The Sleeping Garden

In a quiet garden, flowers slowly closed their petals.

The butterflies tucked their wings.

Even the busy bees curled up inside their hive.

Soon the whole garden slept beneath the glowing moon.

The Cozy Bunny

A tiny bunny hopped through a meadow all day long.

When the stars appeared, the bunny hopped home to its soft

nest.

Curled in the warm grass, the bunny drifted off to sleep.

The Calm Lake

A still lake reflected the moon and stars.

The ducks tucked their heads beneath their wings.

The water stayed quiet and peaceful all night long.

The Sun’s Goodnight

The sun shined brightly across the fields and forests.

It warmed flowers, trees, and playful animals.

As evening arrived, the sun slowly slipped behind the hills.

Soon, the sky grew dark and the world prepared for sleep.

The Resting Butterfly

A colorful butterfly fluttered among the flowers all day.

When evening arrived, the butterfly found a soft leaf.

The butterfly folded its wings and grew still.

Beneath the starlit sky, it rested peacefully through the night.

The Sleepy Tree

A tall tree swayed gently in the evening breeze.

The birds settled quietly among its branches.

The leaves rustled one last time.

Then the tree stood peacefully beneath the moonlight all night long.

The Moon’s Watch

The moon rose quietly into the night sky.

Its silver light danced across rooftops and meadows.

The animals settled into their cozy homes.

All night long, the moon watched over the sleeping world.

The Quiet Soi

Deep beneath the garden, the soil rested peacefully.

Tiny roots stretched gently through the earth.

Seeds slept quietly, waiting for spring.

The garden was calm and still beneath the glowing moon.

The Peaceful Ocean

The ocean waves rolled softly onto the shore.

Splash… splash… splash…

The seagulls settled on the rocks, and the fish drifted through the water.

As the moon reflected on the waves, the ocean rested peacefully through the night.

NOT Gonna Be Toast!

One afternoon, two brothers were arguing.

“I can cook better than you!” said the 9-year-old.

“No, I can cook better than YOU!” said the 8-year-old.

The older brother crossed his arms.

“You can’t even boil water!”

The younger brother pointed dramatically.

“Well, YOU can’t even make toast!”

The older brother looked shocked.

“Of course I can make toast!”

“No, you can’t.”

“Yes, I can.”

“No, you can’t.”

“What are you talking about?”

The younger brother grinned.

“Remember when you put bread in the toaster and forgot to push the lever down?”

The older brother stared.

Then he shrugged.

“It’s not like it’s NOT gonna be toast!”

The brothers looked at each other.

Then they burst out laughing.

But far away, inside a loaf of bread sitting on a kitchen counter…

one slice was not laughing.

His name was Benji.

And Benji had a problem!.

Everyone expected him to become toast.

His parents were toast.

His grandparents were toast.

His cousins were toast.

Even Great-Grandpa Sourdough had become toast.

It was practically a family tradition.

But Benji had a secret.

A dream.

A wish.

When Benji grew up…

he did NOT want to be toast.

He wanted to be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Every morning he announced it.

At breakfast.

At lunch.

At dinner.

To anyone who would listen.

“I’m NOT gonna be toast!”

The other bread slices gasped.

“Not toast?”

“Nope.”

“Impossible!”

“Nope.”

“What will you be then?”

Benji smiled proudly.

“A peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

The bread family whispered nervously.

“A peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”

“That’s very unusual.”

But Benji didn’t care.

“Everybody expected toast. Nobody expected greatness.”

So whenever someone mentioned a toaster, he shouted:

“NOT Gonna Be Toast!”

Whenever someone talked about breakfast, he shouted:

“NOT Gonna Be Toast!”

Whenever someone even looked in the direction of the toaster, he shouted:

“Definitely NOT Gonna Be Toast!”

One morning, the day finally arrived.

Benji was lifted from the loaf.

The toaster sat nearby.

Waiting.

The other bread slices held their breath.

“This is it,” they whispered.

“Poor Benji.”

Benji squeezed his eyes shut.

“This is the end.”

But then, something wonderful happened.

The hand carrying Benji moved right past the toaster.

Past the butter.

Past the jam.

Past the toaster again, just to make sure.

And stopped beside a jar of peanut butter.

Benji opened one eye.

Then the other.

Could it be?

Moments later, creamy peanut butter covered one side.

Sweet grape jelly covered another.

The slices were pressed together.

Perfectly.

Benji could hardly believe it!.

He had done it.

He was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

“You did it!”

