

Lily and Max were bored. They had played with all their toys and read all their books. They wanted to go outside and have fun, but it was too hot and sunny.
"Can we play with the hose, Mom?" Lily asked.
Mom was busy in the kitchen. She sighed. "Not now, sweetie. I have to finish cooking. Maybe later, okay?"
Lily and Max were sad. They looked out the window and saw the hose lying on the grass. It looked so cool and wet. They wished they could spray each other and make rainbows.
"Let's sneak out and play with the hose," Max whispered. "Mom won't notice. She's too busy."
Lily nodded. She liked Max's idea. They put on their hats and shoes and tiptoed to the door. They were very quiet. They opened the door and ran to the hose.
Max turned on the tap and grabbed the hose. He sprayed Lily with a big jet of water. Lily squealed and laughed. She grabbed the other end of the hose and sprayed Max back. They had a lot of fun. They forgot about the heat and the sun.
But they did not forget about Mom. Mom heard the noise and looked out the window. She saw Lily and Max playing with the hose. She was not happy. She turned off the stove and went outside.
"Lily and Max, what are you doing?" Mom asked. "You know you're not supposed to play with the hose without asking me. You're wasting water and making a mess."
Lily and Max stopped playing. They looked at Mom. They knew they were in trouble. They dropped the hose and hung their heads.
"We're sorry, Mom," they said. "We were bored and hot. We just wanted to have fun."
Mom sighed again. She was not very angry. She understood how they felt. She remembered when she was a kid and played with the hose too.
"It's okay, kids," she said. "But next time, please ask me first. And don't play too long. Water is precious and we have to save it. Now, come inside and dry off. I have a surprise for you."
Lily and Max followed Mom inside. They wondered what the surprise was. They hoped it was something good. They smiled at each other. They were still wet and happy.
