The Baseball That Grew on Trees

Lily loved her crazy orange hair. It stuck out in every direction like sunshine exploding from her head. Her mother said it was full of magic, and Lily believed her.

One afternoon, while playing in the garden, Lily noticed something strange. The old orange tree in the corner had dropped something round and white. It wasn't an orange at all — it was a baseball! And when she picked it up, it glowed like a tiny moon.

"Throw me!" the baseball squeaked.

Lily jumped and nearly dropped it. "You can talk?"

"I can do more than talk!" the ball replied. "I can grant wishes. But first, you must catch me."

Before Lily could answer, the baseball bounced into the air. It soared over the fence, did three loop-de-loops, and zoomed toward her. Lily's orange hair whipped around her face as she leaped to catch it.

But her hands closed on empty air.

"Try again!" called the baseball, now dancing near the clouds.

Lily ran and jumped, her hair streaming behind her like a comet tail. She missed again. And again. Each time, the baseball would laugh and say, "Almost! Believe in yourself!"

Finally, Lily closed her eyes and imagined her arms growing longer, longer, like her dad's favorite baseball player. She took a deep breath, felt the magic tingling in her fingertips, and jumped higher than she ever had before.

Her hands closed around the baseball. It was warm, like a fresh-baked cookie.

"You did it!" the baseball cheered. "Now, what's your wish?"

Lily thought hard. She could wish for anything — more baseballs, magical powers, endless orange juice. But she looked at her lonely house across the street where a new girl had just moved in. The girl was sitting on her porch, looking sad.

"I wish," Lily said, "for a best friend."

The baseball spun in her hands and suddenly multiplied — one baseball became two, then three, then a whole team of magical baseballs dancing in the air.

"Your wish is already coming true," the baseball whispered. "Go knock on that door. Bring one of my brothers along."

Lily grinned, her orange hair bouncing with excitement. She grabbed a baseball and marched toward the new neighbor's house.

Behind her, the orange tree dropped another round white ball. Somewhere, another wish was about to begin.