

Ben and Lily liked to play in the garden. They had a small house made of wood and a swing and a slide. They also had a big dog named Max who liked to run and bark.
One day, they saw a hole in the wall of their house. They were sad because they liked their house very much. They decided to repair it with some sticks and mud.
"Let's fix our house, Lily," Ben said. "We can use these sticks and this mud."
"OK, Ben," Lily said. "But we have to be careful. Max might knock it down again."
They worked hard to fill the hole with sticks and mud. They were happy when they finished. They went inside their house and pretended to have tea and cookies.
But they did not see that someone was watching them. It was Mrs. Jones, their nosy neighbor. She did not like children or dogs. She thought they were noisy and messy. She always complained to their parents.
She saw the hole in the wall and the sticks and mud. She was angry. She thought they had ruined the garden. She decided to tell their parents.
She walked to their house and knocked on the door. She waited for their parents to come out.
But before they did, Max saw her. He did not like her either. He ran out of the garden and barked at her. He jumped on her and licked her face.
She screamed and tried to push him away. She dropped her purse and her glasses. She fell on the ground and got mud on her dress.
Ben and Lily heard the noise and came out of their house. They saw Mrs. Jones and Max. They were scared. They did not want her to be mad at them.
They ran to her and tried to help her. They said they were sorry.
"Sorry, Mrs. Jones," Ben said. "We did not mean to make you angry. We were just repairing our house."
"Sorry, Mrs. Jones," Lily said. "We did not mean to make you dirty. We were just playing in the garden."
Mrs. Jones looked at them. She saw their innocent faces and their dirty hands. She felt a little sorry for them. She realized they were just children having fun.
She sighed and smiled. She said she was not angry. She said she was sorry too.
"Sorry, Ben and Lily," Mrs. Jones said. "I was too nosy. I should have let you play in peace. Your house is very nice. And your dog is very friendly."
She got up and dusted herself off. She picked up her purse and her glasses. She said goodbye to them and walked away.
Ben and Lily waved at her. They were happy. They hugged Max and thanked him. They went back to their house and played some more.
