Tala and the Cheeky Umbrella

A Long Grey Day

Tala pressed her nose to the window. The rain had been tapping on the glass since morning. The whole street was grey, and even the cats were hiding under the cars.

Tala sighed. “Grandpa, the rain has stolen our Saturday!”

Grandpa chuckled behind his newspaper. “Rain doesn’t steal anything, Tala. It washes the street until it shines like a mirror.”

Tala wasn’t so sure. She looked at her green coat by the door, then at her tall red boots, and an idea lit up in her head. “Grandpa… shall we go out and see this mirror?”

An Umbrella from the Cupboard

Grandpa opened the old cupboard and took out a yellow umbrella with big white polka dots.

“This has been my umbrella since I was little, like you,” he said with a wink. “But careful — it’s a cheeky one. It loves dancing with the wind more than anything.”

Tala giggled. “Umbrellas don’t dance, Grandpa!”

Grandpa pressed the button, and the umbrella sprang open. Then it twirled right round in his hand, as if to say: Hello!

Tala’s eyes grew wide. “It moved all by itself!”

“Didn’t I tell you?” said Grandpa, putting on his grey hat. “Get your coat on. The umbrella wants a walk.”

A Very Big Puddle

Outside, puddles glittered everywhere. Tala jumped into the first one as hard as she could. Drops flew all the way up to Grandpa’s glasses.

Grandpa wiped them and laughed. “That’s not a puddle — that’s a little lake!”

Tala jumped again, and again. Every time, the yellow umbrella wobbled above their heads and tugged Grandpa’s hand towards the sky.

“Grandpa,” Tala whispered, “I think your umbrella wants to jump with me.”

Grandpa looked at the clouds. “Or to fly. Hold my hand tight — the wind is coming.”

A Sudden Gust

Suddenly a strong wind came rushing down the street. The umbrella flipped up like a tulip, slipped out of Grandpa’s hand and soared above the trees.

And Grandpa’s grey hat flew off too!

“The umbrella!” Tala shouted. “And the hat!”

The hat tumbled along the pavement like a little rabbit, and Grandpa hopped after it, this way and that, until he caught it — and plonked it on his head upside down.

Tala laughed so hard she had to hold her tummy. Then she looked up and saw the yellow umbrella spinning and dancing in the sky, just as Grandpa had said, flying off towards the park.

A Chase Through the Park

Tala and Grandpa ran after the umbrella. Her red boots went “squelch” with every step on the wet grass.

The umbrella landed on the wooden bench. Tala crept closer on tiptoe… but it hopped up and flew to the fountain. And when they reached the fountain, it jumped onto the swing!

“It’s playing hide-and-seek with us!” Tala panted.

At last the umbrella settled at the top of the big oak tree in the middle of the park. It caught in the high branches and stayed there, open and still, as if it had found just the place it was looking for.

A Secret in the Tree

Tala stretched up her hand under the tree, but the branches were far too high. Grandpa lifted her onto his shoulders, and she came closer to the umbrella… then she stopped.

Under the yellow umbrella was a little nest with a blue mother bird and three tiny chicks, their feathers perfectly dry while the rain fell all around them.

“Grandpa,” Tala whispered, “the umbrella wasn’t playing. It was looking for the birds!”

Grandpa looked at the nest and smiled. “So what now? Shall we take our umbrella and go home?”

Tala thought for a moment. “No. The birds need it more than we do today.”

A Blue Feather on the Doorstep

Tala and Grandpa walked home under Grandpa’s big coat, laughing about the puddles and the upside-down hat. As they reached the door, the rain stopped, and a long rainbow appeared in the sky.

After that, Tala visited the tree every morning. The three chicks grew bigger, their feathers grew strong, and one sunny day they all flew far away.

That evening, something knocked softly at the door. Tala opened it, and there on the doorstep lay the yellow umbrella, neatly folded, with a small blue feather on top.

Tala laughed and hugged the umbrella. “Welcome back, you cheeky thing!”

Back to the library