Karu stretched his paws toward the branches and saw it — a bright red and yellow kite caught in the crook of a tall tree. He pressed his paws flat against the trunk and began to climb.
Karu climbed and climbed, his claws scraping against the rough bark. The kite stayed just out of reach. He hopped once, twice, three times, and his ears flopped down.
Karu sat at the base of the tree and watched the kite every day. The wind whispered through the leaves, and the kite dipped and floated. He tapped his paw, counting each little sway.
One afternoon the wind changed. It whooshed through the forest, and the kite pulled hard on its string.
The branch snapped with a soft pop. The kite lifted free and spun once, twice, then began to rise, its rainbow tail fluttering like a flag.
Karu stood on his hind legs and stretched as high as he could, his paw open toward the sky. The kite drifted higher, smaller, until it was just a bright dot.
Karu waved. The wind carried the kite away, and he stayed waving until the sky was empty.
The forest was quiet again. Karu sat down and looked up at the empty sky.
