The Boots lived in the porch by the back door, next to the boot scraper. Old Gum Boots belonged to Daddy. They were tall and dark and dirty. Mummy's Green Welly Boots stood next to them. They weren't so tall as Old Gum Boots, and they weren't so dirty.
And last of all, there were Pink Flowery Boots, which were Sarah's. They were very pretty, and they didn't want to get dirty.
One day, some new boots arrived. They were bright red and very small. They belonged to Billy.
"Hello," Pink Flowery Boots said. "What's your name?"
"I'm Little Red Boots," the new boots squeaked perkily. "Ive just come from the shoe shop. I used to live in a box."
"Oh, I remember living in a box," Pink Flowery Boots said. "It's dreadful, isn't it?"
"Can you two be quiet," Old Gum Boots said grumpily. "I want to have a rest because I've been doing a lot of digging today."
"So, please shush," Green Welly Boots added.
After that Pink Flowery Boots and Little Red Boots had to whisper.
"What's it like outside?" Little Red Boots asked.
"Oh, it's nice outside," Pink Flowery Boots said. "I go shopping with Sarah and Mummy. And I go to pre-school, too."
"Will I go to pre-school with Billy?" Little Red Boots asked.
"I think you're too young," Pink Flowery Boots said. "But I expect you'll go for a walk with Billy.
It rained overnight, so next day Pink Flowery Boots went to pre-school with Sarah.
"Billy, I've got some planting to do in the garden," Daddy said. "Will you help me?"
"Ooh, yes," said Billy. "I can wear my boots!"
Daddy helped Billy on with his bright red mac and bright red sou'wester. Billy sat down on the step. Daddy helped him put on his new red boots and tucked his blue dungarees into the top of them.
Billy jumped up and down. "I like my new boots!" he said.
And I like jumping too, Little Red Boots thought. It's much better than living in a box.
Little Red Boots and Billy went into the garden with Old Gum Boots and Daddy. The wind was blowing and leaves were swirling off the trees. There were leaves on the lawn and squelchy puddles in the grass.
Little Red Boots and Billy scuffed through the leaves scrunchy-scrunch-scrunch. This is better than living in a box, thought Little Red Boots.
Little Red Boots squelched through the puddles squelchy-squelch-squelch. Ooh, and this is better than living in a box, thought Little Red Boots.
"Billy, can you help me please?" Daddy called. He was putting some new plants in the flower-bed.
All the earth was soft and dark after last night's rain. Old Gum Boots were getting very dirty, and Little Red Boots were muddy. Ooh, this is much better than living in a box, thought Little Red Boots.
"Now, Billy, here's a trowel," Daddy said. He watched while Billy started to dig a hole for a new plant.
Billy put the new plant into his hole and moved the earth back round it. Old Gum Boots showed Little Red Boots how to firm it in. Old Gum Boots left a big print on the soft earth, and Little Red Boots left a little print.
There were still some puddles on the path after last night's rain, and it was starting to rain again.
"Oh, dear," said Daddy. "We'd better go in."
Little Red Boots and Billy ran up the path through the puddles, SPLISH-SPLASH-SPLOSH.
"I like my boots!" said Billy
"Now, watch me," said Daddy when they got back to the porch. He scraped some of the mud off Old Gum Boots on the boot scraper before he took them off.
Billy copied Daddy. Little Red Boots had some of the mud scraped off on the boot scraper, too. The Little Red Boots ran down the path again with Billy and got all clean in the puddles.
"This is much better than living in a box," said Little Red Boots later. "I like leaves. I like mud. I like puddles. But puddles are the best."
THE END
Where's Herbert this time? I'm sure you will be able to find him.
Little Red Boots can also be found in Storytime With Grandma, an anthology of stories from the 'Children's Corner', published by D C Thomson & Co Ltd, September 2007, and still available from http://ecommerce1.dcthomson.co.uk/
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