Scarlett loved to twirl! Her favorite thing to wear was her sparkly tutu. Sometimes, she'd even wear it to the library, her secret hideout where she'd read books about planets and stars. One day, while looking at a picture of the moon, Scarlett felt a funny feeling in her tummy. It felt like bubbles! She wanted to go to the moon!
Grandma was baking cookies in the kitchen. "Grandma," Scarlett said, "I want to go to the moon!"
Grandma chuckled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "The moon? That's quite a trip, little one! But, if you set your heart on it, anything is possible. It takes a lot of courage to go on big adventures."
Courage! Scarlett thought about that word. It sounded exciting and a little scary. But, she really, really wanted to see the moon up close.
Later that night, when everyone was asleep, Scarlett snuck out of bed. She put on her sparkly tutu and her favorite red boots. Then, she grabbed her book about the moon and snuck out the window!
Outside, everything was quiet. Scarlett looked up at the moon. It looked so close! Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and jumped!
She didn't fall! Instead, she floated up, up, up, towards the moon! It felt like magic! As she got closer, she saw craters and mountains. She even saw Earth, a tiny blue ball in the distance.
Landing on the moon felt like bouncing on a trampoline. Scarlett started to explore. The ground was dusty and white, and she left little footprints everywhere she went.
Suddenly, she heard a beautiful song. It sounded like it was coming from behind a giant rock. Taking a deep breath, Scarlett peeked around the corner.
There, in a moon crater filled with sparkling water, were three mermaids! They had shimmering tails, long flowing hair, and the most beautiful voices Scarlett had ever heard.
The mermaids stopped singing and looked up at Scarlett. "Hello," one of them said. "What brings you to the moon?"
"I wanted to see what it was like," Scarlett said shyly. "Grandma said it takes courage."
The mermaids smiled. "It does take courage," one of them agreed. "Courage to follow your dreams, no matter how big or small."
Scarlett spent the rest of the night playing with the mermaids. They told her stories about the moon and taught her how to sing their special songs. Scarlett even showed them how to twirl in her sparkly tutu!
As the sun began to rise, it was time for Scarlett to go. "Thank you for showing me the moon," she said to the mermaids. "I'll never forget you."
The mermaids hugged Scarlett goodbye. "Remember," they said, "always follow your heart. That's where you'll find the greatest adventures!"
Scarlett closed her eyes and jumped again. This time, she floated back down to Earth and landed softly in her backyard.
Sneaking back into bed, Scarlett smiled. She had been to the moon, met real mermaids, and learned all about courage! And it all started because she wasn't afraid to follow her heart.
