Grandad's Trousers

Ellie and Dean were playing in the warm sunshine

Drip. drop. Plink. Plonk.

“Quick Dean, the rain is coming!”

“Rainy days make me feel gloomy.” said Dean with a sad face.

The two children went to find Granny in the kitchen. She was stirring a wooden spoon around a big mixing bowl.

“Granny, when will the rain stop?” asked Ellie.

“Hmm,” thought Granny, putting down her bowl she dusted her floury hands off on her pinny. She walked to the kitchen window and studied the sky. “The rain will stop when there is enough blue sky to make Grandad’s trousers!”

“Really?!” asked Ellie and Dean in surprise.

“Oh yes” twinkled Granny and she went back to stirring her bowl.

They ran to the window, searching for a patch of blue among the grey clouds.

“There!” shouted Dean, pointing at a patch of blue, “but that's not very much is it?”

“Not even enough to make Grandad’s hanky” agreed Ellie.

“Oh no! I can’t bear anymore of this rain!” Yelled Dean in despair.

“Don’t worry Dean, we can make this work, we just need Granny’s sewing kit.”

So they pulled out the sewing kit and Ellie took the tape measure to the window.

“Oh dear, not much to work with, I'm afraid.”

Ellie held up the scissors and carefully cut the patch of blue from the grey.

“Make sure you get it all.” said Dean.

Holding the bright, blue sky Ellie began pinning it together as she’d seen Granny do many times before.

“Here this blue thread will match perfectly!” said Dean excitedly rummaging through the sewing kit.

Ellie thread the needle and set to work.

In, out, in, out. She sewed around the edges, trying to keep it as neat as Granny did.

In no time at all Ellie was holding up a lovely pair of shining blue underpants.

“I’m not sure these are going to be enough to stop the rain” said Ellie doubtfully.

“Let’s show Grandad!” shouted Dean running off to find him.

They found Grandad in his favourite chair.

“Grandad, will you please put these on so we can see if the rain stops?”

Grandad raised an eyebrow but he put on the lovely underpants.

“These are some very nice underpants but i’m going to be needed some trousers!”

Ellie and Dean heaved a sigh and went sadly back to the window to find some more blue sky.

After a minute Dean started jumping up and down; pointing, “Look! There’s another patch peeking out through the clouds!”

“You’re right! Lets get it quick!”

Ellie took her scissors and pointed them to the sky, snipping away at the edges of the clouds.

“There’s definitely more this time!”

“Hmmm….” Ellie frowned, “I’ll see what i can do.”

Ellie pinned and snipped and sewed, shaking her head and mumbling to herself as Dean peered over her shoulder expectantly.

“I’m sorry but this is the best i can do!” said Ellie sadly.

“Those aren’t trousers, they're socks!” laughed Dean.

“I know! There’s just not enough blue sky yet!” wailed Ellie.

“Well maybe these will work” said Dean brightly, racing back to tell Grandad.

Grandad was very pleased to see them. “Underpants AND socks?! It must be my birthday!”

Grandad looked fantastic in his matching socks and underpants.

“Come on, let’s go see if the rain has stopped!” squealed Ellie as they hurried back to the window.

The rain still pitter pattered on the window pane and Ellie and Dean pressed their faces to it dismally as the raindrops slid down the glass, racing each other to the ledge.

“Well I suppose pants and socks just won’t do if it's trousers you really need” sighed Ellie.

“This is grim, I just want to go out and play!” howled Dean.

They stared long and hard at the bleak sky until slowly slowly a faint ray of light fought its way through to shine down on the children.

“Blue sky Dean! A patch of blue sky!”

“And there's another one over there!” Dean pointed.

“One, two, three, four…” counted Ellie “They’re only small but just maybe…”

“We can do this Ellie! Come on!”

Ellie set to work and Dean stood by ready to help with whatever tools she needed from Granny’s sewing kit.

They gathered as many patches of blue sky as they could and pinned them together.

“Is it enough?”

“We’re going to need to measure up Grandad” Ellie announced.

The pair marched back to the living room with the tape measure and measured Grandad longways and sideways, up and down and all around.

“We can do this Dean!”

They passed by Granny in the kitchen, on her knees peering in through the oven door.

“Granny, we’re going to make Grandad some blue sky trousers!” Dean sang.

“That’s nice of you sweetheart, he could do with some new trousers.” Granny beamed kindly.

It took longer this time, making the patchwork trousers out of all the scraps of blue sky, but Ellie was determined and Dean gathered up more and more blue sky.

“More please.”

“Is blue sky stretchy?” asked Dean. “Maybe we could make Grandad spoke stretchy leggings?”

“Grandad does not wear stretchy leggings” said Ellie seriously.

Eventually Ellie tied of the last stitch, then held up the blue sky trousers to admire her work. They shone and shimmered like a glorious summer’s day and Dean beamed.

“You’re amazing Ellie” he whispered in awe.

Proudly they took the blue sky trousers to Grandad to try on and waited.

“These…” announced Grandad “are the most brilliant trousers I’ve ever seen. A perfect fit!”

The children danced happily around Grandad then led him by the hand to the garden.

As he stepped out in his bedazzling sky trousers the sun broke through the clouds and the rain drip dropped its last.

“Hurray!” they cheered and hugged Grandad tightly.

“Well done kids” Grandad said thankfully, crinkling up his wrinkly old face in a smile.

Granny emerged into the garden carrying a large chocolate cake covered in thick fudgy icing.

“Granny there was enough blue sky to make Grandad’s trousers!” The kids shouted excitedly clinging onto Grandad’s legs.

“See, what did I tell you?” Grannys smile twinkled again. She placed the cake on a table and joined their embrace.

Granny brought out knives and forks and plates and the four of them sat in the warm sunshine to eat, the children grinned happily and Grandad looked splendid in his trousers.