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Oops! The Great Paint Mix-Up
A colourful mistake and a plan to put it right.
FREE ILLUSTRATED STORY
Oops! The Great Paint Mix-Up
A colourful mistake and a plan to put it right.
STORYTIME, HANDS FREE
Listen to the whole adventure
A warm English narration. Pause whenever you like; your listening position stays on this device. Page turns are manual.
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Welcome, everyone
The friends were making a banner for their garden party. Mimo drew flowers. Zouki painted neat orange letters. Gribou stirred green paint. “This will be our best welcome ever!” said Mimo.
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A wonderful trick
While the others fetched water, Gribou spotted three paint pots. Three pots. One tray. An audience coming back any moment. He imagined a tower, a twirl, and thunderous applause.
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Higher, higher
Gribou stacked the pots on the tray. He lifted it carefully. Then he tried a tiny spin. His cape caught a brush. The brush nudged the tray. Everything began to wobble.
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SPLAT!
Purple paint tipped across the banner. It covered Mimo’s flowers and dripped over the table. Gribou froze. His wonderful trick had become a very large, very purple problem.
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Not funny yet
Mimo stared at the splashes. “I worked hard on those flowers.” Gribou almost made a joke. Then he saw Mimo’s face. He put the tray down and stood still.
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The true story
“I was showing off,” Gribou said. “I knocked the paint over. I’m sorry.” Mimo said nothing for a moment. Zouki brought cloths. First, they needed to stop the drips spreading.
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Start with the spill
Gribou wiped the table while Zouki moved the closed pots. Mimo rescued the clean brushes. It was slow, sticky work. Gribou stayed until the last purple puddle was gone.
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A sorry needs time
“Are you happy now?” Gribou asked. Mimo shook his head. “Not yet.” Gribou nodded. He wanted his friend to smile, but he could not hurry that part of putting things right.
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What can I do?
When the banner dried, they spread it flat. A purple mark still covered the middle. “Would you like a new banner?” Gribou asked. “Or could we make a plan together?”
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Looking another way
Mimo studied the mark. “It looks a little like a tree.” Gribou fetched paper and sketched branches around a purple trunk. Zouki leaned closer. “A tree full of welcome flowers!”
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Ask before adding
“May I paint the leaves?” Gribou asked. Mimo nodded. “Small ones, around here.” Gribou dipped just the tip of his brush. This time, he listened before making his next move.
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Three pairs of hands
Zouki painted spreading branches. Mimo added pink and yellow blossoms. Gribou made little green leaves, one careful dab at a time. The purple mark slowly became their garden tree.
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One pot at a time
They needed blue paint. Gribou reached for two pots, then stopped. He carried one closed pot with both hands. “No tower today?” asked Zouki. “Not with paint!” said Gribou.
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A real repair
The banner was different from their first plan. Mimo touched a painted blossom. “I like our tree,” he said. Gribou smiled. He had helped fix the mistake, not wished it away.
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Ready for the party
Together they hung the banner above the gate. Neighbours arrived beneath its bright branches. Mimo pointed out the flowers. Zouki pointed out the letters. Gribou quietly checked that the paint was dry.
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The right kind of show
Later, Gribou balanced three soft cushions on his head. Flump! They tumbled onto the grass. This time, everybody laughed, including Mimo. The paint pots stayed closed, safely on their shelf.
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One more little thought
Talk together: How did Gribou help after saying sorry? Think of a small mistake you could repair. The other person may need time to feel better.
Take the story off-screen
Try a little activity together after your story.
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