A loud CRACK of thunder echoed across the valley, making Medina jump. She dropped her basket of pink tulips as rain splashed against her cheeks. "The flowers!" shouted Azamat, pointing at the rushing, muddy river spilling over its banks.
Medina furiously grabbed heavy, wet stones to build a quick wall. Azamat hurried to pile up sticky clay beside her, but the bubbling water washed right over their rocks. Amina scurried backward as the river knocked flat a row of bright yellow daisies.
Amina pointed at the tall river reeds whipping in the wind without snapping. "Let's weave a giant basket!" Medina shouted over the storm, grabbing a handful of tough stalks. Everyone rushed to pull up the wet reeds, their roots popping loudly from the mud.
Medina started crisscrossing the stalks, bending the strong green fibers over and under. Suddenly, a fat, slimy frog leaped from the bundle and landed right on Azamat's nose! He sneezed a giant ACHOO, making Medina laugh out loud as they kept weaving.
A giant, muddy wave crashed against their finished reed barrier. Medina pressed her shoulder hard against the woven wall, her boots sliding in the thick slime. The green stalks groaned and bent under the heavy, swirling water, but the tight pattern held strong.
The storm finally faded into a gentle drizzle, leaving the angry river trapped safely on the other side. Medina wiped a streak of brown mud from Amina's cheek. They sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the wet grass, watching their colorful garden sway in the returning sunlight.
