On her eighth birthday Lisa received a beautifully wrapped gift that was delivered by UPS. She wondered which of her relatives had sent her such a large, nicely wrapped package since there was no name or card or any way to identify where it came from or from whom it was sent!
She undid the fancy pink bow and opened the brightly colored birthday wrapping. Inside of the rather large rectangular box was a bright yellow rain slicker with black snaps and clamps that closed it in the front.
She tried it on and it fit perfectly! Whoever sent her this wonderful gift sure knew her exact size. Suddenly she heard a loud rumble of thunder outside and when she went to the window it was raining about as hard as she’d ever seen it rain!
“That’s odd! ” Lisa exclaimed…”It wasn’t raining a few seconds ago…in fact…the sunshine was so bright that I had to close the window curtains!”
Lisa went to the front door and opened it. It sure was raining hard out there. Water was running down the streets and along the gutters into the storm drains.
“This is perfect!” thought Lisa. “I can try out my new Birthday present!”
Lisa stepped outside and as she got to the walkway, suddenly, without warning, the rain abruptly stopped and the bright sun shone without a cloud in the sky! The rain had stopped so fast that her new yellow raincoat hadn’t even gotten wet!
She looked around and the grass was wet, the parked cars were wet, everything was wet except her new raincoat. “What a mystery!” thought Lisa.
When she went back into the house she removed her raincoat and hung it on the hook near the door.
The nexy day as Lisa got ready for school it started to rain. “Oh Good! Today I can wear my new raincoat to school and show all of my friends.”
She grabbed her lunch and saw the bus coming down the street, windshield wipers going and she thought… “My new raincoat is the same color as the school bus…what fun!”
The bus stopped and it’s red lights began to flash and Lisa went out of her door to run and get on…and once again, like before on her birthday, the rain abruptly stopped and the sun came out!
As Lisa climbed up the bus steps the driver said…”Hi Lisa…maybe you won’t need your raincoat after all today!”
“It…always seems to stop raining when I put it on and go outside!”
“Yeah…sometimes I bring my umbrella along to make sure that it won’t rain!” The driver laughed as Lisa made her way to her favorite seat and the bus drove off.
At the end of the school day it was still bright and sunny outside. Lisa grabbed her raincoat and the teacher Miss Brown said…”You won’t need that raincoat this afternoon Lisa…it’s a beautiful day outside.”
But Lisa decided that it was easier to wear her raincoat than to carry it along with her books. As she put the coat on she heard the rumble of thunder and, looking out through the school windows, she saw it start to rain.
“Oh my Lisa, I guess it IS a good thing that you brought your raincoat. It’s beginning to rain out there!”
“Yes Miss Brown.” Lisa walked down the hall and as she got outside onto the school steps, just like before, the rain stopped and the sun came out!
As she boarded her bus the driver said…”That raincoat of yours must be magic or something. It makes it stop raining whenever you wear it!”
“Well…actually…if I put it on when I’m inside it starts to rain. Then I go OUTside it stops!”
But the driver wasn’t listening and was closing the door, so Lisa made her way back to her seat, a very puzzled and confused young girl.
When she got home she went to the room where her Daddy was working on the computer.
Lisa was holding her new raincoat and said…”Daddy…Watch!”
She put the raincoat on and waited.
“Very nice….where did you get that pretty yellow raincoat?”
“It came by UPS. It was wrapped as a gift but I don’t know who sent it…but look outside…it wasn’t raining a minute ago was it?”
“No it wasn’t” Her father went to the window…”….and it still isn’t! I guess you don’t need that coat tonight huh?”
Lisa went to the window. Her Daddy was right it WASN’T raining! She took the coat off and put it back on three times, but no rain!
“You must really like that raincoat huh Lisa?”
“Ah…yes Daddy…it’s a pretty yellow, and it REALLY keeps me dry!”
“I’m sure whoever sent it will let us know sooner or later.”
Lisa tried on the coat four more times that night but it never did rain.
Then three days later when she woke up it was raining.
“It’s raining Lisa. You can wear your pretty new raincoat today!”
“Yes Daddy….I will.” She looked out of her bedroom window and sure enough it was raining. So after breakfast and after dressing for school she went to the door to wait for the bus and as it came down her street, she put on the coat and before she could open the door, the sun was streaming through the front windows.
“That’s strange…I’m not even outside yet and the rain has stopped.”
“I guess you won’t need your raincoat after all Lisa.” Her father said. So Lisa took off the coat and hung it on the hook by the door and left for school.
Once she got outside it started to pour again. So she ran to the bus and got on. “Crazy weather we’re having lately huh?” the bus driver said.
“Yeah…REAL crazy!”
Lisa thought that she was confused before…but now! “When I wear the coat inside it stops the rain now, but before, it stopped when I wore it outside!”
“What did you say Lisa?” the bus driver asked.
“Oh nothing…just about the weather.”
Over the next few weeks the weather seemed quite normal only raining at night when Lisa was asleep. The yellow raincoat stayed on the hook next to her Daddy’s raincoat the whole time. But then on the third Tuesday when Lisa woke up it was raining and thundering and was very windy too.
“You’ll need your raincoat today for sure Lisa!” her father told her.
Lisa slowly took the coat off of the hook and put it on. It was still raining. Then she went to the door and out onto the front steps…still raining. The MAGIC…was gone!
Lisa was relieved. She really wanted a normal raincoat to wear “IN THE RAIN”…and now she finally had one. She skipped up the walk, splashing the wet puddles on the walk with her new coat keeping her warm and dry underneath.
The weather report said that there was a large tropical storm coming through and it would be raining for two or even three more days.
“I have to go to the store Lisa, I’ll be right back!” Her Daddy grabbed his raincoat from the hook next to hers and put it on and as he walked outside…the rain suddenly stopped and the sun came out brightly shining and not a cloud in the sky!
As her Daddy started to head back into the house to put his raincoat back, Lisa quickly grabbed her yellow Birthday present off of the hook and hid it!
When her Daddy came in…”That’s strange! It’s supposed to rain for two more days!”
“Yes Daddy…VERY strange.” Lisa didn’t want her new raincoat to get anywhere near her Daddy’s coat now… let him have a Magic raincoat…it’s just too confusing for an eight year old and NOT any fun at all!!!