John & Julia's Family Days

John and the Kite That Sat Down

← About this story
John carries the red kite and reel beside Papou and Julia.
On Clean Monday, John took his kite to the field with Papou, his grandfather. Julia came too. Papou had flown kites on this day when he was little. Now it was John's turn. His red kite had a yellow tail. It was going to be magnificent.
The kite rests on its yellow tail in the grass.
John held the reel. Papou lifted the kite. “Ready?” “Ready!” Papou let go. The kite sat down. Right on its magnificent tail.
John looks towards a passing pigeon while the kite stays on the ground.
“Up, please,” said John. The kite stayed down. “Perhaps it didn't hear,” he told Julia. “UP, PLEASE!” A pigeon fluttered away. “Wrong one,” said Julia.
John puffs towards the kite’s loose yellow tail.
“We need some wind,” said Papou. John took a deep breath. He puffed. The kite's tail twitched. He PUFFED. His cheeks grew enormous. The kite did not.
Julia holds out the end of her scarf as they wait for a breeze.
Julia held up the end of her scarf. It hung straight down. So did the kite's tail. “The wind isn't ready,” she said. John looked across the field. Other people's kites were sitting down too.
The three sit beside the resting kite and a small beetle.
Papou spread their picnic blanket. “We can wait here.” John sat beside his kite. “I'm ready,” he whispered to the sky. He waited. A beetle climbed a blade of grass. John waited some more. The beetle came down again.
A breeze lifts Julia’s scarf while John holds the reel.
Then something brushed John's ear. Julia's scarf lifted. The grass shivered. The yellow tail wriggled across the blanket. John jumped up. “Papou! NOW it's ready!”
The kite lifts into the air as Papou releases it.
Papou lifted the kite again. John held the reel with both hands. Julia watched the tail. Up it lifted. Up lifted the kite. Papou let go.
Papou helps John hold the reel while the kite flies.
The kite dipped. John held on. The kite wobbled. John held on.
A close view of Papou’s supporting hand beneath John’s reel.
Papou helped him let out a little line.
John smiles at Papou while the red kite flies overhead.
Then the red kite climbed— past Papou's head, past the pigeon, into the wide blue sky.
John lifts a knee in a cheerful imitation of the pigeon.
Its yellow tail danced. John danced underneath it. A little tug travelled down the line. “It's waving!” he said. Julia waved back. The pigeon did not.
Papou settles on the grass beside John and the flying kite.
Papou settled beside John and helped him hold the reel. “My grandfather flew kites with me,” he said. John looked at Papou. Then he looked up at their red kite. “Did yours sit down first?” “Oh, yes.” “Magnificently?” “Magnificently.”
Julia brings the blanket closer while John keeps hold of the reel.
Julia brought the picnic blanket closer.
The three share the blanket beneath the flying kite.
John sat down beside Papou, still holding the reel. The kite stayed up. “Your turn to stand,” John told it. And all afternoon, it did.

Downloads for grown-ups

The complete story to read, listen to and keep.

PDF edition ↓

EPUB edition ↓

Complete read-aloud ↓

Your reading place is saved on this browser when storage is available.