Storytime

Touring around Ottawa is even more fun with the right friend—and the right shoes!

Once upon a time, early in the morning, Mrs. Porado put on her most comfortable sparkly green patent leather clogs, and walked out of her house and down the street to the subway. Clippety cloppety, clippety cloppety went the clogs. “Mind the gap!” said the sign. Zoom, zoom, zoom went the subway. Mrs. Porado walked out of the subway and up the stairs to a trolley car.

Clippety, cloppety, clippety cloppety went the clogs. Ding, ding went the bell. Clickety, clackity clack went the trolley. She walked off of the trolley car and down the street to the ferry. Clippety cloppety went the clogs, which sparkled so much in the sun that you could see a rainbow on one of them. Swish, swish, swish went the ferry. She walked off the ferry and up to security where she slipped off her most comfortable shoes and watched them go through the scanner. Then, she slipped them back on and walked on to the airplane. Clippety, cloppety, clippety, cloppety went the clogs. Whish, whish, whish went the plane.

In Ottawa, Mrs. Porado walked off the airplane and met her good friend, Mrs. Lee. They walked through the airport to Mrs. Lee’s car. Clippety, cloppety went the clogs. Vroom, vroom, vroom went the car. In addition to being a remarkable scientist, Mrs. Lee is an excellent driver. They walked to a restaurant where they ate salmon scones and talked about their children, who were growing up and were all in school. Mrs. Porado was so happy to see her friend that she had forgotten all about her shoes. Mrs. Lee wore runners that made no noise at all.

They walked to an embankment to look at the river. They walked to the statue of Queen Elizabeth on horseback. They walked to the Parliament where they took off their shoes and watched them go through the scanner. Then they put their shoes back on and walked to the Senate and to the House of Commons and took the elevator to the top of the Peace Tower. They walked to the library with the statue of Queen Victoria and walked outside with their tea cups and newspaper, to see the statues and passed the Eternal Flame back to Mrs. Lee’s car. Vroom, vroom, vroom.

At the airport, Mrs. Porado said goodbye to Mrs. Lee. She took off her patent leather green clogs at security and watched them go through the scanner. Then, she put them back on again and walked to the airplane. Clip clop, whish, whish, whish.

When the airplane landed, she walked through the airport to the ferry boat. Clip clop. Swish, swish, swish. She walked off the ferry and down the street to a big bus. Clip clop. Grrum, grrum, grrum.

Since she was in the neighbourhood, she walked off the bus to an art gallery. Mrs. Porado is a painter, you know. Then, she walked down the street to the subway. Clip clop. “Mind the gap!” Zoom, zoom, zoom.

She walked off the subway and slowly up the stairs to the street. It was almost suppertime. Clop, clop went the clogs. She walked up the street towards home, but before she had made it the whole way, she realized her feet were getting tired so she stopped and slipped off her shoes. Carrying her sparkly green patent leather clogs, Mrs. Porado thought about what a good day it had been. n