The Night My House Went Sailing

Read the whole story

Every word, start to finish. The pictures come next — painted around your child, from one photo.

1. For Theo, who steered.

   For Amara, who steered.

   For Otto, who steered.

   Dedication

2. It rained for six days. Not exciting rain: gray, steady, filling-up rain, the kind that stands around in the yard because it has nowhere else to be. The weather report said more of the same. On the seventh night, very quietly, somewhere down among its foundations, the house came loose.

   It rained for six days. Not exciting rain: gray, steady, filling-up rain, the kind that stands around in the yard because it has nowhere else to be. The weather report said more of the same. On the seventh night, very quietly, somewhere down among its foundations, the house came loose.

   It rained for six days. Not exciting rain: gray, steady, filling-up rain, the kind that stands around in the yard because it has nowhere else to be. The weather report said more of the same. On the seventh night, very quietly, somewhere down among its foundations, the house came loose.

   1 of 12

3. Theo woke because the yard was going past the window. Left to right. Quite fast. The fence went by, then the swing set, then the tree with the good climbing branch, all of them staying put while the house did the moving. He watched for a while to be sure. The house was definitely the one doing the moving.

   Amara woke because the yard was going past the window. Left to right. Quite fast. The fence went by, then the swing set, then the tree with the good climbing branch, all of them staying put while the house did the moving. She watched for a while to be sure. The house was definitely the one doing the moving.

   Otto woke because the yard was going past the window. Left to right. Quite fast. The fence went by, then the swing set, then the tree with the good climbing branch, all of them staying put while the house did the moving. He watched for a while to be sure. The house was definitely the one doing the moving.

   2 of 12

4. Theo did the correct thing first. He went and woke the grown-ups, and reported the situation clearly: the house was at sea, the yard was gone, action was required. The grown-ups said mmm. They said five more minutes. They rolled over, in the manner of people who have not once been shipwrecked.

   Amara did the correct thing first. She went and woke the grown-ups, and reported the situation clearly: the house was at sea, the yard was gone, action was required. The grown-ups said mmm. They said five more minutes. They rolled over, in the manner of people who have not once been shipwrecked.

   Otto did the correct thing first. He went and woke the grown-ups, and reported the situation clearly: the house was at sea, the yard was gone, action was required. The grown-ups said mmm. They said five more minutes. They rolled over, in the manner of people who have not once been shipwrecked.

   3 of 12

5. So it was Theo's ship now. Downstairs, the house turned a corner it had never turned before, leaning into it like a bus, and picked up speed past the tops of the streetlamps. Mailboxes bobbed by like buoys. Somebody's trampoline overtook them, going the other way.

   So it was Amara's ship now. Downstairs, the house turned a corner it had never turned before, leaning into it like a bus, and picked up speed past the tops of the streetlamps. Mailboxes bobbed by like buoys. Somebody's trampoline overtook them, going the other way.

   So it was Otto's ship now. Downstairs, the house turned a corner it had never turned before, leaning into it like a bus, and picked up speed past the tops of the streetlamps. Mailboxes bobbed by like buoys. Somebody's trampoline overtook them, going the other way.

   4 of 12

6. First problem: steering. A ship has a rudder, and a house has a broom and a mail slot, which is nearly the same thing. Theo wedged it through and leaned. The house answered, slow and grand, one whole degree to starboard. Then the broom snapped, and the water kept the good half.

   First problem: steering. A ship has a rudder, and a house has a broom and a mail slot, which is nearly the same thing. Amara wedged it through and leaned. The house answered, slow and grand, one whole degree to starboard. Then the broom snapped, and the water kept the good half.

   First problem: steering. A ship has a rudder, and a house has a broom and a mail slot, which is nearly the same thing. Otto wedged it through and leaned. The house answered, slow and grand, one whole degree to starboard. Then the broom snapped, and the water kept the good half.

   5 of 12

7. Then the current caught them, and the house spun. Every plate in the kitchen changed cabinets. The refrigerator opened, considered, and shut again. Theo braced in the doorway and counted rotations off the wallpaper until the spinning settled. Out the window, the streetlamps had stopped. The house had run out of town. The sea had not run out of sea.

   Then the current caught them, and the house spun. Every plate in the kitchen changed cabinets. The refrigerator opened, considered, and shut again. Amara braced in the doorway and counted rotations off the wallpaper until the spinning settled. Out the window, the streetlamps had stopped. The house had run out of town. The sea had not run out of sea.

   Then the current caught them, and the house spun. Every plate in the kitchen changed cabinets. The refrigerator opened, considered, and shut again. Otto braced in the doorway and counted rotations off the wallpaper until the spinning settled. Out the window, the streetlamps had stopped. The house had run out of town. The sea had not run out of sea.

