“3-2-1! Here I come!” Chase called. He ran after Anthony with the hose.

Anthony laughed loudly as he ran through the yard. Playing tag was extra fun when water was involved.

“Boys!” said Mom. “What is going on? I told you it’s time to do your chores.”

Chase and Anthony groaned. Chores were boring. Tag was fun.

“What chores did mom tell you to do?” Chase asked Anthony.

“Unload the dishwasher and feed Daisy,” Anthony answered. “How about you?”

“Fold the socks and clean up the crayons,” said Chase.

Anthony walked slowly toward the dishwasher. Chase dragged his feet toward the dryer.

“Wait!” said Anthony. “What if we do our chores together? Maybe they’ll go faster and we can play tag sooner.”

Chase agreed that this was a good idea. First, he helped Anthony unload the dishwasher. He handed the plates to Anthony and pretended they were in a fancy restaurant.

Next, Anthony helped Chase fold the socks. They rolled them into balls like Mom had showed them. Then they took turns throwing the sock balls into the laundry basket.

“Two points!” said Chase when he made a basket. “Who said chores aren’t fun?”

With both boys working together, they cleaned up the crayons in no time. They quickly fed Daisy and ran outside again. Chase picked up the hose and pointed it at Anthony.

“Boys!” said Mom. “You know it’s chore time.”

“We’re already done!” they said.

“Well, in that case,” said Mom, “3-2-1! Here I come!”