I Need a Faster Ride UFLI Foundations Lesson 86

Every morning, Dad rode off on his big green bike. Rose sat by the path with her small bike and looked up at the road. 'Wait for me, Dad!' she called. But her small bike was so slow. Rose smiled. 'I just need something faster.'

A scooter! Rose got on and pushed off. She sped fast along the road. The wind hit her face and her eyes watered. Her helmet wobbled. Her legs wobbled. But she did not wobble. A car sped along beside her. Rose pumped harder and harder. She was so close to it. But the car sped on. 'I need a faster ride,' said Rose.

Rose held the wheel of the shiny yellow car. She clicked her belt and pressed the pedal. The car sped fast on the road. Then a big green bus rolled up beside her. It was so wide and tall that it blocked the sun. Her eyes went wide. 'Yes,' she said. 'Yes, I need that bus.'

Rose sat tall in the green bus and honked the horn twice. Beep! Beep! She peeked from her seat as the bus rolled past a huge orange digger at the roadside. Rose hit the brakes. 'Sorry, bus,' she said. 'But that looks way more fun.'

Rose got in the digger and pulled the levers. It lurched across the grass to the water. Chunk. Chunk. Chunk. A man on a jet ski looked at her from the water. 'Is that kid driving the digger?' he called. 'Yes, and it is grand, but kind of slow,' said Rose. They both had the same plan.

'Deal!' they both yelled. Rose got on the jet ski and twisted the handle. Splash! Water sprayed all over and her life vest flapped in the wind. No ride had ever felt so fast. Then she could see a speedboat floating on the water, not far off. Rose smiled. 'Sorry, jet ski. That boat looks way faster.'

The speedboat crashed into the waves. Splash! Crash! Splash! Rose held on and yelled into the wind. Far off, she could see a huge ship. Rose felt her chest thump hard. 'That is where Dad is. I can tell.' She aimed the boat at the ship and did not look back.

She made it. She made it! Dad was standing on the ship, and his arms were open wide. 'So slow, my girl!' he said with a big grin. He lifted Rose up to the big wheel. Rose held the wheel with both hands and smiled. She was the skipper of all the sea.

A scooter. A yellow car. A bus. A digger. A jet ski. A speedboat. And a huge ship. That is seven rides, and one girl who did not give up. So tell me, if you had to chase your dad all the way across the world, which ride would you want to own?