The Bridge to the Cheese Picnic

Starring Jack the dragon robot, French Clown with cheese ears

Jack the dragon robot and the French Clown with cheese ears want to cross a noisy iron bridge in Paris for a perfect picnic, but Jack freezes whenever the metal clanks too loud. When a gust of wind blows the clown's precious silver bell into the river below, they must work together—counting to three and using Jack's glittery steam rings—to retrieve it without panicking. Their teamwork carries them safely to the other side, where they celebrate with friends under a chestnut tree.

Jack and the French Clown stood at the old iron bridge. The air smelled like warm bread and the river. "Ding!" rang the clown's silver bell. "Time to cross for our picnic!" Jack hummed, "Whirrr-click."

They stepped onto the bridge. The metal groaned and went CLANK! Jack froze solid. His black button eyes blinked fast and wide. "Too loud," he whispered. The clown touched Jack's soft fin-ear. "I am right here."

The clown remembered Jack's trick. "Let us count to three together." Jack breathed deep. "One... two... three!" He opened his mouth vent and puffed a glittery pink steam ring. It floated bright and calm between them. They walked on.

Halfway across, a big wind whooshed! The clown's silver bell flew from his hand. "Oh!" he cried. The bell tumbled down, down, down, and landed on a tiny stone ledge above the rushing water. "My bell!" sobbed the clown.

Jack leaned over to look. His metal elbow hit the railing. CLANG! He froze again, stuck tight. The clown wrung his polka-dot sleeves. Cheese coins spilled out. The water rushed loud and cold below, and the bell looked so far away.

The clown had an idea. He held Jack's fin-ear. "We count together. One... two... three!" Jack's engine hummed warm. He opened his mouth wide and puffed three bright steam rings down toward the water. The rings lit up the ledge like little moons.

Jack stretched his long tail slow and soft, click-click, gentle as a whisper. The tail tip curled around the silver bell. He lifted it up, up, up! The clown caught it with both hands. "Merci, mon ami!" he laughed.

They hurried to the other side. There under a chestnut tree stood Colette with her accordion! They spread the picnic blanket. The clown rang his bell—Ding! Jack puffed golden steam rings that floated up like stars. The cheese smelled sharp and happy.