A paper scroll unrolls in the village square. Ganesh reads it aloud: "Race around the world! Winner takes the golden lotus crown!" He stomps his front foot — the ground shakes — and draws a wobbly circle in the dust with his trunk.
Ganesh takes off running! His trunk held high, he races past painted huts and a blue-domed temple. "I will win!" he calls to the wind.
He reaches the edge of the village where the path disappears into tall golden grass. The wind carries the sound of temple bells ringing far away.
Ganesh stops. Ears flapping, trunk drooping. A line of rocks blocks the path. Beyond them — a wide, shimmering river with no bridge in sight. "Oh," he sighs.
He turns around, trunk tapping his chin in thought. Then his eyes light up and his ears perk straight up. "I know what to do!"
Ganesh walks back to his parents. He circles his mother three times, then his father three times, each circle slower and happier than the last.
Ganesh stands between his parents, trunk wrapped around both of theirs. He smiles so wide his ears wiggle. "I love you both."
His mother nudges him with her trunk. Behind them, the golden lotus crown glints in the sun. Ganesh is home.