“You really did it!”

Benji grinned from crust to crust.

“I told you.”

The little slices nod.

Benji looks over at the toaster.

The toaster looks back.

The young bread slices are gathered around the famous Benji Peanut Butter & Jelly.

One little slice asks:

“So what’s your secret?”

Then Benji grins.

“Follow your dreams kid!”

Then he’d add:

“And remember…”

“Toast is NOT the Most!”

The other bread slices cheered.

And for the very first time…

Even the toaster laughed.

THE END

FIN

(The Fish Who Preferred Floating)

Everybody in Coral Cove loved to swim.

Fast.

Slow.

Upside down.

Backward.

Sideways.

Even baby fish zipped around like tiny underwater rockets.

Everybody…

Except

FIN.

Now before you start thinking,

“That’s weird…”

Let me explain.

It wasn’t entirely Fin’s fault.

Okay…

maybe a little.

But mostly…

It was his Mommy’s fault.

You see…

Fin was her very first little fish.

And she loved him more than seashells love the ocean.

Everywhere she went…

She carried little Fin tucked safely on her side.

“I’ve got you,” she’d smile.

“I don’t want my little guppy getting tired.”

So, while the other baby fish practiced swimming…

Fin practiced…

…floating.

And he became REALLY good at it.

In fact…

He was probably the greatest floater the ocean has ever seen.

Need to float?

Call FIN.

Need to relax?

Call FIN.

Need somebody to demonstrate professional floating?

Definitely call FIN.

Swimming?

Eh…

Not so much.

One sunny Monday morning, everything changed.

It was Fin’s very first day of 1st grade.

Mrs. Starfish smiled warmly.

“Good morning, everyone!”

“Today we’re learning underwater relay races!”

Every little fish squealed with excitement.

Except…

FIN.

His tiny fins started trembling.

Relay races?

Uh-oh.

One fish whispered,

“Doesn’t Fin still float everywhere?”

Another giggled.

“Maybe his Mommy should carry him.”

A few others laughed.

Fin looked down at the sandy ocean floor.

For the first time…

Floating didn’t feel so wonderful.

That afternoon…

Fin floated quietly toward home.

His mommy noticed right away.

“What happened, sweetheart?”

Fin sighed.

“Nothing.”

Mommy smiled.

“It doesn’t sound like nothing.”

After a very long pause…

Fin whispered,

“Kids laughed because I don’t swim very well.”

Mommy wrapped one fin around him.

“Oh, Fin…”

“I’m sorry.”

“I think…”

she admitted softly,

“I may have carried you a little too much.”

Fin looked up.

“A little?”

Mommy laughed.

“Okay…”

“A LOT.”

The next morning…

Mommy smiled.

“I think it’s time.”

“Time for what?”

She winked.

“Swimming lessons.”

Fin swallowed.

“But what if I’m terrible?”

Mommy smiled again.

“What if you’re wonderful?”

That afternoon…

Fin practiced.

Splash.

Splash.

Splash.

The first day…

Fin moved about three inches.

The 2nd day…

Almost six.

The 3rd day…

Fin accidentally swam backward.

“Yep, that still counts!” Mommy cheered.

Every afternoon…

Fin improved just a little more.

Then one afternoon…

Something fantastic happened.

As Fin practiced swimming through the coral…

Fin noticed someone watching.

She had shimmering silver scales that sparkled like moonlight dancing across the ocean.

Her name was Splendia.

Splendia batted her long eyelashes at Fin.

“Wow, you’re getting really fast.”

Fin nearly swallowed a bubble.

“I am?”

Splendia nodded.

“I’ve been watching.”

“You never give up.”

Nobody had ever said anything like that to Fin before about his swimming.

The next morning during relay races…

Mrs. Starfish blew her whistle.

“Ready…”

“Set…”

“GO!”

Before Fin even had time to think…

His fins started moving.

Faster.

And faster.

And FASTER!

Fin zoomed between coral arches…

Around seaweed forests…

Through bubbles…

AND sped right across the finish line ahead of his entire class!

Everyone was surprised Fin won the race.

FIN, the fish who only floated…

Just became the fastest swimmer in his whole class!

The teasing stopped.

The cheering began.

Splendia glided over, her gorgeous glowing fins sparkling toward Fin with the biggest smile.

“I knew you could do it.”

Fin grinned.

“You know something?”

“What?”

“I still like floating.”

Splendia laughed.

“So do I.”

“But now…”

Fin smiled.

