The red kite

Source: an original fiction extract.

The kite lay across the kitchen table, too large for the room and too fragile for the journey to the hill. Ben had built it with his daughter, Elsie, over three wet evenings. She had chosen red tissue paper and drawn a black eye on each side. One eye was higher than the other. Ben had quietly measured the difference, then put down the ruler when she asked whether birds had to look surprised. Now he checked the string while she ate the last corner of her toast. Outside, the washing on the line hung completely still.

On the hill, other families were already sending bright shapes above the grass. A little wind came in irregular handfuls. Ben held the kite and told Elsie to run when he called. She ran too soon. The kite dragged behind her, catching a twig that opened a small tear in its wing. He called her back more loudly than he intended. She stopped without turning round. When she finally brought it to him, he said they would have to follow the instructions properly if they wanted it to work. She looked at the other kites.

He repaired the tear with the tape he had brought and took the string himself. Elsie stood where he placed her, holding the frame. This time she let go exactly when he said. The kite rose several feet, tilted and struck the ground. Ben inspected the crosspiece. He had used a thicker strip of wood because he wanted the frame to last. He wondered if it was too heavy. Elsie asked whether she could try holding the string again. He said to wait a minute. He was already untying a knot, his teeth tight against the thread.

A boy nearby was flying a kite made from a shopping bag. It climbed badly but stayed up long enough for him to shout at someone below the hill. Ben watched it and then noticed that Elsie was arranging stones around a patch of daisies. He asked what she was making. A landing place, she said, for things that could not fly yet. He laughed, but she did not. He put the kite down and sat beside her. After a while he asked if she wanted another turn. She said yes, provided he did not shout this time.

They moved to a clearer part of the slope. Ben loosened the tail and gave her the string. The kite lifted, sagged and lifted again. It remained in the air for perhaps ten seconds. Elsie counted twelve. When it fell, she wanted to try once more. Ben started to explain what had gone wrong, then asked where she wanted him to stand. By the time they packed up, the red paper had another tear and one eye had partly peeled away. Elsie carried it down the hill herself. Ben carried the bag of tools, still thinking about a lighter crosspiece for next time.

Consider the whole source. A reader said: “Ben is so concerned with making the kite successful that he forgets what would make the outing enjoyable for Elsie. The ending suggests he begins to understand.” Evaluate how far you agree. Support your judgement with detailed references to the text and the writer’s methods.