A Breeze in the Park
The morning sun painted the sidewalk with bright, warm patches of light. Juni stood outside her front door, ready for a grand adventure with her favorite things.
In her left arm, Juni cradled the heavy glass bowl where Fish swam in happy circles. In her right hand, she clutched three precious paper drawings of her favorite imaginary scaled serpent.
Juni walked carefully down the sidewalk, keeping her eyes on the water so it would not spill. Fish blew a tiny bubble of greeting as they passed the tall hedges.
They arrived at the park, where the grass felt cool and soft beneath Juni's sneakers. She found a perfect spot and smoothed out her checkered picnic blanket under a friendly oak tree.
Juni set Fish down safely on the blanket so he could enjoy the view. She lined up her three drawings in a neat row, showing off the serpent's glittering bronze and amber scales.
"This is our secret kingdom, Fish," Juni whispered, pointing to the drawings. Fish tapped his nose against the glass, completely agreeing with her excellent plan.
Without warning, a mischievous gust of wind swept through the branches. It snatched the three drawings from the blanket and sent them spinning high into the air like kites.
"Oh no!" Juni cried, watching her beautiful serpents flutter away. She knew she had to stay near Fish, but she could not let her artwork escape.
The wind carried the first two drawings over the fence and back toward the street. Juni picked up Fish's bowl and hurried after them as fast as her legs could go.
One drawing landed gently on a nearby porch, right next to a big, fluffy dog who was fast asleep. The dog's heavy tail twitched as the paper slid closer to his nose.
Juni gasped and stopped at the edge of the yard. If the big dog rolled over, her beautiful bronze serpent would be squished flat.
The dog opened one sleepy eye and let out a giant yawn. He sniffed the paper, then looked up at Juni with a friendly wag of his tail.
With a gentle nudge of his wet nose, the dog picked up the drawing by its corner. He trotted down the steps to stand right beside Juni, ready to help.
Together, the new friends walked back to the park. The dog carried the recovered drawing proudly, keeping his steps slow to match Juni's careful pace.
Back on the picnic blanket, Juni safely arranged all three drawings under the heavy corners of the fishbowl. The bronze and amber serpent was safe at last.
Juni smiled and reached into her pocket, pulling out a smooth, shiny pebble she had found near the porch. She slipped it into her pocket to save for her next big drawing.
