"Hold on tight, Emma!" Mom laughed as the toy ship sailed across the bathtub. Emma giggled, splashing the water with her hands. Suddenly, the room shimmered. The bathtub disappeared! Emma and Mom found themselves standing on a real pirate ship, rocking gently on the ocean waves!
"Whoa!" Emma gasped. The ship was amazing! A big, black flag with a skull and crossbones flapped in the wind above them. A parrot with bright blue and green feathers perched on a barrel, squawking, "Ahoy, mateys!"
"How did we get here?" Mom asked, her eyes wide.
Emma, though a little scared, felt a flutter of excitement in her heart. This was just like one of the stories Mom read her about brave princesses! Remembering those stories made Emma feel a little braver too. She knew in her heart that everything would be alright. That feeling, she realized, was courage!
Suddenly, a puff of sparkly smoke filled the air, and a little old man with a long white beard appeared. "Greetings!" he boomed. "I am the Magical Magician! I brought you here because I need your help, Emma!"
Mom held Emma's hand, a little unsure. But Emma, filled with courage, stepped forward. "What do you need?" she asked the Magician.
"My magic crystal ball has gone missing!" the Magician cried. "Without it, I can't see the future or do my magic! A band of mischievous fairies took it and hid it on this very ship!"
Emma, even though she was only five, knew she had to be courageous. She thought of her favorite princess who wasn't afraid of anything. Taking a deep breath, she declared, "Don't worry, Magician! We'll find your crystal ball!"
Mom squeezed Emma's hand. "That's right! We're a team!"
The Magician smiled. "Courage is a powerful tool, young Emma! Use it wisely." He pointed to a map. "This will help you find the fairies' hiding spot."
Following the map, Emma and Mom climbed up creaky ladders, peeked into treasure chests filled with gold coins and sparkling jewels, and even braved the crow's nest high above the deck. Everywhere they went, the friendly pirates smiled and cheered them on.
Finally, they arrived at a small, hidden door at the back of the ship. Emma, using her special power, whispered to a tiny mouse scurrying by. "Excuse me, little mouse. Have you seen any fairies around here?"
The mouse squeaked and nodded, pointing its nose towards the door. With a deep breath, Emma pushed the door open. Inside, a group of fairies, no bigger than Emma's thumb, were dancing around a glowing ball. It had to be the Magician's crystal ball!
Mom, being shy, whispered to Emma, "What do we do?"
Emma knew she had to be brave. She walked into the room, her head held high, and said, "Excuse me, fairies, but that crystal ball belongs to the Magician. He needs it to do his magic."
The fairies giggled. One, with wings that shimmered like rainbows, said, "We just wanted to borrow it for a bit of fun!"
Emma smiled. "I understand, but it's important to return things you borrow."
The fairies looked at each other and then back at Emma. They could tell she was a kind and courageous girl. They floated over and gently placed the crystal ball in her hands.
“Thank you,” Emma said, beaming.
With the crystal ball safely back in hand, the Magician, Emma, and Mom were magically whisked back to the bathroom in Jacksonville. The bathtub was back, the toy ship bobbing gently on the water.
"Thank you, Emma, for being so brave," Mom said, hugging her tight. "You were amazing!"
Emma hugged her mom back, her heart full of joy. She had faced a challenge and discovered a powerful thing about herself: courage came from the heart, and with a little bit of it, even a five-year-old girl could do anything!
