Starlit Stables

Princess Anya had bright red hair that bounced when she walked - bounce, bounce, bounce! She loved horses SO much that she would rather muck stalls than wear fancy dresses! While other princesses played with sparkly crowns and shiny jewels, Anya wanted to be in the warm, cozy stables. She loved the sweet smell of hay and the gentle sounds the horses made - "whinny, snort, nickle!" Every single night when the big yellow moon peeked out, Anya would tiptoe - tip, toe, tip, toe - to visit ALL her horse friends in the stable. "Hello, Star! Hi there, Thunder! Good evening, Buttercup!" she would whisper as she brushed their soft coats and gave them gentle pats. "Let me tell you about my day!" But one super special night, something AMAZING happened! Out of the corner of her eye, Anya saw something white and glowy hiding behind the big oak tree. "What's that?" she whispered, squinting in the moonlight. *SPARKLE, SHIMMER, SHINE!* It looked like... could it be... a white horse? But this horse seemed to GLOW like a night light! And there was something pointy on its head, but Anya couldn't see what it was in the shadows. "Hello there, pretty horse," Anya called softly. But the mysterious creature got scared! *WHOOSH!* It galloped away - clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop - until it disappeared into the dark forest! "Oh no!" said Anya. "Come back, mystery horse! Don't be afraid!" But Anya was very smart. She had the BEST idea! "I know!" she said, clapping her hands. "All horses get hungry! Even mysterious glowing ones!" She filled a big basket with the juiciest, crunchiest, most delicious orange carrots she could find. "Here, mystery horse," she called into the dark night. "I left you a yummy surprise!" The very next night - guess what happened? The mysterious creature came back! And now Anya could see it better in the moonlight. It was the most beautiful white horse she had ever seen! And it was SO hungry! *CRUNCH, MUNCH, CHOMP!* It ate every single carrot - one, two, three, four, five! But as it lifted its head from the empty basket, Anya gasped! "Oh my stars!" she whispered. "You have a horn! A beautiful, swirly, magical HORN! You're not just a horse - you're a UNICORN!" The unicorn's eyes went wide - it had been discovered! Every time Anya moved even her pinky finger after that, the unicorn would jump and run away again. "Boing, boing, boing!" the unicorn would bounce away into the shadows. Night after night, Anya practiced sitting as still as a statue. She talked in her tiniest, softest whisper voice: "Hello, beautiful unicorn with the swirly horn. I'm Princess Anya, and I LOVE horses and unicorns more than ice cream and cookies! I promise I won't tell anyone your secret." After many, many nights of being super patient, something absolutely WONDERFUL happened! The unicorn walked closer... and closer... AND CLOSER! Then it touched Anya's hand with its velvety soft nose - *boop!* "You like me!" Anya giggled, and happy tears sparkled on her cheeks like tiny diamonds. The unicorn's coat felt smooth and cool and tingly, just like touching a cloud made of moonbeams! Then - can you believe it? - the unicorn bent down super low and looked at Anya with its big sparkly eyes as if to say, "Want to go on the most amazing ride EVER?" "Really? REALLY?!" squeaked Anya as she carefully climbed onto the unicorn's back. And then... *WHOOOOOOSH!* Up, up, UP they zoomed into the starry sky! Higher than the trees! Higher than the castle! Higher than the clouds! "WHEEEEEE!" laughed Anya as the wind tickled her red hair and made it dance like ribbons. They flew over tiny houses that looked like dollhouses and fields that sparkled like glitter! They swooshed past waterfalls that went "splash, splash, splash!" and meadows where sleepy bunnies and deer looked up and waved at them! The whole world looked magical from up high! When the sun started painting the sky with pink and purple and orange - just like finger paints - Moonsilver (that's what Anya decided to name her new friend) gently floated back down to the stable. "Thank you, Moonsilver!" Anya said, giving the unicorn the biggest, warmest hug. "You're the most wonderful friend in the whole wide world!" From that night on, every time the moon came out to play, Anya and Moonsilver would have the most incredible adventures flying through the twinkling, winking stars. And Anya learned that when you're kind and patient and never give up, the most magical friendships can happen. The End.