Noah was playing tag with his dad in their backyard in Seattle. Dad was just about to tag Noah when suddenly, Mr. Fitzwilliam, their garden gnome, was gone! One minute he was smiling under the rose bush, the next minute, poof!
"Dad! Where did Mr. Fitzwilliam go?" Noah asked, his eyes wide.
Dad scratched his head. "That's strange. He couldn't have gone far."
Noah knew what they had to do. They needed to be responsible and find Mr. Fitzwilliam!
"We need clues, Dad! Like detectives!" Noah exclaimed.
Dad smiled. "You're right! Let's search the backyard for anything unusual."
Noah, as fast as a cheetah, zipped around the backyard, his eyes scanning every leaf and flowerpot. He peeked under the swing set and behind the oak tree, but Mr. Fitzwilliam was nowhere to be found.
Dad, meanwhile, examined the rose bush where the gnome usually sat. He found something curious – glittery blue scales.
"Noah, look!" Dad called out. "What do you think these are?"
Noah carefully studied the scales. They shimmered in the sunlight, reminding him of something...dragons!
"Could it be a dragon, Dad?" Noah whispered, a little scared but excited at the same time.
Dad chuckled. "A dragon in our backyard? Now that would be something! But dragons are strong and wise. Maybe they can help us find Mr. Fitzwilliam."
Suddenly, Noah noticed something else. There were large footprints in the soft soil near the rose bush. They were unlike any animal tracks he had ever seen.
"Dad! Look at these giant footprints! Do you think they belong to the dragon?"
Dad examined them closely. "They do seem rather large, don't they? Maybe the dragon took Mr. Fitzwilliam on an adventure!"
Noah thought about what his dad said. Dragons were indeed strong and wise. Taking Mr. Fitzwilliam wasn't a very responsible thing to do, but maybe the dragon had a good reason.
Just then, they heard a rustle from the oak tree. Looking up, they saw something magical. Perched on a branch, blending in with the leaves, was a small, colorful dragon! It had emerald green scales, sapphire blue wings, and a long, swishing tail.
The dragon saw them and flapped its wings nervously. In its claws, it clutched Mr. Fitzwilliam!
"Excuse me," the dragon squeaked. "I borrowed your gnome. I wanted to show him my home in the clouds. I hope I didn't do anything wrong."
Noah and Dad were amazed! The dragon sounded very young and a bit shy.
"It's okay," Noah said, realizing the dragon just wanted to share something special with Mr. Fitzwilliam. "But you should have asked first. It's important to be responsible."
The dragon looked a little sad. "You're right," it sighed, handing Mr. Fitzwilliam back to Noah. "I'll remember that next time."
With a puff of smoke and a flap of its wings, the dragon disappeared. Noah and Dad placed Mr. Fitzwilliam back under the rose bush.
"See, Dad? Being responsible helped us solve the mystery!" Noah said, proud of himself.
Dad smiled. "It sure did, Noah. And we even made a new friend!"
As they went back inside for cookies and milk, Noah knew this was one backyard adventure he would never forget.
