Milo stomped into his red boots. They thumped loudly on the wooden deck. He wobbled forward with a giggle.
He spotted a pile of blocks near the fence. "Ooh!" he whispered. His eyes went wide with excitement.
Milo stacked the blocks one by one. The tower grew taller and taller. He held his breath with each placement.
A blue jay landed on the fence with a chirp. Milo froze. He watched the bird preen its shimmering blue wing.
The blue jay flew away with a flash of blue. Milo turned and saw a butterfly drifting toward the flowers.
Milo tiptoed toward the flowers. His big boots went crunch on dry leaves. The butterfly landed on a purple bloom.
He leaned in close to smell the flower. It smelled sweet, like honey. "Mmm," he sighed happily.
Milo reached out a finger, but the butterfly fluttered away. He turned back toward his tower. That's when his foot caught a block.
The tower wobbled and crashed down with a clatter. Milo stared at the pieces. Then he burst into loud laughter.
A tiny beetle crawled over an orange block. Its shell gleamed like a polished marble. Milo crouched down to watch.
Milo picked up an orange block and held it to the sun. It glowed warm and bright. "Just right," he thought.
He placed the block beside the purple flower, making a little stage. The butterfly returned and landed on the bloom. Milo sat back and smiled.