The rain left behind a world of shiny presents. From her window, Zara could see them. Little presents on the leaves, big presents on the sidewalk. They were puddles!
Zara put on her sunshine-yellow boots.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
She wiggled into her red raincoat.
Ziiiiip!
She was ready.
The front door opened to a clean, wet world. The air smelled like happy dirt.
A wiggly worm said hello from the grass.
And there, right in the middle of the path, was the biggest present of all. It wasn't just a puddle. It was a kingdom. The Puddle Kingdom!
Zara took one small step in.
Ka-splish.
The water tickled her ankle.
She took another, bigger step.
Ka-sploosh!
Little waves danced to the edge of the kingdom and back again.
This was her kingdom, and she was the Queen. Queen Zara! She found a sturdy stick — her royal scepter. She held it high.
"Hello, little waves!" she called.
She marched from one side of the kingdom to the other.
Ka-splish. Ka-sploosh. Ka-splish.
Her yellow boots made cheerful sounds in the gray water.
Then Queen Zara decided her kingdom needed a royal jump. A very important, very splashy jump.
She backed up, all the way to the dry land of the grass. She took a deep breath. She wiggled her fingers. She bent her knees.
One…
Two…
THREE!
She ran and leaped into the very center of her Puddle Kingdom.
THE BIGGEST KA-SPLOOOOOSH!
Water flew up, up, up! It tickled the sky! Then it came down, down, down.
A drop landed on her nose.
A drop landed on her cheek.
Silly, happy, muddy drops landed all over her red raincoat.
Her stick scepter was floating away! "Oh no you don't!" she giggled, splashing after it. She grabbed it just in time.
Now her boots were heavy and full of water. When she walked, her feet made a brand-new sound.
Squish, squelch. Squish, squelch.
"Zara!" a warm voice called from the front door. "Time for a warm bath!"
Queen Zara looked at her wonderful, muddy kingdom. She looked at her sunshine-yellow boots, which were now cloudy-brown.
She held her scepter tight and marched toward the door.
Squish, squelch. Squish, squelch.
She left two muddy boot prints on the welcome mat — a little piece of the kingdom to keep inside.
