By Julie

“Why can’t we go out and play mommy?” three year old Benny Greene asked.
Sarah Greene, Benny’s ten year old sister, rolled her eyes and looked up at the boarded windows of the family room. Sometimes her baby brother just didn’t understand. Of course he couldn’t go out to play in a hurricane!
“Because little Benny has to go to bed now,” Their mother answered. She picked up Benny and lifted him up the stairs. Sarah and Benny brushed their teeth and tucked themselves in bed. Hurricane Karen had been roaming their area along the outskirt of Pennsylvania for two days now. Sarah hoped it would stop the next day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Now can I go out to play?”
lt was two days later. The hurricane had stopped around noon the day before and the water had gone down. They had cleared the yard and disboarded everything. It was safe to go down to the beach, now.
“Yes but be back by suppertime!”
Benny and Sarah grabbed their sun hats and ran to the beach. They gasped as they saw the edge of the beach.
lt was littered with dunes three feet high of seashells. Kids were filling their hats and stringing long chains. Benny and Sarah didn’t have to wait another second.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Mommy! can I show you something?”
Benny smiled at Sarah as she slipped into a closet with their new chain. They had formulated a plan to surprise their mother. “All right,” she said. She followed Benny briskly outside and Sarah heard her gasp when she saw the seashells. Sarah instantly slipped out and started to string the chain up across the small hooks hanging down off the edge of the family room ceiling. The instant she had finished, Benny and her mother walked inside. They were very very very pleased. “It’s a hurricane chain,” said her mother. “Made out of two hats full of seashells,” Sarah added. “I gathered another hat full!” said Benny. “Let’s them in that old porcelain bowl shaped like that little jean hat that I got for my 5th anniversery!” suggested their mother. “We can put it on the table!” exclaimed Sarah. “And it will be a hat full of seashells!” Benny cried. “Benny, never start a sentance with an and,” reminded Sarah. “I won’t from now on.” He skipped carefully over to the cabinet, already taking out the bowl, dumping out his seashells into it, and setting it on the table. “There it is! It’s very pretty,” said Sarah. “Yes it is, it is.” her mother said slowly. “Now help me set the table. We have turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans. I’ll need lots of help setting this feast before us. “Mmmmm…” Benny and Sarah murmured in agreement. So they happily skipped off to set the table.

Three pink tiny tulips,
Three pink tiny goblets,
Drinking up the sparkling dew,
Drinking up the sparkling dew and fresh rain,
From their pink tiny goblets.
Three pink tiny tulips,
Three pink healthy tulips,
Three pink dainty tulips,
Three pink fresh tulips,
Three pink tink optimistic tulips,
Drinking up the sparkling dew,
Drinking up the sparkling dew and fresh rain
Drinking up the sparkling dew and fresh rain and yellow sunshine,
From their pink tiny goblets.
Three pink tiny tulips,
Three pink tiny goblets,
Growing in a pink, tiny, healthy, dainty, fresh, tiny, optimistic bunch.

Six tasty jellybeans smiled at me,
Penny by penny by penny,
Finally I had those six tasty jellybeans,
Plus a sweet-tart,
And two blue gumballs,
And five friendship bracelets,
Minus 25 cents.
Off with the handful of candy,
On with the handful of bracelets,
On with the happy face,
So happy I’d put my pennies in the goody machine,
Happy I’d tried my luck for those six tasty jellybeans.