

Ben and Mia were friends. They liked to play in the park. One day, they decided to have a picnic. They brought some bread, cheese, fruit and juice. They found a nice spot under a big tree and spread a blanket on the grass.
"Let's eat!" Ben said. He took a piece of bread and put some cheese on it.
"Wait!" Mia said. "We have to say thank you first. Thank you for the food and the sun and the park."
"Okay, okay," Ben said. He put his bread down and folded his hands. "Thank you for the food and the sun and the park."
They ate their picnic and drank their juice. They were happy and full.
"Let's play now!" Mia said. She picked up a ball and threw it to Ben.
"Okay!" Ben said. He caught the ball and threw it back.
They played catch for a while. Then, they saw a big dog running towards them. The dog was black and brown and had sharp teeth. It looked fierce.
"Look out!" Ben shouted. He dropped the ball and ran behind the tree.
"Help!" Mia cried. She grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her.
The dog reached the picnic spot and sniffed the food. It liked the smell of cheese. It took a bite of Ben's bread and cheese. Then, it saw the ball. It liked the ball too. It picked up the ball and ran away.
"Hey!" Ben said. "That's my ball! Give it back!"
He came out from behind the tree and chased the dog.
"Ben, no!" Mia said. "The dog is fierce! It might bite you!"
She followed Ben and tried to stop him.
The dog ran faster and faster. Ben and Mia ran after it. They ran across the park and out of the gate. They ran into the street and saw a car coming.
"Stop!" Mia screamed. "The car!"
Ben and Mia stopped and jumped back. The car honked and passed by. The dog kept running and disappeared.
Ben and Mia looked at each other. They were scared and sad. They had lost their ball and their picnic.
They hugged each other and cried.
A lady saw them and came over. She was kind and gentle.
"What's wrong, children?" she asked.
"A dog took our ball and our picnic," Ben said.
"It was a fierce dog," Mia said.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the lady said. "That's not nice. Do you want to come with me? I have some cookies and milk at home. And I have a ball too. You can play with it if you want."
"Really?" Ben asked.
"Really," the lady said. "I don't own the ball. It belongs to my son. But he's at school now. He won't mind if you play with it. He likes to share."
"Thank you," Mia said.
"Thank you," Ben said.
They took the lady's hand and walked with her. They felt better. They had found a new friend. And they still had each other.
