Up You Go, Kite!

Starring Arjun, Mom

On a windy afternoon at the park, Arjun runs as fast as he can with his bright red kite. But it keeps crashing, and soon he wants to give up. Sitting beside Mom in the grass, he watches the trees bend and wonders how to get his kite into the sky.

Wind tugged at Arjun's kite. He held it tight while Mom held the string. "Ready?" she asked. Arjun bounced on his toes.

Mom passed Arjun the string. He ran as fast as he could. The kite lifted, spun, and smacked into the grass. "Oh, come on!"

Arjun tried again. Crash. He tried once more. The kite tangled in tall grass. He threw down the string and squeezed his hands shut. "I quit."

Mom sat beside Arjun in the grass. She left the string where it lay. Arjun watched the trees bend. His hands stayed clenched. How could the kite get up there?

"Which way are the leaves blowing?" Mom asked. Arjun pointed along the bending branches. "The kite wants to go that way too," she said. He loosened one hand.

Arjun freed the kite and picked up the string. He faced away from the wind. Slowly, he opened his hand. The string slipped out, a little at a time.

The kite climbed past the bending branches. It climbed higher, a red dot above the trees. "Whoo!" Arjun shouted. Mom clapped.

On the way home, Arjun carried the kite himself. Its tail streamed behind him. "Let's come back on the next windy day!" he said. Mom took his free hand.