The air smelled like popcorn and sunshine! Scarlett grabbed her mom's hand. "Walk, Mommy, walk!" she said. Today was the day they were going to find the magical clouds! Mom had read about them in a book.
"Okay, sweetie," Mom laughed, her eyes sparkling. "Hold on tight! We have to be very quiet to hear the magic words."
Scarlett held her breath and listened closely. A little breeze tickled her ear and whispered, "Tickle, tickle, up you go!" Suddenly, Scarlett felt light as a feather! She looked down and gasped. The ground was far, far away!
Everything was soft and pink and purple – just like cotton candy! She was standing on a cloud!
A little monkey with bright, curious eyes swung from a fluffy cloud swing. “Hi!” the monkey chirped. "I'm Coco! Do you want to play?"
Scarlett was a little bit scared at first. She had never been on a cloud before, and she didn’t know how to make friends with a monkey! But Coco looked friendly, and her tail swished back and forth like she really wanted to play.
Scarlett took a deep breath, remembering what her mommy always said: "When you feel a little scared, let your courage roar!" She smiled at Coco. "Hi, Coco! I'm Scarlett! What should we play?"
Coco jumped down from the swing. "Let's play hide-and-seek! I bet you can’t find me behind this rainbow!" Coco zoomed off, her little giggle echoing through the clouds.
Scarlett giggled too! She peeked behind the rainbow, but Coco was gone! Where could she be? Scarlett felt a little scared again. She wanted to go home, but she knew Coco was just playing.
Scarlett took another deep breath and closed her eyes. She imagined a big, brave lion inside her heart, roaring with courage. She opened her eyes, feeling much braver.
She looked around the fluffy cloud meadow. Maybe Coco was hiding behind a cloud shaped like a giant cupcake! She tiptoed over and… peekaboo! There was Coco, grinning mischievously.
"You found me!" Coco squealed, doing a flip in the air. "You're really good at hide-and-seek!"
Scarlett beamed. She felt so proud of herself for being brave.
"Coco," Scarlett asked, "how do I get back home?"
Coco pointed with her tiny finger. “See that slide made of stardust? Just slide down, and you'll be back home in time for bedtime stories!”
Scarlett hugged Coco goodbye and zoomed down the sparkly slide. The world spun around and around, and then... thump! She landed right in her room next to her mom.
Mom smiled, her eyes twinkling. "Did you have a fun adventure, my little cloud explorer?"
Scarlett hugged her mom tight. "It was a little scary, but I was brave!" she said, her voice full of pride.
That night, as Scarlett drifted off to sleep, she dreamed of fluffy pink clouds, playful monkeys, and the warm feeling of courage blooming in her heart. She knew that no matter what adventures she had, her courage would always be there to guide her way.
