Isabella’s Thank-You Pie

Chapter 1

“My thank-you pie goes in the middle!” said Isabella.

Everyone who helped her this year was coming. She had planned a feast.

But the lid went flip-flap.

“One bow!” Still flapping. “Two bows!” Still flapping! “What comes next?”

“One more bow. There we GO!”

She tugged the box closer.

“Oh. Where does my arm go?”

Isabella pulled out two long loops.

“Handles!”

Up came the bundle…

Chapter 2

The pie hung beautifully level. Isabella took one careful step.

Swing…

“Wait!”

She lowered it quickly.

bump… PLOP.

Out went the pie. Into the dirt.

Isabella’s smile went small.

“Oh, sweetheart,” said Grandma.

“It was supposed to be my thank-you.”

Grandma stayed close.

Isabella rubbed one sticky paw. So much string. So much planning.

She picked up a loose end…

Chapter 3

“I can make our feast place tidy.”

Isabella gathered string. And string. And goodness, how much string?

She wound it round and round. This bundle needed one last knot.

“One more bow. There we GO!”

Away it slipped!

Rolly-poly… roll.

“Not that sort of go!”

Isabella hurried after it.

The bundle rolled toward Moose.

A HUGE shadow rose.

Chapter 4

“EEK! A mouse!” squeaked Moose.

“Please ask it not to nibble my toes!”

Isabella caught the runaway bundle.

Moose squeaked again.

Isabella stopped. She opened her paws.

“Only string!”

“Oh,” said Moose, lowering his hoof.

He cleared his throat.

“Ahem. String may pass.”

“There’s no pie to share,” said Isabella. “But there’s my basket,” said Grandma. “And mine!” said Moose. “Right here!” said Isabella. She opened both baskets…

Chapter 5

There would be rolls to pass. Apples to crunch. Cheese to share.

Isabella made room in the middle.

“Thank you for finding my mitten. Thank you for waiting when I was slow. Thank you for helping today.”

Isabella sat between them.

Moose passed her a roll. Grandma saved her an apple. “A bow for that?” asked Grandma.

Isabella grinned. “No more BOWS!”