Nikki's Adventure

Nikki was happy.
She went to a park.
Her mom told her about it.
Nikki could not believe her eyes.

Park Entrance

Nikki stood by the gate.
A tall hedge was there.
A hedge is a wall of bushes.
She peeked over the top.

She saw a red and white tent.
She saw a dinosaur's head.
She heard carousel music.
A carousel is a fun ride that spins with horses.
She heard ducks quack.
She heard children play.

Nikki smelled popcorn.
She smelled hot dogs.
She smelled flowers.
She smelled fresh straw.

The Big Balloon

Nikki saw a huge hot-air balloon.
It swayed in the breeze.
It was tied to the ground with stakes.
It was the biggest balloon she had ever seen.

A basket hung below the balloon.
Big ropes held the basket up.
Nikki wanted to see inside.

A Little Accident

A man sold balloon rides.
He was reading his newspaper.
Nikki's mom went to talk to him.

Nikki walked to the basket.
She had never seen one so close.
The basket had tall sides.
She stood on her toes to look in.

She pulled herself up on the edge.
She lost her balance!
She tumbled into the basket, head first.

Up, Up, and Away!

Nikki's mom kept talking to the man.
A breeze started to blow.
The balloon began to rise!

Nikki sat on the basket floor.
She found a leather bag.
It had tools for balloonists.
Balloonists are people who fly balloons.

Inside the bag was a map of the park.
There was a compass too.
A compass helps you find directions.
There was also a telescope.
A telescope helps you see far away.

Then the balloon wobbled.
Nikki looked over the side.
The ground was far, far below!

Floating Over the Park

The ropes had come untied.
They dangled below the balloon.

Nikki looked down at the park.
A boat drifted toward a bridge.
A flag waved in the breeze.
Children rode the carousel horses.
Farm animals rested under the trees.

The balloon kept rising.
Nikki was right above the park.
She could not see the sides of buildings now.
She only saw their rooftops.

The carousel top looked like a fancy pie.
Nikki was seeing like a bird sees!

Landing Safely

Nikki saw a rope hanging down.
She grabbed it to stay steady.
This let air out of the balloon.
The balloon began to float down.

It drifted toward a big fenced field.
The field was inside the park.
Nikki landed safely there.

Nikki had a wonderful adventure.
But she was happy to be on the ground.
She was happy to see her mom again.