Joyce's red kite was stuck in the big oak tree behind their house. She grabbed the treehouse ladder and climbed up fast.
She reached her arm out as far as she could, but the kite string slipped right through her fingers. The wind blew harder.
Joyce tried climbing higher, but her foot slipped on a loose rung. She froze, one knee on the branch, heart pounding. She called down for help.
Down below, Mom, Dad, and Joyce's little brother heard her. They came running into the yard, looking up fast.
Dad scooped Joyce onto his shoulders. Mom pointed and called, 'Reach for the string!' Little brother dashed to the shed and came back with the garden shears.
Dad reached into the tangled branches with the shears. Snip! Snip! But the string wouldn't cut. It held fast.
Joyce climbed down the ladder while her family gathered below. Mom held the shears, Dad steadied the tree, and little brother handed her a spare string.
They pulled and tugged and snipped together. Pop! The string gave way, and the red kite dropped right into Joyce's arms. She hugged it tight.
Joyce ran to the little park with her family right behind her. She held the kite high, ready to fly it again.
She felt the warm breeze on her face and let the kite go. It rose up, up, up into the blue sky.
The red kite danced above the swing set, higher and higher. Joyce's family watched from below, smiling big.
Joyce laughed as the kite flew free. It was the best day for flying a kite.
