The Moonlight Bull's Secret

Lily had the craziest hair in her whole class. Every morning, her red curls sprang in every direction like little springs, and no matter how much she brushed, they bounced right back. "Your hair has a mind of its own," her mom always said, laughing.

But Lily didn't mind her wild hair. In fact, she loved it. Because Lily knew something nobody else did: her hair was a spy.

Her curls would tingle and bounce whenever something magical was near. At school, they'd wiggle when the class hamster did tiny backflips after everyone left. At the park, they'd spring when she found that patch of four-leaf clovers nobody else could see.

One summer evening, Lily's curls went absolutely crazy. They bounced so hard that her whole head shook!

"What is it?" she whispered to her hair. "What do you spy?"

Her curls tugged toward the woods behind her house. Lily followed, her sneakers crunching on fallen leaves. Fireflies danced around her like tiny floating stars. The deeper she went, the more her curls bounced—until suddenly, she found herself in a moonlit clearing.

And there, sleeping under an ancient oak tree, was the most magnificent creature she had ever seen.

It was a bull, but not like any bull she'd seen in books. This one had fur that shimmered like spun silver, and his horns were made of crystal that glowed softly in the moonlight. Lily's iPhone, which she'd brought to play games, began to buzz and flash with colors she'd never seen before.

The bull opened one eye. It was golden and full of ancient wisdom.

"You have the spy hair," he said in a voice like distant thunder. "I've been waiting for someone with curls that can sense magic."

Lily's mouth fell open. "You can talk?"

"I am the Moonlight Bull," he replied, standing up. He was enormous but gentle, like a cloud made of starlight. "Every hundred years, I choose one child to help me grant wishes to those with pure hearts. Your hair spied me out, which means you're the chosen one."

Lily's curls bounced with excitement. "Really? Me?"

The Moonlight Bull lowered his crystal horn. "Touch it, and make your first wish for someone else."

Lily thought hard. She thought of her friend Emma, whose dog had run away last week. Emma cried herself to sleep every night.

"I wish Emma's dog would come home," Lily said softly, touching the glowing horn.

Silver light swirled around them, and suddenly, a dog's bark echoed from the woods. Emma's dog trotted into the clearing, tail wagging.

"Thank you!" Lily hugged the Moonlight Bull's nose.

"There's one more thing," the bull whispered. "Your hair will always guide you toward magic now. Use it to help others."

That night, Lily walked home with Emma's dog and a heart full of wonder. Her crazy curly hair bounced with every step, and she couldn't wait to see what magical adventure it would spy next.