"Wait!" yelled Sophia, her tiny voice echoing through the house. "Where's my toy chest?"
Mom, who was busy folding laundry in the living room, popped her head out. "What's wrong, sweetie?"
"My toy chest! It's gone!" Sophia was near tears, her bottom lip trembling. "It was right here this morning, next to my bed!"
Mom knelt down beside Sophia, her brow furrowed with concern. "Now, now, detectives don't cry. We'll find it. Tell me, what did this toy chest look like?"
Sophia sniffled and wiped her eyes. "It was big and red, like a firetruck! And it had a gold handle that looked like a crown!"
Mom's eyes widened. "A crown, you say?" She remembered a story she had read about a prince who lost his treasure chest. Could it be...?
"This sounds like a case for the best detective team in Phoenix!" Mom declared, her voice suddenly playful. "Are you in, Detective Sophia?"
Sophia, her sadness fading, jumped up and down. "Yes! I mean, yes, detective Mom!"
First, they searched Sophia's room, looking under the bed, behind the curtains, even inside the closet. No toy chest.
"Hmm," said Mom, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe the toy chest ran away because it was tired of being messy?"
Sophia gasped. "Do you think so?"
"It's possible," Mom said with a wink. "But even runaway toy chests leave clues. Let's think, what chores were you supposed to do today?"
Sophia's shoulders drooped. "Pick up my toys..."
"Aha!" Mom pointed to a trail of colorful building blocks leading out of Sophia's room. "It seems our runaway left a trail!"
They followed the trail of blocks down the hallway, into the living room, and finally, to the kitchen. There, standing in front of the sink, was the missing toy chest!
But it wasn't empty. Sitting on top was a plate piled high with freshly baked cookies and a glass of milk.
"Look!" squealed Sophia. "A thank you note!"
The note, written in big, loopy handwriting, read: "Dearest Sophia, thank you for tidying up! It was getting hard to breathe under all those toys. Love, your Toy Chest."
Sophia giggled. "I guess even toy chests like a clean room!"
Mom hugged Sophia tightly. "That's right, sweetie. Chores might seem boring, but they keep our home happy, and a happy home is a magical home."
As they enjoyed their milk and cookies, Sophia couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. Not only had she solved the case of the missing toy chest, but she had also learned a valuable lesson about the importance of keeping her room tidy, even if it wasn't as exciting as being a detective.
