“Grandpa, where are all the fairies? They were supposed to be in the backyard today!” Emma exclaimed, her big brown eyes wide with concern.
Grandpa chuckled, adjusting his pirate hat. “Now, now, Emma, fairies are tricky creatures. They love to hide! Maybe they're playing a game with us.”
Emma, with her long brown hair bouncing, raced into the backyard, a place of endless adventures. Butterflies fluttered around colorful flowers, and the sweet scent of honeysuckle filled the air. “But Grandpa, I need to ask the fairies something important,” she said, her voice laced with worry.
Grandpa, always up for a good mystery, followed Emma. “Well then, let’s put on our detective hats and see what clues we can find!”
Emma, who loved unicorns and princesses almost as much as she loved solving mysteries, grabbed her magnifying glass. “Look, Grandpa! Fairy dust!” she shouted, pointing to a faint shimmer on a blade of grass.
Grandpa bent down, examining it closely. “Hmm, interesting. This dust seems to be leading toward the old oak tree.”
Following the trail, they reached the tree. Emma, who could talk to animals, whispered to a curious squirrel, “Have you seen any fairies today?”
The squirrel, after much chattering, pointed its tiny paw towards a small book lying at the base of the tree. It was open, its pages filled with colorful pictures and words.
“Grandpa, look! A book about fairies!” Emma exclaimed, her face brightening.
Grandpa carefully picked it up. “That’s strange. I don’t remember leaving this here.” He started to read aloud. “’Fairies love stories. They are drawn to the magic of words and the power of imagination.’”
“The power of imagination?” Emma echoed, her brow furrowed.
Suddenly, Grandpa gasped. “Emma, the book! It’s glowing!”
The book pulsed with a warm light, bathing the clearing in a rainbow of colors. And then, as quickly as it began, it stopped. Floating in the air above the book were three tiny, shimmering fairies, their delicate wings fluttering like butterflies.
One of the fairies, small and sparkly with a voice like tinkling bells, spoke. “Thank you for reading to us. You see, we fairies get our magic from stories. But lately, people have stopped reading, and our magic has weakened. We haven’t had the strength to appear.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “So, by reading, we help keep your magic alive?”
“Yes!” chirped another fairy. “The more stories you read, the stronger we become, and the more magic we can share with the world.”
Emma beamed. She loved reading! Every night, Grandpa would read her stories about brave knights and faraway lands. She loved learning new words and using her imagination to picture all the exciting adventures.
“Don’t worry,” Emma promised, “I’ll tell everyone how important reading is! We’ll make sure you never run out of magic!”
And so, Emma and Grandpa spent the rest of the afternoon reading stories to the fairies, their laughter echoing through the backyard, filled with the joy of reading and the magic of friendship.
