The Orange Dragon's Gift

Lily loved exploring her grandmother's attic. One rainy Saturday, she found something peculiar tucked behind an old trunk—a small, glowing creature the color of a ripe **orange**. It had tiny wings and sparkled like sunshine.

"Hello there," Lily whispered, kneeling down. The creature squeaked and fluttered its wings. "I'm Clementine," it seemed to say in a tinkling voice. "I'm a garden dragon!"

Lily had never seen a dragon before, let alone one that fit in her palm. "Can I be your **friend**?" she asked. Clementine nodded enthusiastically and wrapped her tiny tail around Lily's finger.

But something was wrong. Clementine's scales were dull, and her wings drooped. "I need **vitamin** starshine," the dragon explained sadly. "But I haven't seen the stars in weeks because of the rain."

Lily's own **hair** was messy from playing in the attic all morning, but she didn't care. "I know where to find starshine!" she exclaimed. "My telescope catches starlight in its lens!"

She grabbed Clementine and raced to her room, where her telescope waited by the window. Though rain still poured outside, tiny beams of starlight had managed to break through the clouds, collecting on the telescope's glass like liquid diamonds.

Clementine drank the starlight and instantly perked up. Her scales glowed bright orange, and her wings shimmered with rainbow colors. "Thank you, Lily!" she cheered. "Friends who help each other are the best kind of magic!"

Lily smiled, understanding the real magic wasn't the dragon or the starlight—it was the kindness of helping a friend in need. And from that day on, whenever she saw an orange sunset, she knew Clementine was painting the sky just for her.