The Runaway Kite – Read and Print

By Rachel Dunstan Muller, copyright 2021

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Have you ever flown a kite? I love the way the wind picks up my kite and makes it rise in the air, the way my kite spins and soars in the sky – as if it were a bird. I especially love the way the kite string tugs at my hand, as if the wind were trying to lift me into the air, too.

But this story isn’t about me. It’s about Keiko, and the kite he made with his grandfather. Now Keiko and his grandfather had made many kites together. In fact, making kites was one of their favourite things to do. They had red kites, and blue kites, and rainbow kites. They had a kite that looked like a dragon, and a kite that looked like an octopus, and even a kite that looked like a flying horse.

But one day Keiko told his grandfather, “I want to make the biggest kite the world has ever seen.”

“Hmm,” said his grandfather, “that would be a mighty big kite, Keiko. Too big for an old man and a little boy.”

“Well,” said Keiko. “If we can’t make the biggest kite in the world, let’s at least make the biggest kite in our village.”

“That’s still a pretty big kite,” said Keiko’s grandfather. “Are you sure you’re strong enough to fly a kite that big?”

Keiko stood as tall as he could and puffed out his chest. “Of course I can.”

“Alright,” said his grandfather. “Then let’s get to work.”

It took Keiko and his grandfather an entire week to build their kite, and when it was finished, it was bigger than the sail on a boat. But a kite isn’t really a kite until the wind has made it fly, and so Keiko and his grandfather took their new creation to a field at the edge of their village.

“Hold on tight,” Keiko’s grandfather warned, as he handed Keiko the kite string. “This is one big kite.”

And it was a big kite. A very big kite. And Keiko? Keiko wasn’t big at all. The moment his grandfather let go of the kite, the wind caught hold of it and made it rise, higher and higher and higher in the sky. Keiko held on tight, just as his grandfather had told him, but the kite was so big and the wind was so strong, that soon Keiko was rising too, right off the ground.

“Wait!” his grandfather called. It was almost too late. Just as Keiko was about to fly away, his grandfather grabbed hold of his legs. But the kite was so big, and the wind was so strong, that soon both Keiko AND his grandfather were rising into the air.

Over the field they flew, past a very startled woman who was out for a walk with her two little dogs. “Goodness gracious,” said the startled woman.

“Quick,” said Keiko’s grandfather. “Grab onto my legs before we fly away!”

So, the startled woman grabbed hold of Keiko’s grandfather. But the kite was so big, and the wind was so strong, that soon Keiko, his grandfather, AND the startled woman were rising off the ground.

“Ruff, ruff” said the startled woman’s dogs, and they leapt up and grabbed onto her boots with their teeth. But did that big kite come down? It most definitely did not. Up and up it went, with Keiko, and his grandfather, and the startled woman, AND her two barking dogs.

On and on the wind carried them, until they reached a river. There were two young sisters fishing from the shore, and when they saw that great big kite, they began to jump up and down with excitement.

“Quick,” yelled Keiko. “Grab hold of us before we fly away!”

So the two sisters jumped up, and they each grabbed one of the barking dogs. But did that great big kite come down even a little? It did not. It was so big, and the wind was so strong that soon Keiko, his grandfather, the startled woman, the two barking dogs, and the two young sisters were rising through the air.

On and on the kite carried them, across the river, over a forest, and above a farmyard. As they went, more people and animals tried to stop the runaway kite, but it was no use. That kite was so big, and the wind was so strong, that soon it was carrying Keiko, his grandfather, a startled woman, two barking dogs, two young sisters, a brave farmer, a cow, a goat, and three hens.

Now, with all that weight dragging beneath it, the big kite began to fly just a little lower. But it was still flying, right up the side of a steep mountain. Well, you can imagine how frightened Keiko and all the others were as they got closer to the very top of that mountain.

“Oh, help us, someone. Help us!” they cried, and barked, and mooed and clucked.

But just as they were about to reach the top of the mountain, they heard something. A squeak, in fact a whole lot of squeaks. It was a family of mice: a mama mouse, a papa mouse, and three baby mice. Well, the papa mouse was the heaviest, and so he jumped first. He caught hold of the last hen’s leg and held on tight.

And that great big kite – it was beginning to get a little tired, and it came down just a little closer to the ground. But it was still flying.

The mama mouse jumped up next, and held on with all her might. And the runaway kite – it dropped a little lower. But it was still flying.

The biggest baby mouse jumped next, and held onto his mama. And the runaway kite – dropped a little lower still. But it was still flying.

Next came the middle baby mouse. It jumped as high as it could and then held on for dear life. And the runaway kite – wobbled a little. But it was still flying – closer and closer to the top of the mountain.

“Oh, help us,” yelled Keiko. “Help us, help us,” cried his grandfather, and the startled woman, and the two young sisters, and the brave farmer. “Oh, help us!”

The last baby mouse was very small – not much bigger than my thumb. But as the dogs barked, and the cow mooed, and the hens clucked, and the other mice squeaked, that tiny little mouse took a great big breath, and jumped, then held on to the middle mouse’s tail with all her might. Well, that little mouse must have been a mighty mouse indeed, for as she held on, the great big kite wobbled, and wobbled a little more, and then down and down and down it came, all the way to the ground.

Down came Keiko; down came his grandfather; down came the startled woman, her two dogs, the young sisters, the brave farmer, the cow, the goat, the hens – and the mouse family.

Oh, how happy they all were to be back safely on the ground!

As for the runaway kite – it’s not a great big kite anymore. Instead, Keiko and his grandfather cut it down and made it into many kites – to share with all the children in their village. And if you ever happen to visit Keiko’s village, you might just see some of those kites dancing in the clouds.

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