriel and Eileen decorate a picnic basket in the orchard. They tie red ribbons around its handle for Grandpa’s birthday.

Muriel checks the ribbons before they carry the basket. “I tied another one, but I cannot see it,” she says.

Eileen looks under the picnic blanket. Muriel checks the grass beside the tree, but neither finds the ribbon.

Grandpa asks them to think about where they last used it. “We tied them at the handle,” says Eileen.

They turn the basket slowly to look at the other side. A loose red ribbon is hanging behind the handle.

Muriel pulls it free and ties it beside the others. “Now I can see them all,” she says with a smile.

They put sandwiches and apples inside the basket. Grandpa carries it to a shady spot beneath the tree.

“Our birthday picnic is ready,” says Muriel. They sit together, and Grandpa thanks them for the bright surprise.