The Paper Boat Race

1Every year after the big summer rain, the kids in Wattle Street held a paper boat race in the gutter. The water rushed down the hill like a little river, all the way to the drain at the bottom.

2This year, Sam yearned to win, and he had a plan. He had spent a whole week making his boat. It was folded from shiny wrapping paper, with a toothpick mast and a sail made from a lolly wrapper. He had even rubbed candle wax all over it to keep the water out.

3His little sister, Lily, had made her boat in five minutes from a page of old newspaper. It was crooked and floppy.

4“That won’t even float,” Sam said.

5Lily just shrugged.

6The children lined up their boats. “Ready, set, GO!” They let go, and the boats shot off down the gutter.

7Sam’s boat was fast. It zoomed past the others, its shiny sail flashing in the sun. But halfway down the hill, a gust of wind caught the tall sail. The boat tipped over, spun in a circle and stuck against a leaf.

8Lily’s floppy boat, lying low in the water, bobbed slowly past it. It wobbled around a stick, scraped over a pebble and, at last, drifted gently into the drain. Everyone cheered.

9Sam stared at his wrecked boat. Then he looked at his sister’s, which was now soggy and grey.

10“How did you know it would work?” he asked.

11“I didn’t,” said Lily. “I just wanted to have fun.”

12Sam laughed. The next day, they made a boat together: half shiny and half newspaper.