This was it. The absolute perfect spot. Brixie stretched high on her toes. She placed the very last yellow block right on top of her giant wooden castle.
A sudden tickle wiggled in her nose. "Achooo!" The blast shook the floor. The great wooden castle tumbled down to the soft polka-dot rug in a clattering heap.
The grand castle was totally gone. Brixie stared wide-eyed at the scattered, messy pile of squares and triangles. Her long ears pinned straight back against her head.
She snatched up the scattered pieces. She jammed them together, stacking faster and faster. There was no time to line up the edges anymore.
The new lopsided tower wobbled back and forth. It leaned heavily to the left. With a loud clatter, the blocks scattered across the floorboards all over again.
Brixie stomped her fuzzy foot hard on the ground. "Grrr!" She kicked a square block across the bright sunlit room. It bounced off the wall with a thud.
She scooped up a giant handful of blocks. She was ready to toss them all. But a rogue round piece rolled right under her heel.
Boing! She landed hard on her bottom. Sitting in the wreckage, she crossed her arms tight and puffed out her cheeks. Slowly, the trapped air escaped in one long, quiet "Whooooooosh."
She uncrossed her arms and picked up a single blue square. She rubbed its smooth edges before setting it gently on the floor. Humming softly, she stacked a red piece directly on top.
She stepped back to admire the new shape. It wasn't quite as tall as before. But when she reached out to give the little roof a tap, it stayed perfectly still.
