Eight Hats, One String

Pella had made eight summer hats for her small hat shop: a yellow one with a wide edge, a green one with flowers, and six others in bright colors. She wanted a photograph of them all before putting them in the shop window.

Her friends agreed to wear them in the yard. Unfortunately, the wind joined them too. The yellow hat blew off twice, and the green hat landed in a flowerpot.

"I have a plan," said Pella.

She passed a long piece of string through the small rings of cloth inside each hat. Then she tied both ends to the garden bench. The hats could move a little, but none could escape.

"Wonderful," she said."Now nobody move."

She set the camera to take a picture after ten seconds and hurried into the empty space beside her friends.

At nine seconds, Bram noticed a small insect on his sleeve. He stepped forward to place it gently on a leaf.

His hat followed him, and the string tightened. The next hat tipped sideways, pulling the next one with it. Three friends bent their knees to keep their hats on. Another stood on her toes.

The camera clicked.

"Perhaps we should all step forward together," Bram suggested.

They tried, but Pella said "Go" just as someone said "Wait." Half the line moved while the other half stayed still. The yellow hat slid over its wearer's eyes, and the green one rose slowly above its owner's head.

The camera clicked again. Pella had accidentally set it to keep taking pictures.

She stopped the camera and untied the string. Instead, they photographed the hats on the bench, with small stones hidden inside to hold them down.

That afternoon, Pella chose a clear picture for the shop window. Beside it, she put the photograph of eight people leaning in eight different directions.

Under that one, she wrote:"Our hats are ready for summer. Our photography team needs more practice."