   6 of 12

8. Second problem: stopping. An anchor is just a heavy thing on a rope, and the heaviest thing aboard was the piano. It went out the window with a chord the neighbors would have complained about, if the neighbors had still been anywhere. The piano went down. The rope went with it. The house sailed on, lighter and slightly faster.

   Second problem: stopping. An anchor is just a heavy thing on a rope, and the heaviest thing aboard was the piano. It went out the window with a chord the neighbors would have complained about, if the neighbors had still been anywhere. The piano went down. The rope went with it. The house sailed on, lighter and slightly faster.

   Second problem: stopping. An anchor is just a heavy thing on a rope, and the heaviest thing aboard was the piano. It went out the window with a chord the neighbors would have complained about, if the neighbors had still been anywhere. The piano went down. The rope went with it. The house sailed on, lighter and slightly faster.

   7 of 12

9. Open water. No broom, no rope, nothing left to push against. Theo sat on the roof ridge with the lantern and thought it through like a sailor instead of like a passenger. The water was going somewhere. It had been going somewhere all night. Stopping the house was impossible. Aiming it might not be.

   Open water. No broom, no rope, nothing left to push against. Amara sat on the roof ridge with the lantern and thought it through like a sailor instead of like a passenger. The water was going somewhere. It had been going somewhere all night. Stopping the house was impossible. Aiming it might not be.

   Open water. No broom, no rope, nothing left to push against. Otto sat on the roof ridge with the lantern and thought it through like a sailor instead of like a passenger. The water was going somewhere. It had been going somewhere all night. Stopping the house was impossible. Aiming it might not be.

   8 of 12

10. You cannot stop a house. You can aim one. Theo took the biggest bedsheet in the linen closet, the guest one, and hauled it up between the chimney pots, and tied the corners off with the knot that is really three knots refusing to share. The wind arrived to inspect it.

    You cannot stop a house. You can aim one. Amara took the biggest bedsheet in the linen closet, the guest one, and hauled it up between the chimney pots, and tied the corners off with the knot that is really three knots refusing to share. The wind arrived to inspect it.

    You cannot stop a house. You can aim one. Otto took the biggest bedsheet in the linen closet, the guest one, and hauled it up between the chimney pots, and tied the corners off with the knot that is really three knots refusing to share. The wind arrived to inspect it.

    9 of 12

11. The sheet filled. The house leaned over like it meant it, picked a direction for the first time all night, and took it. Spray came up over the gutters. Theo stood at the ridge with one hand on the chimney, correcting course by inches, past a church, past a hill, toward the gap where the water was going.

    The sheet filled. The house leaned over like it meant it, picked a direction for the first time all night, and took it. Spray came up over the gutters. Amara stood at the ridge with one hand on the chimney, correcting course by inches, past a church, past a hill, toward the gap where the water was going.

    The sheet filled. The house leaned over like it meant it, picked a direction for the first time all night, and took it. Spray came up over the gutters. Otto stood at the ridge with one hand on the chimney, correcting course by inches, past a church, past a hill, toward the gap where the water was going.

    10 of 12

12. By dawn the rain had stopped and the water was leaving, politely, the way it had come. It set the house down in a street with a lower number, three streets from where they started, and drained away down the gutters without waiting to be thanked. Theo looked out the window. Four doors down stood his best friend's house.

    By dawn the rain had stopped and the water was leaving, politely, the way it had come. It set the house down in a street with a lower number, three streets from where they started, and drained away down the gutters without waiting to be thanked. Amara looked out the window. Four doors down stood her best friend's house.

    By dawn the rain had stopped and the water was leaving, politely, the way it had come. It set the house down in a street with a lower number, three streets from where they started, and drained away down the gutters without waiting to be thanked. Otto looked out the window. Four doors down stood his best friend's house.

    11 of 12

13. The grown-ups came down for breakfast and noticed nothing, except that the plates were in the wrong cabinets and the piano was, somehow, gone. They said the light was nicer here. They said maybe they should have moved years ago. Theo folded the wet bedsheet, said nothing either, and went upstairs to bed.

    The grown-ups came down for breakfast and noticed nothing, except that the plates were in the wrong cabinets and the piano was, somehow, gone. They said the light was nicer here. They said maybe they should have moved years ago. Amara folded the wet bedsheet, said nothing either, and went upstairs to bed.

    The grown-ups came down for breakfast and noticed nothing, except that the plates were in the wrong cabinets and the piano was, somehow, gone. They said the light was nicer here. They said maybe they should have moved years ago. Otto folded the wet bedsheet, said nothing either, and went upstairs to bed.

    12 of 12