Lisa loved pie. She loved lemon and blueberry, peach and rhubarb, but her favorite was her Grandma Abigail’s not-too-sweet, not-too-tart apple pie.
One rainy afternoon, Lisa asked her mother if she could go to Grandma’s house for pie. “Grandma can’t pick apples in the rain,” her mother said.
“I can pick the apples,” Lisa said. So she gathered her warmest raincoat, her floppiest hat, her favorite umbrella, and her galoshes. Truthfully, her galoshes were a little too big, but she’d grow into them.
Lisa set off to pick apples. Soon she realized that no matter how she stretched, she couldn’t reach any apples!
A bear stopped to help. “If I pick apples for you, will you give me your hat?” he asked. “I can’t see in this rain.”
Lisa agreed. But the bear tricked her. As soon as he had her hat, he said, “I see now that I will not help you. Good-bye.”
“If I had an umbrella,” said a passing wolf, “I’d take a nap under it. I’ll help you in exchange for your umbrella.”
Lisa agreed. But once Lisa handed him the umbrella, he yawned and said, “Good night, it’s time for my nap.”
A fox walked up. “I’ll help, but it would be quite gracious of you to give me your coat in exchange. My fur has been damp all spring.” But the fox tricked her, too.
“I’d love to help, but my feet slip,” said a passing rabbit. “Nice boots!”
“Take them,” Lisa sighed. “They’re too big for me anyway.”
“Why the long face?” the rabbit asked Lisa. “With your galoshes, I can jump to incredible heights.”
The rabbit jumped and picked three apples. “You may not have your clothes, but you’ll have pie!” shouted the rabbit.
The rabbit’s jumping and shouting made the animals come running. “I was sleeping,” the wolf growled. “But did I hear you say pie?” The bear saw the wolf’s umbrella. “My hat is a little small,” he said. “Give me
that umbrella. What pie?”
“Where are your manners?” said the fox. “I’d like the umbrella, please, and a warm piece of pie as well.”
The animals began to argue and chase one another around the apple tree.
The bear chased the wolf. The wolf chased the fox.
The fox chased the bear, shouting that chasing wasn’t good manners! The animals ran around and around the apple tree, shedding the hat, coat, and umbrella as they went. All their running caused the ground to shake…which caused the apples to drop!
“Hurry,” said the rabbit. “With your galoshes, I can run at incredible speeds! Grab your things, and fill your basket. You’ll be eating pie soon!”The two new friends fled to Grandma Abigail’s house, where she took the apples and made delicious pies for them to share. And that’s what happened the day
rabbit came for pie.