“But I know I can swim whenever I need to.”

That afternoon…

Fin floated peacefully on the gentle ocean current.

Not because he had to…

But because…

He finally knew he could choose.

And somehow…

Floating felt even sweeter than before.

…The End…

PS.

every Sunday, Fin spends the entire day only floating.

Just for fun.

His Mommy usually floats alongside him.

Usually… So does Splendia.

Cuddle’s Kisses

Oumi loved his hamster, Cuddles.

Cuddles was soft.

Cuddles was fuzzy.

And, Cuddles was very, very sleepy.

The problem was Oumi was very, very energetic.

Every morning before school, Oumi wanted to play.

Every morning, Cuddles wanted to sleep.

One morning, after being awakened far too early, Cuddles gave Oumi a tiny nibble.

“Ouch!” cried Oumi.

Cuddles immediately looked really embarrassed.

But Cuddles still felt really, really tired.

Soon afterward, Oumi’s parents decided Cuddles would be happier in a different home.

A home that matched Cuddle’s nighttime schedule.

Oumi was crushed.

A few days later, Nana took Oumi to visit Cuddles at the pet shop.

But when they arrived, Cuddles was not there.

Someone had already adopted him.

Oumi glanced up at Nana as his eyes filled with tears.

“Oh no,” he whispered.

“What is it, sweetheart?” Nana asked.

Oumi sniffled.

“Now all of my kisses are going to be rubbed off Cuddles.”

Nana wrapped him in a big hug.

That night, Oumi missed Cuddles terribly.

The next afternoon, Oumi sat in his bedroom building an enormous Lego castle.

It had towers.

It had bridges.

It even had a dragon collecting marshmallows.

Suddenly . . .

BOING!

Something bounced through Oumi’s open window.

Then . . .

BOING!

BOING!

BOING!

More of them followed.

Oumi looked up.

His eyes grew wide.

His mouth dropped open.

“MY KISSES!” Oumi shouted.

The kisses bounced across the floor.

Kisses bounced on the bed.

Kisses bounced off the dresser.

One kiss bounced right off Oumi’s forehead.

Boink!

“Ouch!” laughed Oumi.

“I know you kisses!”

All the kisses bounced excitedly around the room.

The kisses seemed just as happy to see Oumi as he was to see them.

One kiss landed on his nose.

Another kiss landed on his elbow.

A third kiss landed on his head and refused to leave.

Soon Oumi and his kisses were dancing around the room.

They twirled.

They spun.

They bounced.

They giggled.

At least Oumi giggled.

The kisses mostly bounced.

Finally, one kiss landed gently on Oumi’s cheek.

And suddenly Oumi understood.

His kisses had not been rubbed off Cuddles after all.

They had simply been finding their long way back home.

Far away, in a cozy new house, Cuddles stretched, yawned, and settled down for his nap.

IF anyone looked very carefully…

They might have noticed one tiny Oumi-kiss still nestling on top of Cuddle’s fuzzy little head.

Some kisses came home.

🥹

But one kiss stayed behind to keep Cuddles warm and loved.

Oumi’s Wish

Some children wished for bicycles.

Some wished for puppies.

Some wished for mountains of cookies.

But Oumi had only one wish.

He wanted to meet a REAL dinosaur.

One day, Oumi visited a giant dinosaur exhibit.

The dinosaurs roared.

They blinked.

They swished their tails.

Everyone around him was amazed.

But Oumi folded his arms.

“These are nice,” he said.

“Now where are the REAL dinosaurs?”

The grown-ups laughed.

Oumi did not.

He was very serious.

That night, something magical happened.

As Oumi slept, a tiny golden star drifted through his bedroom window.

The star landed softly on his pillow.

POP!

Out jumped a tiny dinosaur wearing a tour guide hat.

“Good evening,” said the dinosaur.

“My name is Rexford.”

Oumi sat up.

“You are a real dinosaur!”

“Indeed,” said Rexford proudly. “And I hear you requested a guided tour.”

Before Oumi could answer, the room began to swirl.

WHOOSH!

TWIRL!

SPIN!

Suddenly, Oumi found himself standing in a giant prehistoric forest.

Towering trees stretched toward the sky.

Strange flowers bloomed everywhere.

Huge insects buzzed overhead.

And in the distance…

something enormous moved.

BOOM.

BOOM.

BOOM.

The ground shook beneath Oumi’s feet.

A gigantic Tyrannosaurus Rex stepped into view.

Its head was bigger than a car.

Its teeth sparkled like giant bananas.

