SpringComplete

Lola and Fred Go to the
Park in the Spring
A picture book by
I K Stockbridge

One morning, Lola drew the curtains and saw a blue sky instead of a
wintery grey one. It had been very windy and the wind had blown the
clouds away
‘Oh, a real spring day at last!’ she thought.
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‘Breakfast, Fred!’ she called. This was the quickest way to wake Fred,
who loved to stay in bed and snooze.
Fred was awake in an instant.
‘Where?’ he asked.

‘In the cupboard, I’ll go and get it!’ said Lola, laughing.
‘At least you’re awake now. I want to get out in this lovely
spring sunshine and see what’s happening in the park.’

After breakfast they trotted off to the park and made straight for the river.
‘Look Fred,’ said Lola, ‘the baby ducks are learning how to swim!’
Fred went to the edge of the river to watch the baby ducks who were all
following their mothers.

Suddenly, Bella burst out of some tall grasses, heading straight for them.
‘Hello, isn’t it a wonderful day?’ she cried.
‘Look out!’ shouted Lola.

It was too late.
Bella had knocked Fred head-first into the water!

Fred was very surprised and for a minute, he didn’t know what had
happened.
Then he realised that he was in the river and started to get worried.

‘I can’t swim!’ he called, just as Lola shouted, ‘He can’t swim!’ to Bella.
‘He hates water!’

Fred was floating past the ducks, who were very angry at being so rudely
disturbed.
Most of them paddled away as fast as they could, but some brave ones
came up to get a closer look at him.

‘Oh no, what should I do?’ thought Fred.
‘I can’t just float about like this all day. I’ll end up
floating under the bridge and then I won’t know
where I am. The park is so big.’

‘Fred!’ called Lola, ‘Try to steer yourself over here!’
Fred started to thrash his feet in the water, which made the ducks even
more angry and they started quacking very loudly and flapping their wings,
making even more splashes .
He splashed so much that the path was getting quite wet but it did no good
as all he did was to go round in circles.

‘Think of something!’ said Lola to Bella. ‘Can you swim?’
‘I don’t know, but I expect I can,’ said Bella. ‘If I go over here and run
up fast and jump in, it will probably work. I’ll try it.’

‘No!’ cried Lola.
‘If you don’t know what you’re doing you will make things worse and Fred
could get hurt. We have to think of a way to get him out.’
Fred had stopped flailing his legs now and was slowly floating down
stream.
‘What should I do?’ he called, ‘I don’t like this.’

‘I’m trying to think of something!’ called Lola.
‘We’ll have you out in a minute.’

She looked round, trying to find something that would help.
A little way away was a long branch that had broken off in
the wind.
‘Ah, I know!’ said Lola.
‘Bella, we must go and get that long branch. Come on!’

‘Where are you going?’ called Fred.
‘You can’t go off and play now!’
‘We’re not,’ called Lola.
‘I’ve had an idea!’

Fred knew that Lola’s ideas were always good ideas, so
he started to feel more cheerful and even started to
enjoy himself.

Lola and Bella raced off to get the branch and brought it over to the river.
‘You must hold on to the end of the branch,’ Lola called to Fred.
‘We’re going to pull you over to the grass and then get you out.’

‘Alright,’ said Fred. ‘I’m ready.’
After lots of pushing and pulling, they managed to get the
branch just in front of Fred as he floated towards it.

‘Now, Fred!’ called Lola.
‘Grab it and don’t let go!’

Fred grabbed the branch and held on as hard as he could.
‘Now!’ said Lola to Bella, ‘But gently. We mustn’t pull so fast that
he loses his grip.’
Lola and Bella pulled and pulled and Fred clung on as he moved
through the water.

At last, he was near the edge of the grass.
‘Hold it steady, Bella, and I’ll help him out of the water,’ said Lola.
Fred put all his feet on the branch and Lola helped him onto dry land.

‘Come on!’ said Bella, getting ready to spring into action.
‘Run with me and you’ll soon be dry!’
‘I think I’ll just go home and have a snooze after all that,’ said
Fred, who was now standing in a very large puddle.
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‘Good idea,’ said Lola.
‘Come on Bella, come and have some lunch with us.’
‘Oh YES,’ said Bella, prancing ahead.
‘That sounds like a VERY good idea!’
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