Mohammad Raif reaches for his blue ball.
The ball is gone. He lets out a soft cry.
He shuffles to the rose bush.
A bluebird bobs its head. He giggles.
The bird flies three hops away. He follows.
His shoes crunch on the path.
The bird points its beak at the flowerpot.
He peeks behind the pot and gasps!
There is his blue ball on the moss!
He scoops it up and hugs it tight.
He skips toward the back door with the ball.
Mama lifts him onto her lap. He falls asleep.