Its tail swayed through the trees.

Oumi’s eyes grew wide.

“THAT is a dinosaur!”

The mighty T-Rex lowered its head.

“Would you like a ride?” it asked politely.

Oumi grinned.

“Absolutely!”

Carefully, he climbed onto the dinosaur’s back.

The T-Rex stood tall.

Then off they went.

THUMP!

THUMP!

THUMP!

They raced through ancient forests.

They crossed rivers.

They climbed hills.

They passed herds of long-necked dinosaurs munching on leaves.

One giant dinosaur waved.

Another sneezed.

A third was trying to scratch its back against a mountain.

“Dinosaurs are sillier than I expected,” laughed Oumi.

The T-Rex chuckled.

“We try our best.”

Soon they arrived at a giant cliff overlooking prehistoric Earth.

Volcanoes puffed in the distance.

Pterosaurs soared through the sky.

Dinosaurs wandered as far as Oumi could see.

The view was magnificent.

For a moment, Oumi sat quietly.

Then he smiled.

“This is the greatest field trip ever.”

The T-Rex nodded.

“I thought you might enjoy it.”

As the sun began to set, the sky turned orange and gold.

“It is time to go home,” said Rexford.

Oumi sighed.

“I wish I could stay forever.”

The tiny dinosaur smiled.

“You can always visit again.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“How?”

Rexford pointed to a book.

“A good story can take you anywhere.”

“Next time, I’m going to bring my big brother.”

“How big?” asked Rexford.

“He’s 4, and I’m 3.”

“Well, you’re both welcome anytime,” said Rexford.

The prehistoric world began to fade.

The dinosaurs waved goodbye.

The T-Rex gave one final friendly roar.

ROOOAAAR!

And suddenly…

Oumi was back in his bed.

Morning sunlight peeked through the window.

Had it all been a dream?

Then Oumi noticed something on his pillow.

A shiny dinosaur scale.

And attached to it was a tiny note.

It read:

Thank you for joining the Prehistoric Earth Guided Tour.

Your driver,

Tyrannosaurus Rex

Oumi laughed.

Then he ran to tell his big brother, Nana and parents.

Because this time…

he had finally seen the REAL dinosaurs.

🦖💛✨

DAY LEAF CALIPH LEAVES

Leaf Caliph had a very important life.

A very busy life.

A very exhausting life.

A very leafy life.

You see, Leaf Caliph had seventeen children, three cousins, two uncles, one aunt, four grandparents, and a partridge that refused to leave the family tree.

Every day he rushed from branch to branch helping somebody.

One child needed help with his or her leaf homework.

Another child leaf needed help tying a stem.

A third needed help finding a missing acorn.

By lunchtime, Leaf Caliph usually needed a nap.

One rainy afternoon, Leaf Caliph looked inside the family pantry.

It was empty.

Not a berry.

Not a beetle.

Not even a stale sunflower seed.

“Dinner is tonight!” cried Leaf Caliph.

“The children will be home soon!”

Then he looked outside.

Rain.

Lots of rain.

Buckets of rain.

Bathtubs of rain.

The kind of rain that makes even ducks say,

“That’s a bit much.”

Leaf Caliph frowned.

“If I go outside, I’ll get soaked.”

“If I get soaked, I’ll get floppy.”

“If I get floppy, I’ll get crumpled.”

“If I get crumpled, I’ll move slower than a sleepy slug wearing snowshoes.”

But dinner could not wait.

So Leaf Caliph bravely stepped outside.

And immediately regretted this decision . . .

SPLAT!

A giant raindrop landed on his head.

PLOP!

Another hit his shoulder.

SPLOOSH!

A third hit him so hard he dropped his grocery list.

The wind spun.

The rain danced.

Leaf Caliph twirled.

Whirled.

Flipped.

Flopped.

And tumbled straight to the bottom of the tree.

There he landed in a soggy heap.

His stem bent sideways.

His edges folded.

Leaf Caliph became a crumpled watery mess!

“Oh no!” groaned Leaf Caliph.

 “I can’t do anything until I get dry.”

Meanwhile…

High above in Apartment Branch 12B…

Dahlia Leaf was pacing across the living room.

“He should have been home by now!”

She looked out the window.

No Leaf Caliph.

She checked the porch.

No Leaf Caliph.

She checked the branch swing.

No Leaf Caliph.

Then suddenly her eyes grew wide.

“Oh my God!”

Her friends gasped.

“What?”

