The Basket That Caught Lunch

Before noon on Saturday, Rafi and Aunt Maren reached a quiet lake cove. They planned to paddle their canoe to a sandy beach for lunch. Both wore life jackets.

Rafi set an empty foam picnic basket on the low dock. He tied its cord to a post. A breeze knocked the basket into the water. It floated upright beside the canoe, with its open top facing the sky.

Aunt Maren sat in the canoe while Rafi stayed on the dock. He lifted a paper bag of wrapped sandwiches and apples. Suddenly, the bottom began to rip.

“The bag is tearing!” Rafi called. He held it still over the water. Aunt Maren could not reach the bag from her seat.

Then she spotted the floating basket. Using her paddle, she gently nudged it beneath the torn bag. “Let the lunch drop,” she said. The sandwiches and apples tumbled into the basket instead of the lake.

Rafi pulled the cord until the basket reached the dock. He lifted it out. The foam sides had kept the lake water out, and the food was dry. Aunt Maren packed the basket into the canoe. Then Rafi climbed aboard.

At the beach, Rafi drew their adventure in his notebook. He wrote the heading “Our Canoe Picnic” above his drawing. Under it, he added a caption: “Our basket caught lunch before we did!”