Finley’s Fabulous Friendship Coat

 

 

 

 

Finley’s Fabulous Friendship Coat 

copyright 2008 by Lauri Fortino                                                                                                                                                       

Illustration copyright 2008 by Bill Megenhardt

 

     Finley was a frog who owned a fabulous coat.

     Every morning, Finley put on his coat and went outside to do frog things. But coats get in the way when you’re a frog.

     It soaked right through when he splashed in the stream. Finley took his coat home.    

     It collected worms in the pockets when he dug in the garden. Finley took his coat home.

     It got caked with mud when he hopped through mud holes. Finley took his coat home.

     “Hey Finley,” his neighbors asked, “where’s your fabulous coat?”

     “Hanging in the hall closet,” he answered

     Finley’s mother always washed and mended his coat so he could wear it again. But after a while, Finley didn’t take it out of the closet anymore. Before long, no one asked Finley where his coat was. The fabulous coat was forgotten.

     One day, Chelsey Chipmunk moved in next door.

     Finley and Chelsey became fast friends. They played together every day.

     They splashed in the stream.

     They dug in the garden.

     They hopped through mud holes.

     But one particular day, Chelsey could not come out to play.

     “Not today,” said her mother, “she’s very sick.”

     Finley didn’t play with Chelsey for a long time.

     Every day he asked, “Is Chelsey better yet?”  

     But the answer was always, “No, not yet.”

     Finally, after a very long time, Chelsey’s mother said, “She’s feeling a little better. Why don’t you come in and visit her.”

     “Okay!” croaked Finley happily.      

     When he saw her, he was surprised; she had lost all of her hair.

     Embarrassed, Chelsey tried to hide from Finley.

     “I don’t mind,” said Finley. “I don’t have any hair either.”

     “That’s fine for you,” cried Chelsey, “you’re a frog.”

     “Come outside and play,” said Finley.

     “No, I look different and everyone will laugh,” answered Chelsey.

     Finley tried to cheer Chelsey up.

     He did cartwheels and flips.

     He did a headstand.

     He even balanced on one hand.

     Chelsey giggled.

     “Let’s go outside,” said Finley.

     Chelsey frowned and shook her head.      

     Finley got an idea. He hopped home and returned with a hat and a scarf.

     “Try these on,” he said.

     But they weren’t quite right. Chelsey wouldn’t go out.

     The next day, Finley brought Chelsey a sweater.

     “Try this,” he said.

     The sweater wasn’t right either. Chelsey wouldn’t go out.

     The next day, Finley brought Chelsey a snowsuit.

     “How about this?” he asked.

     Chelsey looked in her mirror. The snowsuit wasn’t right either. Chelsey still wouldn’t go out.

     Finley thought and thought.

     “I’ve got it!” he croaked.

     He hopped home and opened the hall closet. There, way in the back, was his fabulous coat.

     He grabbed it and quickly hopped back to Chelsey’s house.

     “What a beautiful coat!” said Chelsey.

     “Try it on,” said Finley.

     The coat looked perfect on Chelsey!

     Soon Finley and Chelsey were outside playing together again.

     The coat soaked right through when they splashed in the stream.

     Its pockets collected worms when they dug in the garden.

     And it got caked with mud when they hopped through mud holes.

     But Chelsey didn’t take it home until the day was done.

     Chelsey’s mother always washed and mended it so she could wear it again. And she wore it every day, until her own hair grew back.

     Then the neighbors asked, “Hey Chelsey, where’s your fabulous coat?”

     “Hanging in the hall closet,” she answered. “I’m saving it in case someone else gets sick.”

     Even though Finley didn’t have his own fabulous coat anymore, he had his best friend Chelsey. And that was much better.

 

     I hope you enjoyed my story Finley’s Fabulous Friendship Coat. I’d love to hear your comments. Just one request, please don’t use any excerpts from my story without my permission-it’s copyrighted. Thank you.