The wind tickled David’s cheeks as he swung higher and higher. He loved feeling the air whoosh past him! Mom smiled from the porch, pushing her brown hair out of her eyes.
“David, what do you feel grateful for today?” she called.
David thought for a moment. “I’m grateful for this swing set! And for the clouds, they look like cotton candy today!”
Mom laughed. “Those are some wonderful things to be grateful for.”
As David swung, he noticed something strange. One of the clouds, a big fluffy one, seemed to be getting closer. Closer and closer it came until suddenly… WHOOSH! David was surrounded by white!
When the white faded, David found himself in a magical place. The ground was soft and bouncy, like a giant marshmallow. Above, the sky swirled with pink and lilac. And all around him were tiny giggling creatures with pointy hats and mischievous grins.
"Leprechauns!" David exclaimed, remembering the stories his mom told him.
One little leprechaun, with a beard like green tinsel, hopped onto David’s knee. “That’s us! Welcome to Clouds, where gratitude grows!”
David was confused. “Grows? What do you mean?”
The leprechaun chuckled. “Every time someone on Earth feels truly grateful, it creates a little puff of happy energy. That energy floats up here to Clouds, and we leprechauns use it to grow these amazing Cloudberries!”
He pointed to a bush bursting with glowing, purple berries.
David’s eyes widened. “Wow! What do they do?”
“They taste like sunshine and rainbows!” chirped another leprechaun, popping a Cloudberry into his mouth.
David wanted to try one, but the first leprechaun shook his head. “Only those who understand gratitude can taste the Cloudberries’ magic.”
David knew what he had to do. He closed his eyes and thought of all the wonderful things in his life: his Mom, his dinosaur toys, even his comfy bed. He pictured them in his mind and let the happy feelings bloom in his chest.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a tiny puff of golden light float from his heart and join the swirling sky above. The leprechauns cheered!
“You did it!” the first leprechaun exclaimed. “You grew a Cloudberry! Now you can taste the magic.”
He handed David a plump, purple berry. David took a bite, and a burst of sunshine and rainbows exploded on his tongue! It was the most delicious thing he’d ever tasted.
He spent the rest of the day playing with the leprechauns, giggling and learning about the power of gratitude. Finally, as the sky began to turn orange and pink, the leprechauns gathered around him.
“It’s time for you to go home,” the first leprechaun said. “Remember, David, every time you feel grateful, you’re helping to make the world a more magical place.”
And with another WHOOSH, David found himself back in his swing, with the setting sun painting the sky with the same magical colours he’d seen in Clouds.
He raced inside and threw his arms around his mom.
“Mom! Guess what?” he cried, bursting with excitement and the taste of Cloudberries.
Mom hugged him tight. “What is it, sweetie?”
David grinned. “I learned the most amazing thing today… and it all started with a little bit of gratitude!”
