Elena got up early in the morning. The sun was barely up, and the sky was light blue. She heard the cock cry and turned to look at the clock. It was six o clock. She looked out of the window and saw the trees waving in the wind.
"I wonder if I can go visit Mark toady, or if he will show up!" she thought as she got off her bed.
She washed and changed. Then she noticed the art she had done lying on the table.
"Well, I wonder when I have to send this?" Elena said to herself and noticed that the newspaper was still on her desk. She read the bit about the competition and found out that she had two weeks to post it.
"Well, I will give it to my aunt anyway. I'm satisfied with it as it is!"
Then she heard faint chirping and looked up towards the lamp. "Oh! The birds have hatched!"
She climbed up to her bed to get a better view of the nest and looked at it. There were tiny bald fledglings all opening their beaks and chirping aloud. Elena threw the window open and immediate the swallow flew out of the room.
Elena stared. She wished Ben had been there to take some pictures. "Perhaps she could invite him?"
She thought about it and ran to call his aunt. Aunt Lavenia came and looked up at the lamp. She beamed as if she remembered something happy.
"Yes, you may invite him!" she said when Elena had asked. So, Elena ran down to the telephone followed by Aunt Elena.
"Can I have the number of Crimson Mansion?" asked Elena, ready to dial.
"It's in the notebook, over here," said Aunt Lavenia pointing at the number. Elena dialed. She waited for someone to pick up the phone.
"Hello, may I speak to Ben?" she asked and waited for Ben.
Ben answered and Elena told him all about the swallow's nest and he immediately told that he wanted to come and take some pictures of it even before Elena had the chance for her to suggest it.
Elena went back to her room and saw that the mother bird had come back. The fledglings chirped noisily as the mother bird fed them.
It was not long before Ben came to Phoenix Farm. Aunt Lavenia and Elena went to greet him. Ben was carrying his camera and took some snaps of the bird by climbing on to a chair.
Then he noticed Elena's drawing on her table. "Did you draw this?" he asked looking at it.
"Yes, I did! They are having an art competition! I wanted to give it my aunt to post it but I forgot!"
"Well, you should post it!" said Ben taking his eyes off it and looking up at the swallow's nest. "Thank you for calling me, I really like photographing birds and animals."
"Well, I thought of you as soon as I saw the birds today," said Elena, "I had a feeling that you would like to take some pics."
"Well, you were right!" said Ben, "I have to get home. We are preparing for my birthday, and I have to go and choose a suite."
"I can't allow you to leave without giving you something to have," said Mrs. Lavenia and both Elena and Ben walked into the living room.
Aunt Lavenia came carrying a tray of brownies and lemonade. Ben took a brownie and a glass of lemonade. Elena did too. The sun was shining brightly, and it was warm inside the house.
"Do you have dogs here?" asked Ben looking at Elena and then aunt Lavenia.
"No, we don't," said Mrs. Lavenia as she got up from her seat. "Do you want and hot-cross buns?"
