Yvonne’s Picnic Shade

Yvonne and Wendy find a sunny place for their park picnic. Dad spreads a green rug and opens the small food basket. The girls look for a shady seat.

They try standing a picnic umbrella in the soft ground beside the rug. Its pole leans as soon as Dad lets go. He catches it before it falls towards the food.

“This soil cannot hold it steady,” says Dad. He folds the umbrella closed again. Wendy points to a broad tree nearby. A patch of shade already covers the grass there.

The girls fold the rug between them. Dad carries the basket. They move beneath the tree. They choose a clear place away from its thick roots and the path.

Yvonne spreads the rug and sits beneath the leaves. They keep sunlight off her face. Wendy puts the basket in the middle. Their new place feels much cooler.

A little breeze moves the leaves as they share their sandwiches. Dad asks how they solved the shade problem. Nobody needs to hold the umbrella all afternoon.

After eating, they play a quiet guessing game with shapes among the branches. One patch looks like a rabbit’s ear. Another reminds Wendy of a boat’s sail.

They pack their basket, fold the rug and carry the closed umbrella home. “Our best shade was already here,” says Yvonne. She looks back at the tree that sheltered their picnic.