

Ben and Lily were adventurous kids. They liked to create things with their toys and tools. One day, they found a big box in the garage. They decided to make a mule out of the box and some other things.
They cut holes for the eyes and the mouth. They used a broom for the tail and some rope for the ears. They painted the box brown and black. They were very proud of their mule.
"Let's ride the mule!" Ben said. "We can go to the park and show everyone!"
"OK!" Lily said. "But we have to be careful. The mule is not very strong."
They put the mule on a wagon and pulled it to the park. They saw some other kids playing there. They wanted to show them their mule.
"Look at our mule!" Ben shouted. "We made it ourselves!"
The other kids laughed. They thought the mule was silly and ugly. They made fun of Ben and Lily.
"That's not a mule!" one kid said. "That's a box with a broom!"
"That's the worst mule I ever saw!" another kid said. "It can't even walk or talk!"
Ben and Lily felt sad and angry. They didn't like the other kids. They wanted to go home.
"Come on, Lily," Ben said. "Let's take our mule and leave."
They tried to pull the wagon, but it was too heavy. The mule was too big and bulky. The wheels got stuck in the mud. The rope broke. The broom fell off. The box ripped.
Their mule was ruined. They couldn't fix it. They couldn't take it home. They had to leave it in the park.
They cried. They wished they never made the mule. They wished they never came to the park. They wished they were more careful.
They learned a hard lesson. They learned that creating things is fun, but not always easy. They learned that not everyone likes their creations. They learned that they have to be respectful and responsible.
They walked home, holding hands. They hoped to create something better next time.
