The Magic Hat and Lucky's Return

Lily's favorite hat sat on her head, flopping over her eyes. It was purple with yellow stars, and she never went anywhere without it. But today Lily felt sad. Her pet goldfish, Lucky, had gone to fishy heaven yesterday.

'I miss my friend,' Lily whispered, sitting by the empty fishbowl.

Suddenly, her hat began to glow! The stars on it twinkled like real ones. Lily gasped as the hat lifted off her head and floated over to the fishbowl. Sparkles swirled around like tiny tornadoes, and poof! A flash of rainbow light filled the room.

When the sparkles cleared, Lucky was back! He swam in circles, but now he glowed soft green and had a friendly smile on his face.

'You're a zombie goldfish!' Lily laughed, clapping her hands. 'A magic zombie goldfish!'

Lucky wasn't scary at all. He was the best magical friend ever. He could swim in the air like water! He did flip-flops and made bubbles that smelled like strawberries.

Lily's mom came in with lunch. She saw Lucky floating near the ceiling and dropped her orange on the floor.

'Lily! How is this possible?' she asked, eyes wide.

'The magic hat brought Lucky back!' Lily explained. 'But Mom, I think Lucky is different now. He's magical, but he doesn't belong in a regular fishbowl anymore.' Lucky nodded his fishy head and swam to the open window.

Lily understood. Sometimes, even when we really want our friends to stay, they need to go on new adventures. She opened the window wide.

'Thank you, Lucky,' she said. 'Visit me whenever you want!'

Lucky swam out into the sunshine, trailing sparkles like a tiny comet. Lily picked up her orange and shared it with the hat that had given her the best adventure ever.

Some endings are really just beginnings in disguise.