One breezy afternoon in Chicago, Emma found a sparkly green button under her bed. It wasn’t sparkly like a princess’ crown, but more like a shiny, glittery green bean! "Mommy, look what I found!" she called, her voice filled with excitement.
Mom, who was reading a book about faraway lands, smiled. "That’s a curious button, Emma! Where did it come from?"
"I don't know! Maybe it's magic!" Emma giggled. She held the button tight. It felt warm in her hand, like sunshine.
Suddenly, the room seemed to spin! When Emma opened her eyes, she wasn’t in her room anymore. She was in a Playground, but not just any Playground, this one shimmered with rainbow colors! There were swings that looked like giant lollipops and slides that spiraled down like sparkly ribbons.
"Wow!" Emma whispered, her eyes wide with wonder.
But something else was different. Emma felt braver than usual. Like she could talk to anyone, even a silly goose or a grumpy caterpillar! This new feeling, Mom had called it self-confidence, believing in yourself and what you can do!
Just then, Emma heard tiny giggles coming from behind a giant red tulip. "Hee hee, look at the big human!" a squeaky voice said.
Peeking out from the tulip were two little people with rosy cheeks and pointy green hats. They were Leprechauns!
"Hello," Emma said, feeling surprisingly brave. "Are you playing hide and seek?"
The Leprechauns jumped, surprised. "You can see us?" one asked, his voice as high as a bird’s chirp.
"Of course, I can see you! You're right there!" Emma giggled.
The Leprechauns looked at each other, their eyes wide. "She has the sight!" one whispered.
One Leprechaun, who had a long white beard that touched the ground, stepped forward. "Well met, little one. I am Finnian. This is Fiona."
"Hi, Finnian! Hi Fiona!" Emma waved. "Do you live here?"
"Indeed, we do. This Playground is our home. But humans can't usually see us," Finnian said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
"That’s because they don't believe in themselves enough," Fiona added. "But you, little one, you have self-confidence! That makes all the difference."
Emma puffed out her chest, feeling proud. "My mommy says self-confidence is important! It means I believe in myself!"
The Leprechauns spent the afternoon playing with Emma, pushing her on the lollipop swings and sliding down the ribbon slides. Emma even learned a new game, Leprechaun tag, where you had to hop on one foot and try to tag each other with a sparkly leaf!
As the sun began to set, painting the sky with streaks of orange and pink, Finnian and Fiona walked Emma back to where she'd first appeared.
"This is where we say goodbye," Finnian said, a little sadly.
"But we'll see you again," Fiona added quickly. "As long as you keep believing in yourself, you'll always find your way back to the Playground."
Emma hugged her new friends goodbye and then, just as suddenly as she’d arrived, she was back in her room, the sparkly green button in her hand.
“Mommy!” she cried, running to her mother. “I met real Leprechauns! And I learned that self-confidence is like magic! It lets you do anything!"
Mom hugged her tight. She might not have met any Leprechauns, but she knew that believing in yourself was the most magical thing there was. And as Emma chatted excitedly about her adventure, Mom smiled, knowing that her little girl had found a magic all her own.
