The Blue Arrow

Ages 12-15

Esther draws a blue arrow on her card guide. It points to the long edge, the one she uses for the flaps of her paper envelopes.

The other edge is shorter. Yesterday she traced the wrong one and made a flap that barely covered the opening.

At the classroom craft table, Raizy has two finished envelopes beside her. Both have pointed flaps.

"How do you get yours so even?" she asks.

Esther holds up the guide.

"This edge. Do you want it when I finish?"

"Yes, please."

Esther traces the long edge onto her next sheet. She sets the guide down and folds her envelope. The flap goes straight across, with a narrow tuck at either side.

"I fold these bits in first," she says. "Then they don't stick out."

Raizy unfolds one of her envelopes and tries it. She presses the two little tucks, then closes the flap.

Her flower drawing is caught inside one tuck.

"Oh, there's my last petal," she says.

She opens the paper again.

"I think I'll keep mine pointed. I can put the flowers up here."

Esther picks up the guide.

"You could move the flowers."

Esther holds the guide halfway across the table. Raizy moves her pencil out of its way.

"You'll still need to tuck the sides," Esther says.

"I can leave them out, like the other two."

Esther draws the guide back toward her own pile.

Raizy waits a moment. Then she takes her ruler from her pencil case and begins measuring the flap.

Raizy makes a pencil dot on her paper. She shifts the ruler and makes another.

Esther sets the guide beside her finished envelope, then lifts it again.

"Here," she says to Raizy.

Raizy puts down the ruler.

Esther keeps hold of one corner while Raizy reaches for it.

"The long edge," Esther says.

Then she lets go.

Raizy lays the guide across her paper and joins the two pencil dots. She folds the corners toward the middle, leaving the flower petals outside the folds.

Raizy lifts her envelope to press its pointed flap. The guide rests in her other hand, its blue arrow pointing across the table.