The sun poured gold across Aly's bedroom. She threw off her blanket and yelled, "Good morning!" into the warm light.
Aly pressed her nose to the cool glass. A bright blue butterfly tapped its wings — tap, tap, tap. "Hello!" she whispered.
I want to find more words outside, Aly thought. She ran to the garden, where flowers blinked in the sun.
"Flower! Red flower! Yellow flower!" Aly pointed at each one. The petals glowed brighter, and sparkling English words appeared in dew on the leaves.
Aly pulled out her notebook and copied the sparkling words. The blue butterfly drifted past, leading her somewhere new.
She chased it to the old oak tree. The butterfly landed and fluttered so fast the air swirled — BRAVE appeared in shimmering letters.
A gust of wind swept through — whoosh! — and scattered Aly's notebook pages everywhere. "Oh no!" Aly gasped and dove after them.
The butterfly dropped a page into her hand. On it, in shiny letters, was the word: ADVENTURE. Aly's eyes grew wide.
The garden was teaching her English words — through play! Aly gathered her pages and tucked them into her notebook with a happy sigh.
Aly ran back inside, clutching her notebook to her chest. At the doorstep she whispered, "Thank you, English." The butterfly waited on the threshold.
She opened her bedroom window and set the notebook on the sill. The butterfly tapped its wings — tap, tap — and Aly beamed.
Aly curled up in bed, her notebook safe beside her. She dreamed of her next English adventure as the sun dipped lower in the sky.