Liam wished he could fly! He loved watching birds soar through the sky. "Mommy, how do birds fly?" Liam asked. Mom was drawing a picture of a colorful bird. "They flap their wings and believe they can touch the sky," she said. "Believing is a kind of magic!"
Liam decided to try it! He stood in the living room and flapped his arms. "I believe I can fly! I believe I can fly!" Suddenly, he felt a little funny. He looked down and gasped! His feet were lifting off the ground!
"Mommy, look!" Liam shouted. He was floating in the air! Mom smiled. "That's wonderful, Liam! Where are you going?" Liam pointed to a picture book on the table. It showed a big desert with sand dunes that shimmered with every color of the rainbow. "I'm going to the Magic Desert!" He giggled and zoomed out the window.
The Magic Desert was even more amazing up close! The sand dunes sparkled like glitter, and the air buzzed with a happy energy. Liam landed softly on a pink dune and saw something move. It was a tiny man with a big hat and a mischievous grin.
"Well, hello there!" the little man said. "You must be Liam! We've been expecting you." Liam's eyes widened. "Who are you?" he asked. "We're Leprechauns!" Another little man popped out from behind the dune. "We love playing in the Magic Desert!"
"It's so colorful here!" Liam exclaimed. "It is!" a Leprechaun said. "But sometimes, even the desert feels a little shy. See that dune over there?" He pointed to a dune that was plain brown. "It's forgotten how to shine!"
Liam felt bad for the sad dune. "Maybe I can help it remember how to be colorful!" he said. He flew over to the brown dune and landed gently. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and remembered what his Mom said about believing. "You are a beautiful dune!" he said loudly. "You can be any color you want!"
The dune trembled. Then, it began to glow! It shimmered and sparkled, turning a bright, happy yellow. The Leprechauns cheered.
"Wow!" Liam said. He felt proud of himself. He had helped the dune find its color again!
"You did a wonderful thing, Liam," a Leprechaun said. "You believed in yourself, and you believed in the dune. That's what makes you special!" Liam smiled. He realized that believing in himself felt really good. It made him feel brave and strong.
Liam played with the Leprechauns for a long time. They slid down the colorful dunes and told silly jokes. But soon, the sun started to set. Liam knew it was time to go home.
He hugged the Leprechauns goodbye and soared back to his house. He flew through the window and landed softly on the floor.
Mom was still drawing. "Did you have a fun adventure?" she asked. Liam nodded. "I helped a sad dune find its color!" he said proudly.
Mom smiled. "See, Liam? You are braver and stronger than you think. And you know what? I believe in you, too." Liam hugged his mom. He knew that even though he couldn't really fly, the feeling of believing in himself was the best magic of all.