Dahlia Leaf pointed dramatically.

“I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!“

The room grew silent.

“He’s with Violet Breeze Leaf.”

Dahlia Leaf’s Girlfriends gasped so hard three squirrels fell out of a neighboring tree.

“Violet Breeze Leaf?” whispered Maple Leaf.

“The child-free one?” gasped Magnolia Leaf.

“The beautiful one?” said Aloe Vera Gale Leaf

 “Not the yoga leaf?”   Miley Cypress Leaf said.

“The one whose veins sparkle in sunlight?” gasped Magnolia Leaf.

“The very same!” cried Dahlia Leaf.

“I knew she couldn’t be trusted!” said Aloe Vera Gale Leaf

Magnolia Leaf nearly dropped her cup of root tea, narrowing her eyes.

“Girrrrrrrrrl…”

Meanwhile…Poor Leaf Caliph is literally lying at the bottom of the tree thinking:

“I just need thirty more minutes of sunshine and I’ll be fine.”

Back at Apartment Branch 12B:

Dahlia Leaf:

“HE’S LEFT ME!”

Magnolia Leaf:

“Girl, pull your stems together.”

Maple Leaf:

“I heard Violet Breeze was seen near Willow Street.”

Miley Cypress Leaf:

“I always knew she was trouble.”

Random squirrel passing by:

“What’s going on?”

Entire neighborhood:

“LEAF CALIPH RAN OFF WITH VIOLET BREEZE!”

Dahlia Leaf continued dramatically.

“Right now they’re probably blowing through meadows together!”

“They’re probably dancing in the breeze!”

“They’re probably sharing organic compost smoothies!”

The room erupted into chaos.

At last Magnolia Leaf stood up.

Placed one leaf hand on her hips and slapped Dahlia Leaf with her other hand.

Declaring . . .

“Listen to me carefully Dahlia Leaf.”

“If Leaf Caliph is really gone…”

Dahlia Leaf sniffled.

“…then you better TURN OVER A NEW LEAF!”

The room nodded.

“You have seventeen children!”

The room nodded again.

“You don’t have time for this nonsense.”

The room nodded even harder.

But Dahlia Leaf simply collapsed into a chair.

“I can’t!”

Meanwhile…

At the bottom of the tree…

Leaf Caliph:

“Ow.”

“Still wet.”

“Very wet.”

“Extremely wet.”

“I appear to be a puddle.”

The sun began to peek through the tree branches and slowly…

Ever sooooooo slowwwwwly

Leaf Caliph was finally drying out.

His stem straightened.

His edges unfolded.

And completely unaware of his neighborhood scandal exploding above him…

Leaf Caliph slowly gets back up.

Brushed himself off, blinking raindrops from his eyes.

Leaf Caliph runs to the grocery store getting back home just before dusk.

He walks into Apartment Branch 12B looking confused.

Apartment Branch 12B is filled with many squirrels, leaf cousins and other leaf family members.

Then slowly  Leaf Caliph lifts a grocery bag onto the kitchen counter.

Inside are:

🍓 berries

🌰 acorns

🌻 sunflower seeds

And one slightly bruised beetle.

He turns to the room and says:

“The checkout line was unbelievable!”

Dahlia Leaf runs into Leaf Caliph’s arms practically knocking him to the floor. “You’re home!”

Yes, of course, I’m home. Is this a party?

Dahlia Leaf:

“I thought you ran away with Violet Breeze!”

Leaf Caliph:

“Who?”

Dahlia Leaf:

“VIOLET BREEZE!”

Leaf Caliph:

“The yoga leaf?”

The room nodded.

Dahlia Leaf:

“YES!”

Leaf Caliph:

“I don’t even like yoga.”

The room laughs.

“Worst Prank EVER”…

I Was Freaking Out! I’m not gonna lie.

I mean, here I was thinking I was the one playing practical jokes.

Turns out, they PRANKED ME!

See, I was doing my whole “dreaming of becoming an astronaut” routine. Shhhhh! Don’t tell anybody. But it’s my thing!

Most afternoons after school…

I pretend I’m walking across the Moon…

floating through space…

or discovering brand-new planets nobody has EVER seen before!

While everybody else looks for Pokémon cards…

I’m looking for shooting stars.

Yep.

Even during the daytime.

(I’m an astronaut-in-training.

Don’t judge me.)

My imagination is almost as big as the universe itself!

Anyway, this afternoon, I zipped up my backpack and waved goodbye to my teacher.

“See you tomorrow!” I yelled.

