Daisy and the Lantern Trail

One chilly autumn night, when the stars blinked sleepily and the farmhouse was quiet, Daisy the border collie sat by the window and watched the woods

She saw a light.

Not the moon. Not a firefly.

A lantern.

It floated just above the grass, glowing gold and warm, bobbing gently like it was waiting.

Daisy’s ears perked. Her paws twitched. And before she quite knew what she was doing, she slipped out the door and into the night.

The lantern drifted ahead, leading Daisy past the garden gate, through the tall whispering grass, and into the forest.

More lanterns appeared—one, then two, then ten—lighting a winding trail beneath the trees. They glowed like tiny suns, casting soft circles of light on moss and mushrooms.

But something was wrong.

One by one, the lanterns began to flicker…then fade.

“Stop! Wait!” Cried a voice from under a log.

Out popped a mole with round glasses and a tangled scarf. “I’m Milo,” he said, “Keeper of the lanterns. And they’re going out!”

“Why?” Asked Daisy, her nose twitching.

Milo wrung his paws. “A wind sprite. Mischevious little thing. Keeps blowing them out. If the lanterns go dark, the Moonlight Festival will be ruined!”

Daisy stood tall. “I’ll help.”

Together, Daisy and Milo followed the trail, relighting lanterns with a puff of warm breath and a sprinkle of stardust from Milo’s pouch.

They crossed a stream on glowing stones, tiptoed past a sleeping bear, and climbed a hill where the fog curled like ribbon.

At the top, they met Juniper the fox, her fur shining like bopper leaves.

“The sprite’s not mean,” she said. “Just lonely. Try kindness.”

At last, in a hollow tree wrapped in ivy, Daisy found the wind sprite.

It shimmered like mist, with eyes like raindrops and a giggle like wind chime.

“I only wanted to play,” it whispered. “No one ever sees me.”

Daisy tilted her head. “Would you like to help instead?”

The sprite blinked. “Help?”

“You could blow the lanterns brighter. Make them dance”

The sprite smiled.

That night, the Moonlight Festival sparkled like never before.

Lanterns twirled and soared, casting golden light through the trees. Animals gathered, singing songs and sharing stories. Even the stars seemed to lean closer.

And Daisy?

She trotted home just before dawn, her fur dusted with stardust and her heart full of joy.

Outside her window, one last lantern floated gently in the breeze.

A quiet thank-you from the forest.