Mia ran past silver birch trees after a shimmering blue butterfly. It led her into a glowing part of the forest.
The butterfly dipped over flowers that tinkled like tiny bells. Mia laughed and ran faster.
Mia stepped into a mushroom clearing. A hedgehog snoozed beneath a daisy, and a blue jay bobbed at her.
The butterfly circled once, twice, then dropped straight down onto a soft green fern. It lay very still.
Mia crouched and held out two fingers. The butterfly didn't move. 'Up you go,' she whispered.
She bounced on her toes and whispered again, but the butterfly only curled tighter into a tiny blue leaf.
Mia noticed the butterfly tilting its head toward a patch of golden clover. She crawled forward, holding her breath.
A soft humming came from inside the clover. Mia pushed the stems aside and gasped.
Dozens of blue butterflies rested on the old oak, their wings pulsing with warm golden light.
The butterfly in her hand fluttered and flew to the oldest branch. A bigger blue butterfly greeted it with a slow wing blink.
Mia smiled, tiptoed backward, and followed the golden clover path home.
Her bare toes crunched happily on the soft leaves as she walked home through the golden forest.
