Olivia was playing in her backyard in Denver when something incredible happened! A spaceship, shaped like a giant metal sunflower, landed gently in the grass. Olivia gasped. She couldn’t believe her eyes! The spaceship door slowly opened, and out stepped… a tiny bird!
But this was no ordinary bird. It shimmered with colors Olivia had never seen before, and its eyes sparkled like distant stars.
“Wow!” Olivia whispered. “Are you from outer space?”
The bird chirped and nodded its head.
Olivia’s heart was pounding with excitement. “What’s your name?” she asked.
The bird chirped again, a series of musical notes that sounded like “Celestia.”
“Celestia, that’s a beautiful name,” Olivia smiled. “What brings you to Earth?”
Celestia chirped sadly and pointed a tiny wing towards the spaceship. Olivia peeked inside and saw a jumble of wires and blinking lights. It looked broken!
“Oh no, is your spaceship broken?” Olivia asked, her smile fading. Celestia chirped sadly again.
Olivia knew she had to help. But how could she help a bird from outer space? Then Olivia remembered something her Mom always said: “When in doubt, choose kindness and empathy.”
Olivia thought about how sad she would be if she was far from home and couldn’t get back. She knew she had to do something to help Celestia.
“Don’t worry, Celestia,” Olivia said, gently stroking the bird’s shimmering feathers. “We’ll figure this out together. We just need to find someone who understands spaceships.”
Olivia carefully scooped up Celestia and ran inside to find her Mom. “Mom! Mom!” Olivia called, bursting into the living room.
Her Mom, who was reading a book about faraway galaxies (her favorite!), looked up in surprise. “What is it, sweetie?” she asked.
Olivia explained about Celestia and the broken spaceship. Her Mom listened patiently, her eyes wide with wonder.
“That’s quite a story, Olivia,” Mom said, her voice gentle. “But remember, it’s important to be kind and understanding to everyone, even if they’re a little… different.”
Olivia beamed. “I know, Mom! That’s why we have to help Celestia!”
Mom smiled. “You’re right, Olivia. Let’s go take a look.”
Olivia, her Mom, and Celestia went back to the backyard. Mom examined the spaceship, her brow furrowed in thought. “Well,” she finally said, “I’m no spaceship mechanic, but this looks like it might need a special kind of battery.”
Olivia’s face fell. “A special battery? Where will we find one of those?”
Suddenly, Celestia chirped and flew over to a patch of brightly colored flowers. The bird gently pecked at one of the blossoms, and it lit up with a soft, pulsing glow.
“Celestia, what is it?” Olivia gasped.
Celestia chirped excitedly and nudged the glowing flower with her beak.
Olivia’s Mom gasped. “I don’t believe it!” she exclaimed. “That flower looks like… Starlight Bloom! It’s a rare flower that only grows on certain planets. And legend says it holds an incredible amount of energy!”
Carefully, they took the glowing Starlight Bloom to the spaceship. Mom used her gardening gloves to gently place the flower inside a compartment near the broken battery.
To their amazement, the spaceship’s lights flickered back on! The engine sputtered, then whirred to life. Celestia chirped happily and nuzzled Olivia’s cheek.
It was time for Celestia to go. Olivia gave the little bird a big hug. “I’m going to miss you,” she said sadly.
Celestia chirped softly and gave Olivia a tiny, shimmering feather. “A souvenir, to remember me by,” Mom whispered.
Then, with a whoosh and a burst of colorful light, Celestia’s spaceship shot up into the sky and disappeared.
Olivia stood in her backyard, the tiny feather clutched tightly in her hand. She knew she would never forget her adventure with Celestia and the importance of empathy, even for a bird from outer space.
