"Whee! Look at me, Dad! I'm a flying dinosaur!" Liam shouted, flapping his arms as he zoomed around his bedroom.
Dad chuckled, "That's quite a sight, Liam! You'd better fuel up on breakfast if you want to fly all the way to school today."
Liam giggled and landed softly on the ground. "You're right, Dad! Flying dinosaurs need lots of energy!" He remembered what his teacher, Ms. Honeybee, had said about being grateful. "Thank you for making my favorite pancakes, Dad! I'm grateful for yummy food!"
After breakfast, Dad drove Liam to school. Liam loved his school. It had bright, colorful classrooms and a big, sunny courtyard where he played with his friends. Today, Ms. Honeybee was teaching the class all about gratitude.
"Being grateful means being happy for all the good things we have," Ms. Honeybee explained.
Liam thought about all the things he was grateful for: his toys, his dinosaur books, and especially his dad. Suddenly, he had a wonderful idea!
"Ms. Honeybee! Ms. Honeybee!" Liam cried, bouncing up and down. "I know a fun way to show gratitude!"
"What is it, Liam?" Ms. Honeybee asked with a smile.
"Let's have a gratitude parade!" Liam exclaimed. "We can make colorful flags and march around the school, thanking everyone for all the things they do!"
Ms. Honeybee loved the idea. The class got busy making flags decorated with hearts, stars, and smiley faces. Liam drew a giant, toothy grin on his flag and wrote, "THANK YOU!" in big, wobbly letters.
When the flags were ready, the class lined up in the courtyard. Liam, holding his flag high, marched proudly at the front. Ms. Honeybee led the way, playing a cheerful tune on her ukulele.
"Look! It's a gratitude parade!" shouted a little girl with bright pink ribbons in her hair. She and her friends joined the parade, giggling and waving their hands. Soon, the whole school was marching and singing along.
As they paraded past the library, Ms. Bookworm, the librarian, peeked out with a surprised smile. "Thank you for sharing your joy!" she called out.
Next, they passed the principal's office. Principal Strongman, who wasn't so strong when it came to parades, joined in with a big grin, his mustache bouncing. "Thank you for the music!" he boomed.
Liam was so happy! He felt warm and fuzzy inside, like a grateful little dinosaur. As they marched back to their classroom, Ms. Honeybee stopped the music.
"Liam," she said, "That was an amazing idea! You helped everyone at school feel grateful today."
Liam beamed. "It's just like what you said, Ms. Honeybee. When we're grateful, we feel happy!"
Just then, the principal walked into the classroom with a twinkle in his eye. "Liam," he said, "I hear you have a wonderful idea for a parade. Well, I, Prince Strongman the First, declare that from now on, our school will celebrate Gratitude Day every year with a big, joyful parade, all thanks to you!"
Liam gasped. He couldn't believe it! He was friends with a real prince, and he had started a new tradition at school. What a grateful day it was!
After school, Liam told Dad all about the parade and Prince Strongman the First as they drove home.
"You know, Liam," Dad said, "You helped everyone learn a valuable lesson today. Being grateful for the good things in our lives makes us happy and spreads joy to others."
Liam nodded, feeling proud. He knew that even small acts of gratitude could make a big difference, just like his flying dinosaur leaps of joy!