I ran down the sidewalk, kicking tiny pebbles into the grass while humming.

“Zooming through Jupiter… waving at Mars… don’t forget your astronaut snacks!”

Just then…

“Raajiiiii…”

I stopped.

Turned around.

Nobody.

Not a single person.

“Hmmm…”

I shrugged my shoulders.

Thinking my friends were hiding somewhere trying to scare me,” I giggled.

“Nice try!”

I continued walking.

A few moments later…

“Raaajiiii…”

This time the voice sounded closer.

Much closer.

I spun around.

Behind the trees?

Nothing.

Behind the fence?

Nothing.

Across the street?

Still nobody.

I scratched my head.

“Okay…this is weird.”

Trying not to let it bother me, I kept walking.

Then…

“RAAJI!”

The voice boomed across the neighborhood.

Birds fluttered from the trees.

Leaves rustled.

Even the squirrels froze.

My backpack nearly fell off my shoulders.

“WHO SAID THAT?”

Silence.

I looked left.

Right.

Up.

Down.

Nothing.

My heart began beating a little faster.

“This isn’t funny anymore,” I whispered.

Then…

A warm golden light gently touched my face.

“Finally…”

said a cheerful voice.

“I’ve been trying to get your attention all day.”

I slowly lifted my eyes toward the sky.

The enormous golden Sun smiled down at me.

I blinked once.

Twice.

Three times.

“I must’ve eaten too much pizza at lunch.”

The Sun chuckled.

“It wasn’t the pizza.”

I rubbed both eyes.

The Sun was still smiling.

“Maybe I fell asleep in math class…”

“Nope.”

“Maybe I’m dreaming?”

“No again.”

I looked around carefully.

“Okay…who’s hiding the giant speaker?”

“There isn’t one.”

Tiny golden rays laughed so hard, they accidentally tied themselves into little sunshine pretzels.

“I really am talking to you?”

I stood perfectly still.

For the first time in my entire seven years of life…

I did not know what to say.

Just then…

Tiny giggles landed beside my shoe.

“He finally figured it out!”

I looked down.

A bright yellow daisy was laughing as she snorted pollen..

Not moving in the wind…

Laughing.

Then another flower joined in.

“So did I!”

“And me!”

“And me too!”

Within seconds, the entire flower bed burst into cheerful chatter.

Tulips.

Daisies.

Sunflowers.

Roses.

Lilies.

Every flower seemed delighted.

I stumbled backward.

“You…I mean, flowers can TALK?”

“Of course!” giggled the flowers.

“We’ve always talked.”

“You just couldn’t hear us before.”

I slowly turned back toward the smiling Sun.

“Soooooo…” I whispered,

“I’m… I am not imagining all this?”

The Sun’s warm smile grew even brighter.

“No, Raaji.”

“This isn’t your imagination.”

“It isn’t a prank.”

“It’s not a dream either.”

“And it definitely isn’t one of your practical jokes.”

The Sun leaned IN a little closer.

“The Universe has been waiting for you.”

I held up both hands, swallowing.

“The… The Universe?”

“Oh yes,” replied the Sun.

“We’ve been hoping you’d finally hear us.”

The flowers nodded excitedly.

“The Moon keeps changing its mind about you.”

Raaji, “Wait…what??”

The Sun:

“Yesterday the Moon said, ‘He seems nice.’ Today she said, ‘Hmm…I’m still thinking about it.”

The flowers all start talking at once.

“She likes you!”

“No she doesn’t!”

“Yes she does!”

“She changes her mind every night!”

“The Rainbow keeps changing colors because she’s so excited.”

“The Wind has been blowing your name all over town.”

“The Clouds have been trying REALLY hard not to rain from excitement.”

My mouth fell open.

“The…Moon?”

“The Rainbow?”

“The Wind?”

“The Clouds?”

The Sun smiled.

“And that’s just the beginning. Trust me, the stars NEVER stop twinkling!” Sun rolls his eyes dramatically.

Raaji stared into the brilliant afternoon sky.

Only a few minutes earlier, he had been walking home from school expecting an ordinary afternoon.

Now…

The Sun knew his name.

Flowers were laughing.

The Moon wanted to meet him!

And somewhere beyond the clouds…

the entire Universe was WAITING!

“WE KNEW YOU’D COME!!”

“ “I TOLD YOU HE’D COME! …”

“”No…YOU HOPED he’d come!”

“Same thing!”

“Can everybody PLEASE stop interrupting?!”

“Sorry.”

