Jemima climbs the Calla

Today is another warm and sunny day. Jemima's birthday bouquet has wilted long ago, but Drora's purple pansies are blooming as lovely as ever. A grey neighbour's cat is jumping around on James' flower boxes again, trying to catch the butterflies.

Jemima has invited two of her girlfriends. The little lamb is called May Schaefer. Jemima asks her to make up the first game. 

May says the Periwinkles' green grass is a wild ocean filled with hungry sharks and the spaghetti tree is their ship. Squealing, they follow May up the trunk of the tree.

This is Freya Sylverson, a little koala. Jemima asks her to make up the second game. Freya decides to play hide-and-seek and they even include Jemima's stuffed animals in the game. Sally, Jemima's little pink rabbit, "hides" with the daisies in Cutata's walnut basket.

When it is Jemima's turn, she invites her friends to visit the Calla at the far end of the garden. It's a beautiful plant with leaves much larger than the children and enormous pink flowers shaped like trumpets.

They climb up and up and finally May lays down to rest on a large leaf. 

"Where is Quackie?" Freya suddenly asks Jemima. "Uh oh, I forgot her in the house on the sofa..." Jemima says. 

For those of you who do not know Quackie - she is Jemima's favourite toy, a yellow rubber duck, and she is very cheeky and jealous. I believe Jemima is in great trouble for forgetting Quackie on the sofa, and she knows it...

After a while, they hear a wheezing sound. It's the sound of Quackie's breath as she is dragging herself up a leaf of the Calla.

"Uh oh... look at her face... Quackie's gonna be real mad..." Jemima whispers into Freya's ear, as Quackie moves closer and closer towards them, panting like a sickly old grandmother and looking very grim. 

"Tell me goodbye, Freya. It was nice being your friend. Goodbye to you too, May!" whispers Jemima. May gets up from her leaf and glances at Jemima with a look of concern.

Very suddenly Quackie jumps on top of Jemima. Jemima falls onto her back and feels a wet kiss on her face! 

"Fi-nal-ly! I found you!" Quackie pants sounding extremely relieved and not at all cross. 

The three girls are glad that Quackie didn't lose her temper and they continue playing in the trees until the sun goes down.

HAVE A LOVELY DAY !