Arthur stepped outside, a basket of clean laundry balanced on his hip. It was a classic autumn day: the sky was a brilliant blue, the trees were golden, and the wind was absolutely furious. He clipped a sock to the washing line, but a mighty gust ripped it away, sending it spiralling into the sky like a tiny, woollen bird.

“Hey!” Arthur shouted, running after it.

The wind laughed, snatching a second sock and a shirt. The shirt danced a chaotic waltz around a lamppost before wrapping itself in a tangled hug. Arthur untangled it, only to watch as the laundry basket itself took flight. It tumbled over the hedge and landed with a soft thud on his neighbour, Mrs Higgins.

“Oh, hello, Arthur,” she said, looking up from under a pile of sheets. “Are you having a spot of bother?”

Arthur sighed. “Just the wind. I give up.”

He collected his clothes, said sorry to Mrs Higgins, and decided to go to the local launderette instead. The door of the launderette blew open just as he arrived, and a man inside looked at him with wild eyes.

“Don’t do it, mate,” the man said, gesturing to the clothes that had just been sucked out of a dryer and were now spinning like a cyclone in the corner. “The wind’s got in here too.”

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Vocabulary Notes

Spot of bother
Meaning: A small problem or bit of trouble.
Example: “Are you having a spot of bother?”
Similar words: trouble, problem, difficulty, hassle.

Mighty
Meaning: Very strong and powerful.
Example: “…but a mighty gust ripped it away…”
Similar words: powerful, strong, forceful, enormous, huge.

Gust
Meaning: A sudden, strong rush of wind.
Example: “…but a mighty gust ripped it away…”
Similar words: blast, rush, swirl, puff.

Tangling
Meaning: Twisting or knotting something into a mess.
Example: “…before wrapping itself in a tangled hug.”
Similar words: twisting, knotting, entwined, jumbled.

Giving up
Meaning: To stop trying to do something.
Example: “I give up.”
Similar words: quitting, surrendering, stopping, abandoning.

Story written by Gemini AI.

Image created by 1min.ai.

To read ALL the stories/content in FULL, please go to http://www.steveuk.blog Thank you.

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