Bravely stepped onto the forest path beneath leaves painted ruby, teal, and gold. A trail of golden leaves curled between the ferns. Suddenly, the leaves lifted, whirling toward the shadowy mountain. Singing flowers rang like tiny bells around her.
One golden leaf drifted close. Bravely caught it carefully and whispered, “I’ll follow.” The flowers chimed brighter, their petals bobbing in the breeze. Ahead, the floating trail flickered like a promise between the trees.
Rain burst through the colorful canopy. Bravely ducked beneath a broad fern while a sparkling stream spilled over its banks. Water rushed toward the singing flowers, carrying twigs, petals, and bright pebbles along its foamy edge.
Bravely gathered fallen branches and pressed them into the mud. The branches formed a little wall, turning the rushing water aside. The stream gurgled a grateful tune as the flowers lifted their dripping heads and the hidden path appeared again.
At last, Bravely reached a fork among mossy stones. One path climbed steeply, one squelched through mud, and one vanished beneath dancing shadows. She tested each route, then chose the shadowed path. An owl-shaped shadow flapped across the ground, and her lantern clattered onto the stones.
The shadows stretched across the mountain trail. A sharp gust snatched Bravely’s golden leaf and carried it toward a dark ravine. She took one careful step, then another, holding the lantern out before her. “Light can travel farther when we share it,” she said.
The lantern flashed. Light spilled over the rocks, streamed into the ravine, and raced across the trail. The frightening shapes broke apart, revealing hundreds of waving trees. Their leaves shimmered together, bright as a thousand tiny mirrors.
Bravely climbed to the mountain’s bright ridge. The golden leaf burst into glowing seeds that floated back through the forest. Below, flowers rang, streams sparkled, and woodland creatures lifted their faces to the light. Bravely walked home beneath a sky filled with shared light.
