The sunhat and the coat

It had been several days since Henry had seen the pink umbrella and the lady with the fabulous outfit, and he couldn't get his mind off it. He wanted to get Dorothy a new outfit to wear - something as wonderful as the unforgettable flamboyant costume. There was only one problem: the clothing store wasn't open at night, when Dorothy always appeared. It was only open during the day, and Henry would look like a fool trying to buy women's clothes. He'd faced this dilemma a few times before, and he decided to risk it - Dorothy would emerge during the day.

So Henry got ready to go out. First, he picked out the outfit. Then he carefully did his makeup - eyelashes and all - before carefully adjusting the wig on his head. He dressed himself and made sure the accessories matched everything. Since it was daytime, he added a floppy sunhat and a pair of groovy shades to complete the look. When he finished preparing himself, he looked in the mirror. He knew that no one would recognize the relationship between him and Dorothy, who today donned a calf-length autumn orange skirt, a brown blouse and a brown sweater, brown pumps, and a matching orange, brown and green headband.

On her way out the door, Dorothy grabbed an off-white scarf to tie around her neck. As soon as she walked outside, though, she wished she'd worn a coat. She was greeted by a sharp gust of wind that nearly picked her up off of the ground. Then, as suddenly as it had come, the wind stopped, and all was calm. Dorothy turned and headed down the street towards the clothing shop. As she walked brisquely, placing one foot in front of the other, another gust of wind came up behind her and blew her sunhat right off the top of her head. It tumbled down the sidewalk towards the bus stop.

Dorothy took off running after her hat. She ran in a ladylike fashion, keeping her strides short and placing a hand on her chest as she ran. She approached the bus stop, where the hat had come to rest, and saw a man sitting there. He had a stack of newspapers and a little cup next to him. As she bent to pick up her hat, the man said, "Would you like a paper for a nickel?" Normally, Dorothy didn't randomly buy things from people on the street. But something about the man's appearance made her feel sorry for him, and she felt inclined to oblige him. Opening her clutch, she fished out a dime - she had no nickels - and placed it in his cup. "Keep the paper," she said, in a perfectly feminine voice. Then, sunhat in hand, she turned and walked away.

As she approached the clothing store, she couldn't help thinking about the man she'd just encountered. "I should have brought him shopping with me," she thought. "He needed a new coat. The one he had on was just too big!"