"But Mom, homework is BORING!" William exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air.
Mom chuckled, "I know it can seem that way sometimes, sweetie, but it's important! Just like practicing your super strength helps you lift heavy things, practicing your numbers helps you count all the amazing birds at the zoo!"
William loved birds and he loved the zoo, but he wasn't sure numbers were as exciting. Still, Mom always had a way of making things sound fun.
"How about we go to the playground after?" Mom suggested, "We can even bring our art supplies and you can draw all the birds you imagine!"
William's eyes lit up. "Okay!" he shouted, grabbing his backpack.
The playground was buzzing with kids. Slides whooshed, swings swayed, and laughter filled the air. William zoomed towards the monkey bars, his sneakers squeaking on the pavement. He loved how it felt to swing across them, feeling strong and powerful like a… like a…
"Like a prince?" a friendly voice asked.
William looked down to see a boy in a shiny red cape sitting on the ground, struggling with a piece of paper and a very grumpy-looking crayon.
"Are you a prince?" William asked, eyes wide.
The boy nodded. "I'm Prince Thomas, but I need help with my… homework!" he whispered the last word like it was a scary monster.
William plopped down next to him. "What kind of homework?"
Prince Thomas pointed to the paper. It had rows of crowns with different numbers of jewels on each. "I have to count the jewels, but I keep getting distracted!"
William's mom walked over, a smile on her face. "Looks like you've made a new friend! What are you working on?"
"Prince Thomas needs to count jewels," William explained, pointing to the crowns.
"Ah, counting practice! That is important for a prince," Mom said. "Maybe we can make it more fun. How about we pretend these crowns belong to all the amazing birds William sees at the zoo?"
Prince Thomas's eyes widened. "Birds have crowns?"
William nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! Big, colorful birds with lots of sparkly feathers on their heads! They're like flying jewels!"
And with that, William launched into a description of all the birds he knew, counting their imaginary crown jewels as he went. He counted ten shiny blue feathers for the Blue Jay, five fiery orange feathers for the Oriole, and even twenty tiny white feathers for the little sparrow.
Prince Thomas was captivated. He forgot all about his crayon troubles and started counting with William, his laughter echoing across the playground.
Mom smiled as she watched them. Sometimes, all it took was a little imagination and a friend to turn something ordinary, like homework, into an adventure fit for a prince… or a bird-loving superhero in disguise!