“Sorry.”

“Sorry.”

“Not sorry.”

I smiled the biggest smile of MY life.

Maybe…

just maybe…

this ordinary walk home…

was the beginning of the greatest adventure ever!

And that is when I discovered…

It wasn’t a prank!.

… The Sun smiled.

“So…

are you coming Raaji?”

I looked up toward the sky.

I looked down at all the flowers.

I looked back toward my house.

Mom was probably wondering why I was taking FOREVER to get back home.

I took one giant breath.

Grinned.

And said…

“Well…I’ve already blamed the dog before…”

Then immediately…

“Just kidding!”

“I don’t even HAVE a dog.”

The flowers giggled.

The clouds drifted a little closer, as if they did not want to miss what happened next.

As I said aloud, “…besides, how often does the SUN invite you somewhere?“

…The End…

Cloud Number 9

By the time I finally got home…

Mom had already asked me where I had been.

Three times.

I almost told her.

I really did.

But then I remembered…

Who would believe a kid who says,

“Sorry I’m late…the Sun wanted to introduce me to the Universe.”

Yes…

Exactly.

So, I kept my mouth shut.

Sort of.

“I got…distracted.”

Mom smiled.

“Again?”

“Yep.”

She shook her head.

“You’ve got one amazing imagination, Raaji.”

If she only knew…

That night, I could not sleep.

Every time I closed my eyes…

I heard the Sun’s voice.

“The Universe has been waiting for you.”

Waiting?

For me?

Why?

Around midnight…

A soft breeze slipped through my bedroom window.

“Raaajiiiii…”

I sat straight up.

“Oh no…”

The breeze giggled.

“No…

Oh YES.”

Outside my window floated a tiny cloud.

Not a huge storm cloud.

Not a fluffy white cloud.

Just one little cloud…

about the size of a beanbag chair.

It wore what looked suspiciously like a tiny blue bow tie.

“Are…”

I whispered.

“…you wearing clothes?”

The cloud puffed itself proudly.

“I like to look professional.”

I blinked.

“Clouds wear bow ties?”

“Only for important meetings.”

“What meeting?”

The cloud gasped.

“You mean…”

“No one told you?”

“Told me what?”

The little cloud floated closer.

“The Cosmic Complaint Committee!”

“The what?”

“The Cosmic Complaint Committee.”

“We meet every Thursday.”

I blinked.

“But…”

“It’s Tuesday.”

Cloud 9 froze.

“Oh.”

He looked up.

Then down.

Then over both fluffy shoulders.

“Well…”

“That’s true.”

“So…”

I asked.

“What are we doing today?”

Cloud 9 smiled nervously.

“Today’s just…”

“…introductions.”

“And…”

“…orientation.”

“And…”

“…rules and regulations.”

He scratched the top of his fluffy head.

“And…”

“…uh…”

“…cloud stuff.”

I raised one eyebrow.

“Cloud stuff?”

“Yep.”

“Very important cloud stuff.”

“Like what?”

Cloud 9 thought hard.

“We’ll…”

“…probably have snacks.”

I smiled.

“You have snacks?”

Cloud 9 puffed himself up proudly.

“Absolutely.”

“The Moon always brings Moon Pies.”

“The Sun brings Sunshine Lemonade.”

“The Rainbow brings Skittles.”

I gasped.

“The Rainbow brings Skittles?!”

Cloud 9 whispered…

“Technically…”

“…she just brings the colors.”

I laughed so hard I almost fell off the cloud.

“So…”

I asked,

“What do YOU bring?”

Cloud 9 grinned.

“Cotton candy.”

I blinked.

“Clouds ARE cotton candy.”

Cloud 9 froze.

He looked down at himself.

He gasped.

His fluffy little eyes got HUGE.

“WE ARE???”

Cloud 9 spun around in circles trying to look at his own back.

“I’ve been a cloud for over three thousand years…”

“…and NOBODY told me??”

Just then another cloud floated by.

Cloud 9 shouted…

“DANNY!!”

The other cloud stopped.

“Yeah?”

“ARE WE COTTON CANDY??!”

Danny shrugged.

“I always wondered why kids wanted to eat us.”

Cloud 9 looked back at me.

“…This explains SO much.”

I tried to turn my attention back to the meetings asking.

“You have meetings?”

The cloud looked horrified.

“Of course!”

“How else would the Universe stay organized?”

I scratched my head.

“I kinda thought…”

“You all just floated around.”

The cloud laughed so hard he accidentally rained on himself.

