Mloopi sat alone under the big tree. He watched the other little animals playing together far away. His big blue ears drooped down and his fuzzy tail stopped wagging.
Mloopi waddled toward the game and raised a paw to wave. The animals giggled and scampered behind a bush. One dropped a shiny red acorn that bounced near his foot.
Mloopi trotted back to the big tree and sat beneath its thick branches. The red acorn rolled away from his paw. It bumped against a tree root and a soft golden glow began to pulse from his floppy ears.
Something zipped through the air—a firefly drawn to the golden light from Mloopi's ears. It zigs, it zags, it looped around his head. Mloopi reached up with both paws to catch it.
The firefly hovered just above Mloopi's nose, then gently landed there. Its wings made a tiny buzzing sound. Mloopi went very still, his breath fogging the tip of his nose.
A wide smile spread across Mloopi's face as he held the smile so tightly. His ears perked straight up. The firefly's wings shimmered like a tiny golden star right on his nose.
The firefly lifted off and buzzed around Mloopi's head twice. A trail of sparkly dust filled the air. Mloopi hopped up and down, his fluffy tail bouncing with every jump.
Mloopi scurried back toward the other animals and held up the red acorn. They peeked out from behind the bush. One gave a happy squeak and reached both paws out toward him.