Marlene worked at a bookshop around the corner. She carried a red umbrella to work every day. Everyone else who worked in the shop owned a grey or black one. Marlene’s umbrella stood out and looked cheerful even on the dullest days. Also, Marlene never had any trouble identifying the umbrella in a shop rack. Marlene felt proud of her red umbrella. She felt she looked beautiful and elegant with the umbrella over her head. She walked with confidence and style whenever the umbrella stood sideways over her head. She felt like a princess. One day, Marlene picked the red umbrella up and stepped out. Suddenly, she felt water trickling down her back. She saw that her umbrella had a leak! She was quite upset at first, but then her mother bought a bright yellow umbrella for her and said, “Marlene, change can be a good thing. Adopt change.”
Marlene’s Red Umbrella
