The Magic Hat's Baseball Game

Lila found the hat on the beach, right beneath the swaying palm tree. It was purple with silver stars that actually twinkled. When she put it on, something magical happened.

Out of the sand popped a small green creature. "I'm Zed!" it said. "I'm a zombie, but don't worry—I'm a friendly one! I love baseball!"

Lila laughed. Zed wasn't scary at all. He was bouncy and fun, with a big smile.

"Will you play baseball with me?" Lila asked. The other kids never wanted to play because she couldn't hit the ball very well.

"Absolutely!" Zed cheered. "But first, give me your palm."

Lily held out her hand. Zed pressed his palm against hers. Poof! A glowing baseball appeared.

"This is a magic ball," Zed explained. "It flies to wherever your heart wants it to go!"

They played all afternoon. Lila hit home runs! She caught fly balls! Zed cheered and danced every time she did well.

Other kids came to watch. Soon, everyone wanted to play with Lila and her funny zombie friend.

When the sun began to set, Zed grew sleepy. "The magic hat only works during the day," he said. "But I'll be back tomorrow!"

He gave Lila a high-five and disappeared back into the sand.

The next day, Lila couldn't find the hat anywhere. She looked under every palm tree on the beach. It was gone.

But when she walked to the baseball field, all the kids were waiting for her.

"Can you teach us to hit like that?" asked Tommy, the best player.

Lila smiled, touching her palm where Zed's magic still seemed to tingle. "Sure!" she said.

She realized Zed's magic wasn't in the hat after all. It was inside her all along—she just needed a friend to help her believe in herself.

And sometimes, she thought she saw a little green figure watching from behind the palm trees, giving her a thumbs-up.

That was enough magic to last forever.