William peeked out his window. The sun was making silly shapes on his wall! "Dad, is today the day?" he whispered.
Dad, who was pretending to be a sleepy bear, yawned dramatically. "Is today the day for what, my little explorer?"
"Today's the day I'm big enough for school!" William bounced on his toes, almost flying away like the bird he saw at the zoo yesterday.
"That's right!" Dad scooped him up, making airplane noises. "Getting big is an adventure, just like exploring!"
William loved adventures! Dad said school was an adventure, a place with a Giggle Garden where leprechauns hid. "Leprechauns make growing fun?" William asked, eyes wide.
"The funnest," Dad chuckled. "They hide giggles in the flowers. You hear them when you learn something new!"
At school, everything seemed gigantic! William held Dad's hand tight. "What if I'm still small?" he worried.
Dad pointed to a picture William drew. "See, you drew yourself BIGGER! You're growing every day."
William felt braver. He went into his classroom and saw colorful blocks, books with talking animals, and...a garden outside!
He ran to the window. "No giggles yet," he said, a little sad.
"Give it time," a girl with a bright smile said. "I'm Lily. Wanna build a monster tower?"
Building WAS fun! Suddenly, the tower fell with a loud CRASH! William and Lily both burst out laughing.
And then, William heard it! A tiny, tinkling giggle coming from a flower. He gasped. The leprechaun magic was real!
Every day at school brought new adventures. He learned his ABCs (each letter made him think of a different animal sound, which made him giggle). He painted pictures that looked like rainbows exploded on the paper!
One day, Dad asked, "Hearing any more giggles, my little explorer?"
"Lots!" William grinned. "Lily and I are making a book about a bird with a monster's laugh. We learned so much, the giggles almost made us burst!"
Dad ruffled his hair. "See? Growing up is the biggest adventure of all."
William, snuggled up in bed that night, knew it was true. Every day he grew a little bigger, a little braver, a little more full of wonder...and giggles, thanks to the magic of learning and the secret leprechauns of the Giggle Garden.
