

Tom and Lily were playing in the kitchen. They saw a big mop and a bucket of water. They wanted to have fun with them.
"Let's mop the floor!" Tom said. "It will be like a slide!"
"OK!" Lily said. "But don't make too much mess!"
They took the mop and dipped it in the water. Then they dragged it on the floor. The floor became wet and slippery. They laughed and slid on the floor.
But then Mom came in. She saw the water and the mop. She was not happy.
"What are you doing?" Mom asked. "You made a big mess!"
Tom and Lily stopped playing. They felt bad. They regretted mopping the floor.
"We're sorry, Mom," Tom said. "We just wanted to have fun."
"We didn't mean to make a mess," Lily said.
Mom sighed. She was not angry, but she was tired. She had a lot of work to do. She was poor and had no help.
"I know, kids," Mom said. "But you have to be careful. The mop and the water are not toys. They are for cleaning. And the floor is not a slide. It is for walking. You could have hurt yourself or broken something."
Tom and Lily nodded. They understood. They wanted to help Mom.
"Can we help you clean, Mom?" Tom asked.
"Yes, please," Mom said. "That would be very nice."
Tom and Lily took some towels and dried the floor. Then they hugged Mom and said they loved her.
Mom smiled and hugged them back. She said she loved them too. She was glad they were sorry and wanted to help. She was proud of them.
