Steve hopped out of his blocky bed and called, "Good morning, Alex!" The front door banged open. Alex sprinted across the grass, her red hair bouncing.
Alex grabbed Steve's hand and pointed upward. The sky was painted pink and gold at dawn. A small, glittering diamond shimmered among the clouds.
Steve and Alex stretched their arms up toward the glimmer, but the diamond stayed just out of reach. Alex stomped her boots and jumped — the ground shook, but the diamond didn't move.
Steve climbed the tall oak tree. He reached the highest branch and stood on tiptoe, but his fingers still couldn't touch it. The diamond twinkled smugly up at him.
Steve dragged wooden planks and stacked them into a wobbly tower. Alex added a stone block on top. Steve climbed up — the tower wobbled — and just as he stretched toward the diamond, the whole stack collapsed with a clatter.
They both tumbled into a soft patch of grass and laughed. Steve wiped a smudge of dirt from his cheek. "That was closer than I thought!"
Steve spotted a vine hanging down the cliff face. "Grab on!" he called. They both grabbed the vine and swung — whoosh! — launching into the air toward the diamond.
The diamond drifted lower and landed gently in their empty wooden cart. Steve climbed in and offered Alex his hand. She took it and pulled herself up beside him. The cart rolled toward the horizon as the world woke up below them.