The Orange That Glowed Like Lightning

Lily loved thunderstorms. When the sky turned dark and rumbling began, she would press her nose against the window, waiting for the magic to begin.

One rainy afternoon, an orange tumbled from her fruit bowl and rolled across the floor. But this was no ordinary orange. Lightning flashed outside, and the orange GLOWED with the same brilliant light!

"Whoa!" Lily whispered.

The glowing orange began to float toward the back door, bobbing like a tiny lantern. Lily couldn't help but follow it into the rainy garden.

"Come back!" she called, running through the puddles.

The orange drifted to the edge of the pond and stopped. As lightning cracked across the sky again, the orange suddenly grew HUGE—big enough for Lily to climb inside!

Inside, it was warm and cozy, smelling like sunshine and sweet dreams. But then—SPLASH! The orange rolled right into the pond!

Lily found herself swimming in the most magical water she'd ever felt. It wasn't scary at all. Tiny fish with scales like rainbows swam beside her, and a wise old turtle offered her a ride on his shell.

"You're brave," the turtle said. "Most children are afraid of storms."

"I like them," Lily said. "They're exciting!"

The turtle smiled. "Bravery isn't not being afraid. It's doing scary things anyway. You're very brave."

When Lily emerged from the pond, the orange had returned to normal size. She took it inside, peeled it, and shared it with her little brother.

"This orange tastes like adventure," she said.

And she knew that whenever lightning flashed, she would remember: courage comes in all sizes, even as small as an orange, and magic could be found in the most surprising places.