Emma was coloring a picture of a unicorn, making its mane extra sparkly, when Grandpa burst in, "Ahoy there, Emma! I found a treasure map!"
Emma giggled. Grandpa was always finding "treasure." Last week, it was a shiny button. "What kind of treasure this time, Grandpa?" she asked, coloring the unicorn's horn gold.
"A fire-breathing dragon!" Grandpa whispered, his eyes wide.
Emma gasped. "A real one?" She loved dragons, especially the kind with rainbow scales.
"Well, not a REAL real one," Grandpa chuckled, "but close! We're moving to a new house, and guess what's nearby? A giant, rumbling volcano!"
Emma's eyes widened. A volcano! That WAS almost as good as a real dragon. "But what about my unicorn pictures?" she asked, a little sad.
"Don't you worry, little one," Grandpa winked. "There's plenty of room for unicorns AND dragons in our new adventure!"
Moving day was busy and exciting. Everything was packed into boxes, even Emma's favorite sparkly princess dress. The drive to their new house felt like it took a hundred years! Finally, they arrived at a cozy cottage nestled at the foot of a HUGE, steaming mountain.
"Wow," Emma breathed, her nose practically pressed against the car window. The volcano was even bigger than she imagined, with wisps of smoke curling from the top.
Grandpa ruffled her hair. "Told ya it was a treasure, didn't I?"
Their new house smelled like fresh paint and adventure. Emma raced from room to room, deciding where to put her unicorn toys and princess books. She even found a secret hiding spot under the stairs, perfect for whispering secrets to her stuffed animals.
The next morning, Emma convinced Grandpa to take her exploring. As they hiked up the volcano's slopes, the air grew warmer and warmer. Emma imagined a friendly dragon peeking out from behind a puff of smoke.
"Grandpa, do you think the dragon likes cookies?" Emma asked, remembering the batch she'd helped bake the day before.
"Why, I bet he does!" Grandpa boomed. "Let's leave him some, just in case."
They found a flat rock near a bubbling hot spring and left a few cookies. "He'll love these," Emma declared, feeling happy they could make the dragon feel welcome.
As they turned to leave, a low rumble shook the ground. A plume of smoke shot from the volcano's peak, followed by a shower of...confetti?
Emma and Grandpa stared in amazement as the "smoke" turned into a kaleidoscope of colors, raining down on them.
"That's no dragon," Grandpa chuckled, wiping confetti from his beard.
Emma giggled. It was even better than a fire-breathing dragon. It was a volcano that celebrated their arrival with a confetti party!
As they hiked back down, Emma realized something important. Moving to a new place didn't mean leaving her love for unicorns and princesses behind. It just meant adding more fun and adventure, like a confetti-loving volcano and maybe even a cookie-loving dragon, to her world.
And that, Emma decided, was the best kind of treasure of all.
