Мэлори Блекмейл (Malorie Blackmail)Betsey Flies a Kite
Gran’ma Liz was busy hanging out the clothes on the washing line. Desmond and Betsey were sitting at the bottom of the garden, their heads bent over something.
“Desmond, Betsey, I thought you two were going to help me with the washing,” said Gran’ma Liz.
“Sorry, Gran’ma Liz. We forgot,” said Betsey. “We will next time – we promise.”
“What are you up to then? You’ve both been really quiet all morning,” said Gran’ma Liz. “That’s why I didn’t call you. It was worth not having your help for the peace and quiet I got instead!”
“I’m showing Betsey how to make something,” said Desmond. “Because I’m the best brother in the whole world!”
“And the most modest! Well, whatever you do, mind the clothes. I’ve only just washed them and they’re not dry yet,” Gran’ma Liz said.
“We won’t go anywhere near the clothes, Gran’ma – honest!” said Betsey.
“Hhmm! Just make sure you don’t,” sniffed Gran’ma Liz. And she walked back into the house.
“Right then. Let’s make sure we’ve got everything we need,” said Desmond. “Have we got string?”
“We’ve got a huge ball of string. Here it is,” replied Betsey.
“Just say ‘check’, Betsey or we’ll be here all day.” Desmond smiled. “Now then, we need two long, straight branches, one slightly longer than the other.”
“Got them. Check!” said Betsey.
“Strong, coloured tissue paper?”
“Check!”
“Sticky tape?”
“Check!”
“Some old pieces of ribbon?” Desmond asked.
“I got these from Mum. Check!” answered Betsey.
“Scissors?”
“Check!”
“Then we’re all set,” said Desmond.
“Hooray!” shouted Betsey. “We’re going to make a kite!”
Desmond grinned. “The first thing to do is to make a cross using the branches. Then tie them together using some of the string.”
“Check!” said Betsey. And she picked up the branches and laid the shorter one over the longer one. Then she got some string and tied the two branches together so that they formed a cross shape.
“Make sure you tie the string good and tight,” said Desmond.
Betsey tied it very slowly and carefully, wrapping it round the branches, first one way, then the other. Then she tied the two ends of string in a tight knot.
“That’s good,” Desmond said. “Now we have to spread out the tissue paper and place the branches on it.”
“Like this?” Betsey asked.
“That’s right,” replied Desmond.
For the next hour Desmond and Betsey worked at making a kite. They cut two large diamond shapes out of the flaming-red tissue paper and stuck them to the branches. They tied tiny bits of ribbon to a piece of string as long as Betsey’s arm and then tied that on to the bottom of the kite. Then they attached one end of the ball of string to the bottom of the kite as well.