“Hey, Bert,” he said. “Let’s sell lemonade.”
“Good idea, Ernie,” alisema Bert. “You go buy the lemons. Then we will make the maji ya limau, lemonade together.”
“Right, Bert,” alisema Ernie. “I will get the lemons.”
And he ran off to the store.
On the way Ernie saw Big Bird and Grover.
“Hi,” alisema Ernie. “I am going to have a maji ya limau, lemonade stand. Be sure to come.”
“Oh, we will,” alisema Big Bird. “All these feathers can make a bird pretty hot.”
At Mr. McIntosh’s store Ernie saw big piles of lemons.
He saw big piles of oranges too.
The oranges looked delicious.
Ernie bought them instead of lemons.
At Ernie and Bert’s house Bert painted letters on a piece of cardboard.
They said:
ICE-COLD LEMONADE
10¢ A GLASS
When Ernie got home, Bert looked inside the bag.
“ERNIE! These are oranges!” he yelled. “Where are the lemons?”
“At the store,” alisema Ernie.
Bert groaned.
“We need LEMONS for lemonade! I will get the lemons. And wewe finish painting the sign,” alisema Bert.
Ernie said, “Sure, Bert.”
Bert went to the store.
Susan and Bob were there.
Bert told everyone what had happened.
They all laughed.
“You know how Ernie is. We can’t expect him to get it right,” alisema Susan.
“Lucky he has Bert,” alisema Bob.
“Lucky?” alisema Bert to himself. “It is not very for ME!”
Bert came nyumbani to a jikoni covered with blue paint.
Ernie was covered with paint too.
“ERNIE! What a mess wewe made,” alisema Bert. “Now I have to clean up and wewe have to take a bath.”
“Right, Bert,” alisema Ernie. “You start making the lemonade. I will not be long.”
Bert squeezed the lemons.
He added sugar and ice water.
He filled a big pitcher with lemonade.
Then he made the sign look nice and neat.
At last Ernie came back.
He was sprinkling powder on himself.
Most of it fell on the floor.
“Hi, Bert! I am ready to help now.”
“HELP?” yelled Bert. “You are no help at all!”
Bert set up the maji ya limau, lemonade stand.
Grover and Big Bird were the first to come.
“Mmmm. This maji ya limau, lemonade is terrific, Ernie,” alisema Grover.
Big Bird said, “It sure is. Ernie always has good ideas.”
Bert glared at Ernie.
“It is easy to have ideas,” Bert grumbled to himself. “It is not so easy to make them work.”
Susan and Bob came.
So did Gordon and Mr. McIntosh.
Everyone was thirsty.
Clink, clink went their dimes.
“Ernie got the lemons at my store,” Mr. McIntosh told everyone proudly.
“Lemons?” grumbled Bert. “Ernie got ORANGES. I got the lemons.”
Gordon patted Ernie on the back.
“You did a great job,” he said.
Ernie smiled. “Thanks, Gordon. Maybe I will do this every day!”
Bert got red in the face.
“EVERY DAY?” he said.
“Sure, Bert!” alisema Ernie. “I will call it Ernie’s Famous Lemonade!”
Bert could not stand it anymore.
“IT’S NOT FAIR!” Bert shouted.
“I did all the work.
I ALWAYS do all the work.
Ernie makes a mess.
Ernie makes mistakes.
But he has all the fun.
And everybody expects me to do everything.”
Then Bert burst into tears.
“Nobody ever even says thank you,” he said, and ran inside.
“Oh, this is so SAD!” alisema Grover. He blew his nose.
“Gee,” alisema Big Bird. “I never knew Bert could cry.”
Bob said, “Everybody can cry.”
“Especially when everyone forgets about them,” alisema Susan.
Everyone felt terrible.
Ernie felt the worst of all.
“I have to onyesha Bert that I am really sorry. I will give him a present,” he said.
He left to look for the perfect surprise for Bert.
When Ernie got home, he peeked into the kitchen.
Bert was sniffling sadly.
“I am sorry, Bert,” alisema Ernie. “I got a present to cheer wewe up. Please don’t cry anymore!”
Ernie gave Bert the present.
Bert stopped sniffling.
He opened the present.
His frown turned into a smile.
“Oh, Ernie! How wonderful! A dustpan and brush!” alisema Bert. “But wewe spent all the maji ya limau, lemonade money on me.”
Ernie smiled shyly.
“That is okay,” he said. “You did all the work.”
Bert could not wait to try out the new dustpan and brush.
He began sweeping up the powder.
“I will help, old buddy,” alisema Ernie.
“No,” alisema Bert. “I LIKE to sweep. Anyway, I sweep better than you! But wewe can keep me company, old pal.”
And Ernie did.
