The Little Umbrella

A Read Aloud Preschool Short Story

When my three daughters were small, they loved having a bedtime story read to them. Often, it was a favorite book, but every now and then, they wanted me to make up a story for them. This story came from one of those nights.

The Little Umbrella
A Read Aloud Preschool Short Story
by C.J. Heck

I know a little town just like your town. It has a little main street like a lot of main streets, and a little store just like a lot of little stores. This is a story about one very special little store.

The owner was a kind and gentle man named Old Pop Starr. He was a good man, and everyone in the little town knew and loved him. Old Pop's store had a lot of things on a lot of shelves for people to buy. This is a story about one very special thing.

In the back of his store, Old Pop put a special little room just for toys. Boys and girls loved going into the little toy room. They stared in wonder at all the colorful toys on the shelves that reached all the way up to forever --well, almost, but not exactly.

The children spent many hours wishing for toys they saw in Old Pop Starr’s little toy room. Even Santa Claus had heard about the little toy room in the little store on the little street in the little town.

Now, I told you that, so I could tell you this ...

Way up on the top shelf in the little toy room was a little umbrella. It had been there for such a long time, maybe forever ... well, almost, but not exactly, but for such a long time that it was covered by a thick layer of dust. It was a sad and very lonely little umbrella.

Every day, the little umbrella looked down at all the toys in the little toy room. It had never seen such wonderful colors! How it wished to be so bright and beautiful! What fun it would be to wear the colors of the spinning top, the blue rubber balls, and the red fire engine!

The little umbrella longed to be just like the airplane the children played with, zooming UP-down-UP high into the sky. How exciting to feel the wind above and below its wings! What a wonderful thing to be! What an important job to have!

The little umbrella felt so lonely. It longed to be held and loved, like one of the pretty dolls the children hugged and talked to in Old Pop's little toy room. What a wonderful thing to be! What an important job to have!

The hours turned into days and the days turned into years and even more years the little umbrella watched from its shelf way up high as children played with the toys. It dreamed someday it, too, would be needed like the people needed Old Pop Starr in his little store, on the little street, in the little town.

Now, I told you that, so I could tell you this ...

One day, a huge storm cloud appeared above the little town. The day turned almost to night because the cloud kept the sun from shining down. Outside, a terrible wind began to blow and the rain came down and soaked everything it touched.

The storm brought thunder with its powerful booms and lightning that lit up the sky forever --well, almost, but not exactly.

Old Pop Starr watched the storm from the window in his little store on the little street in the little town. Suddenly, the door opened and it jingled the little bell that hung above it. A woman rushed into the little store holding the hand of a small child. Both were out of breath and wet from the heavy rain.

Now Old Pop knew just about everyone who lived in the little town, but he didn't know the woman and the small child. He welcomed them out of the storm with his kind and gentle smile, a friendly hello, and two warm, dry towels.

The woman told Old Pop her car ran out of gas just down the street from his little store. They walked to the gas station, filled their gas can, and were on their way back to their car when the storm began.

They were glad to find Old Pop's little store, but they were in a hurry to get home to their own little street in the little town far away from here.

Now, I told you that, so I could tell you this ...

Old Pop scratched his head and thought for a minute. Then, with a big smile, he walked to the little toy room in the back of the little store. Pop reached way up to the top shelf and searched until he found exactly what he was looking for.

He brought down the little umbrella, brushed off the years of dust and, with a twinkle in his eye, he took his gift to the woman and her small child.

The joy in giving and receiving went around and around and everyone was happy. The woman and the small child thanked Old Pop Starr with a hug.

Then they said goodbye to the kind and gentle man in the little store on the little street in the little town and stepped back out into the wind and rain and opened the little umbrella.

Now, I told you that, so I could tell you this ...

The little umbrella was so surprised to finally leave the top shelf in the little toy room! It suddenly felt very needed —but what was it needed for?

"OH MY! What a beautiful umbrella, Mommy, with every color in the rainbow!” cried the little girl.

"Could it be true?" The little umbrella wondered.

Seeing himself clearly without the thick layer of dust, he exclaimed, "Green, blue, red, purple, orange, yellow! Just look! I am full of colors, just like the toys in the little toy room!"

As the little umbrella was opened, it went Up, Up, UP! and it felt the wind rush over and under it! The little umbrella thought, "That’s just like the airplanes in the little toy room!"

Then, just when the little umbrella thought it couldn't be happier, the BEST thing happened. It felt love and a need to protect the mother and the small child holding its handle. The little umbrella felt proud and it was a good feeling. This was an important thing to be! This was a very special job to have!

The little umbrella from high on the top shelf in the little toy room, in the little store, on the little street, in the little town was very happy -- not almost, but exactly.

Now, I told you that, so I could tell you this ...

The little umbrella had learned something very important. It didn't have to wish to be anything else. It was already perfect … just the way it was.

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