“Oh, that’s adorable.”

Then he cleared his throat.

“I am Cloud Number 9.”

“You can call me 9.”

“Cloud Number 9?”

“There are eight before you?”

“And twelve after me.”

“Wait…”

“There are TWENTY-ONE talking clouds?”

The cloud smiled.

“Thousands.”

My jaw dropped.

“Seriously?”

“Oh yes.”

“We’re very…well…”

He looked around proudly.

“…cloudy.”

I could not help laughing.

“So…”

I asked,

“What exactly does this committee do?”

Cloud 9 looked shocked.

“You REALLY don’t know?”

I shook my head.

He floated closer.

Lowered his voice.

“You know how humans complain about everything?”

I nodded.

“Homework.”

“Bedtime.”

“Vegetables.”

“Exactly.”

“Well…”

He smiled.

“So do we.”

“The Sun complains?”

“Every Tuesday.”

“The Moon?”

“Every other night.”

“The Wind?”

“Never stops.”

“The Rainbow?”

“Mostly high spirited.”

“The Stars?”

“They think nobody notices how hard they twinkle.”

I stared.

“The FLOWERS complain?”

Cloud 9 laughed.

“They mostly complain that bees don’t wipe their feet.”

I burst out laughing.

“You’re kidding.”

“I wish.”

He leaned closer.

“Last month…”

“The Ocean complained because whales sing off-key.”

“The Mountains complained because hikers keep climbing on them.”

“The Trees complained because squirrels never say thank you.”

“And the Volcano…”

Cloud 9 shivered.

“We don’t let him speak first anymore.”

I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

“Is this real?”

Cloud 9 nodded.

“Oh yes.”

“The Universe has feelings too.”

“So…”

I asked quietly.

“Why am I here?”

Cloud 9 smiled.

“Because…”

“The Committee voted.”

“They did?”

“Unanimously.”

“They chose you.”

“Me?”

“Why?”

Cloud 9 grinned.

“Because every universe…”

“…needs one human who still believes impossible things are possible.”

He turned toward the stars.

“The meeting starts in five minutes.”

I looked down.

Way down.

At my neighborhood.

Then back at Cloud 9.

“I’ve never ridden a cloud before.”

Cloud 9 smiled.

“Don’t worry.”

“We’ve been practicing.”

He floated beside me.

I took one deep breath.

Stepped onto the softest cloud I had ever imagined.

And together…

we floated toward the stars.

Toward the place…

where the entire Universe gathers…

to solve its biggest problems…

on…

Cloud Number 9.

…The End…

Raaji and the Clouds That Refused to Rain

One morning Raaji is waiting for his school bus again.

The Flower Council looks nervous.

Blue Flower whispers:

“Something is wrong.”

Raaji looks up.

The sky is full of gray clouds.

But the clouds are just floating around… grumbling.

The clouds again complain, more loudly

“We’re tired of being blamed for ruining picnics!” “Everyone groans when we arrive!” “No one appreciates rain!”

Raaji sighs.

“Let me guess… you’re going on strike.?”

The clouds puff up proudly.

“Correct.”

Days pass.

No rain falls.

Soon:

flowers droop trees begin drying out gardens struggle

The Flower Council gasps.

Red Tulip:

“This is bad.”

Purple Flower:

“Very bad.”

Yellow Flower:

“Motion to panic?”

Raaji meets with the clouds.

“Listen, rain doesn’t ruin things.”

He points to the garden.

“Rain helps things grow.”

The clouds look down.

Clouds notice the thirsty flowers.

Blue Flower calls up to the clouds:

“We love YOU RAIN!”

Red Tulip:

“Rain is how we drink!”

Purple Flower:

“Without you, we disappear.”

The clouds go quiet.

Raaji continues explaining to the clouds.

“Sometimes the most important jobs aren’t always popular.”

The clouds think about this.

Finally, clouds agree.

“Maybe we should rain… just a little.”

Soon gentle raindrops begin falling.

Raaji finally gets on the school bus.

The rain begins FALLING.

The bus driver groans:

“Great… RAIN.”

Raaji laughs.

“Trust me. The flowers are happy.”

Outside the window the Flower Council cheers.

As Raaji stares out the bus window, he sees two rabbits hopping through the grass.

One rabbit lifts UP her ears and looks toward the clouds.

Raaji whispers:

“Nice timing.”

The little rabbit twitches its nose, hoping along.

…The End…

⭐ Story Questions

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🍪 Snack Time

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