"A new house! Imagine that!" exclaimed Noah, his eyes wide with surprise. Jacob, his furry, food-loving dog, wagged his tail excitedly, happy just to be included in the conversation.
Noah was a little shy, but he was also a very smart five-year-old who loved animals and birds. He was a little scared about moving. He liked his house in Los Angeles. What if he didn’t like the new house?
His dad smiled, "I know it's a big change, champ, but our new house has a giant park right across the street! Think of all the amazing birds we can see!"
The thought of a park filled with birds made Noah feel a little better. He loved watching birds fly, especially really fast birds, like cheetahs! Noah loved cheetahs, they were his favorite animal. They could run so fast!
On moving day, Noah made sure his special cheetah toy went in the box first. He couldn’t wait to explore the park with his toy cheetah.
When they finally arrived at their new house, Noah’s dad was right! The park across the street was giant! It had lots of trees, and the grass was very green. Noah could hear birds singing, and he even saw a squirrel scampering up a tree.
Noah grabbed his dad's hand and said, "Come on, Dad! Let's go to the park!" Noah and his dad crossed the street and walked into the park. Jacob ran ahead, sniffing all the new smells.
Noah couldn't believe how many different kinds of trees were in the park. He saw oak trees, with their bumpy bark, and maple trees with their big, star-shaped leaves. He even saw a tree with purple flowers! Noah had never seen a tree with purple flowers before.
Suddenly, Noah stopped. He saw something amazing behind a big oak tree. It had scales, wings, and a long tail. It was bright green and blue, with sparkling gold eyes. It was a dragon!
"Whoa," Noah whispered. The dragon turned its head and looked at Noah with its big, gold eyes. It didn’t breathe fire or roar. It just tilted its head and blinked.
"Hello," Noah said shyly. "My name is Noah."
The dragon opened its mouth and blew out a puff of smoke. Then, to Noah’s surprise, it spoke! “Hello, Noah,” the dragon said in a voice like rumbling thunder. "I am Spark. I live in this park."
"Wow! A talking dragon!" exclaimed Noah. He couldn't believe his luck. He had found a real dragon in the park! He wondered if Spark liked to read books as much as he did. Noah's secret hideout at his old house was the library!
Noah and Spark quickly became friends. Every day after school, Noah would go to the park to play with Spark. Spark told Noah all about the park. He showed Noah the best places to find berries and the coolest places to hide.
One day, Noah was feeling sad. He missed his old house and his old friends. He told Spark how he was feeling.
"I miss my home," Noah sighed.
Spark listened patiently. When Noah was finished, Spark said, "Home is not a place, Noah. Home is where your heart is happy. Your heart is happy here with me in the park, is it not?”
Noah thought for a minute. Spark was right! Noah loved playing in the park with Spark. He loved learning about the different kinds of trees and flowers. Noah realized that even though he missed his old home, he had found a new home in the park with Spark.
From that day on, Noah never felt sad about leaving his old house. He knew that he could always visit his old home and his old friends, but his new home was in the park with Spark.
Every day was an adventure in the park with Spark. Noah learned so much from his dragon friend. He learned about the importance of nature, the value of friendship, and the true meaning of home. Noah knew he would cherish these lessons and his friendship with Spark forever.
