The Crayon Outside the Line

Nora colored slowly because she wanted her whale to be perfect. Then her blue crayon rolled over the black outline and scratched a long mark across the paper. Nora covered it with both hands. A perfect picture, she thought, would never have a runaway line.

Her cousin leaned close. “That line looks fast,” he said. Nora peeked. It did look fast—like a wave racing before a storm. She added another curve, then white foam, then a tiny boat climbing the blue hill.

The whale was no longer floating in an empty page. It was diving through a lively sea. Nora drew rain, a yellow raincoat, and three brave gulls. The mistake had opened a door she had not planned to find.

Nora still liked careful coloring. She also kept one sheet for runaway lines. Whenever a crayon escaped, she asked, “What could this become?” Sometimes it became a tail, a road, or a very surprised noodle.