Bobo hopped through the forest. Something bright caught his eye — a red balloon tangled in the bramble.
He nudged it free. The balloon drifted upward, bobbing like a bright apple. Bobo's ears perked straight up.
A squirrel chattered on a stump nearby. Bobo held up the balloon. The squirrel's eyes grew wide. 'Can I touch it?'
Bobo pulled the balloon back and hugged it close. The balloon creaked softly. 'Mine for now,' he thought.
Next, Bobo found a bluebird on a mossy rock. He offered the balloon. The bird chirped and bobbed its head happily.
Bobo hesitated, then let the bird peck gently at the ribbon. The bluebird tugged, and the balloon slipped free, drifting higher. Bobo watched it rise. His whiskers drooped.
The balloon got stuck in a high oak branch. Bobo hopped and stretched, but he could not reach. 'I can help!' croaked a frog below.
Bobo took a deep breath and leaped. The branch swayed and the balloon floated free, drifting down toward the squirrel and bluebird who had gathered below.
Bobo called his friends over. They all held the ribbon together. The balloon lifted gently, spinning in the air.
Bobo laughed, and the sound echoed through the trees. The red balloon glowed like a little sun among the green leaves.
Bobo and his friends hopped along the forest path, the balloon bobbing above them. The squirrel held one end, the bluebird another, and Bobo held the middle.
They hopped in a circle, chasing the balloon's shadow. The forest was full of chatter and laughter. Bobo's nose twitched with every bounce.