The young woman stepped out of the bright school, her backpack thumping against her shoulders. She whispered, "I want to find wonder." A golden butterfly darted past and landed on her toe.
She held her breath, reaching toward it. But when she blinked, the butterfly was gone. "Maybe wonder is hiding," she thought, looking around the empty walkway.
A big oak tree stood behind the school. She climbed up, searching the branches for something magical. The leaves rustled in the wind.
A squirrel dropped an acorn right at her feet. It bounced and rolled into a crack in the sidewalk, then began to glow faintly. She picked it up; it was warm.
She tucked the warm acorn into her pocket and kept climbing. Higher and higher, past the squirrel's den, until the whole neighborhood spread out below her.
She ran to the neighborhood park. "Are you a wonder?" she asked the swing set. The chains creaked. She asked the slide, "Are you a wonder?" It shivered.
She pumped her legs and whoosh!—she flew so high her hair floated around her like a halo. She giggled, but the wonder still hadn't appeared.
She jumped off and looked around. Nothing. Just the park, the slide, the swings—all quiet. She sat on the curb, feeling stuck.
A rainbow puddle reflected the sky on the sidewalk. She dipped her finger in and watched colors swirl. Then the puddle rippled.
A tiny water sprite popped up, wearing a thimble hat. "You're looking for wonder?" it burbled. The young woman nodded.
The sprite splashed water into the air, and each drop turned into a miniature dancing star. One star landed on the young woman's nose, tickling her.
She sneezed, and the star exploded into a puff of glitter that covered her shoes. The sparkles caught every light, turning her feet into shining stars.
She walked home, her sparkly shoes clicking on the pavement. The glitter caught the streetlights, leaving tiny shining footprints behind her.
She saw her reflection in a shop window and smiled. At the bus stop, she noticed the sun making the pavement look like golden tiles.
A ladybug climbed her knee. She sat very still, watching it explore. The golden pavement, the cool breeze, the tiny visitor—everything felt right.
She didn't need to find wonder anymore. It was already here—in the golden light, the shiny shoes, the ladybug on her knee. She closed her eyes and smiled.