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Everything in its place
Nim spread the lavender blanket beneath the pear tree.
He put the basket in the middle and the cups along one edge.
'Ready,' he said.
Roo was still choosing a comfortable corner.
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A sunny cup
Nim reached for his cup.
A bright stripe of sunshine lay across it.
That stripe had not been invited.
He nudged the cup back into the shade.
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A sunny knee
Soon the sunshine reached his knee.
Nim shuffled backward. Roo shuffled too.
The basket stayed exactly where Nim had put it.
Now the basket was having a sunny picnic of its own.
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Stay there
Nim placed a pebble at the edge of the shadow.
'There,' he told it. 'That's your place.'
The shadow slipped past the pebble.
It was not very good at staying.
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A spare patch
Roo lifted the basket over the cups.
A small new shadow appeared underneath.
'This one has a handle,' she said.
Nim held the basket higher. His arms soon began to wobble.
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The heavy job
They took turns holding the basket.
They could shade the cups or the blanket corner.
They could not shade themselves and eat their picnic at the same time.
Nim put the basket down.
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Roo's corner
Roo picked up her corner of the blanket.
'What if our place came with us?'
Nim looked at the cups.
He packed them into the basket first.
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A small journey
They carried the blanket around the tree.
The new patch of shade was wide and cool.
Nim spread the blanket again.
Roo chose exactly the same comfortable corner.
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An unexpected view
From here they could see the garden gate.
A beetle was climbing the latch.
Nim had never watched a beetle open absolutely nothing before.
It was taking a very long time.
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There it goes again
A sunbeam touched the blanket.
Nim laughed before Roo could say anything.
He packed the cups. She lifted her corner.
They knew how to take their place along.
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The long table
By evening, the tree's shadow stretched almost to the wall.
There was room for the whole blanket.
There was room for Roo to lie flat.
Nim lay beside her and watched a pear leaf turn.
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Folded, for now
Nim folded the blanket with a little grass tucked inside.
Tomorrow he would shake it out.
He put it beside the basket.
He did not choose tomorrow's place just yet.
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