The sleepy village rested under a blanket of stars. A flower-lined path wound past a wooden cottage.
On the flower path, a young girl lifted a dusty lantern from the grass. A tiny puppy shivered under a blanket nearby.
She tucked the blanket over the puppy. Click — a golden glow leapt to life inside the lantern!
Mira skipped past the bakery with her shining lantern. Something was tangled in the brambles by the fence.
She pulled the prickly twigs free from the badger's fur. The lantern hummed brighter as the badger tumbled onto the grass.
The badger shook himself dry and scampered off. The lantern hummed a happy song and painted the path in sunny yellow.
At the stone bridge, a mouse tugged at a locked gate. Mira pointed the lantern beam right at the keyhole.
*Ping!* The key leaped into the mouse's paw. The gate swung open and the lantern blazed like a tiny sun.
The flowers on the bridge turned their heads toward the light. Mira climbed the steepest hill with her blazing lantern.
At the top, she waved the lantern in a giant circle. Golden light spilled over every roof in the village.
The light tumbled into every window. The whole village became a quilt of cozy yellow, glowing bright under the stars.
Mira hung the lantern on her doorknob. A puddle of gold spilled onto her step. She waved at the shining windows and skipped inside.