Yahya unfurled the crinkled map on the kitchen table. A yellow X marked the spot. He marched toward the backyard.
A sparrow hopped along the drawn path, chirping as if it knew the way. "Come along, little friend," Yahya whispered. He stuffed the map in his pocket and set off for the park.
At the park's edge, Mrs. Gable stood looking down two different streets. Her head was tilted. "Excuse me," Yahya said. "Do you need help?"
Yahya pointed to the blue house with the red door on his map. Mrs. Gable's face broke into a smile. She patted his shoulder and dropped a gold coin into his palm. "Thank you, dear," she said.
By the garden hedge, Yahya spotted a scruffy orange cat with one torn ear. He held out his last cracker. The cat sniffed it, then swallowed it in one bite.
The cat rubbed its cheek against Yahya's wrist, leaving a scratchy whisker tickle. He opened his empty snack bag and patted it flat with both hands. "All gone," he thought.
Under the old oak tree, Yahya dug where the map said X marked the spot. His shovel hit only dirt. A wiggly worm peered up at him from a hole.
The worm vanished into the earth. Yahya's fingers came away stained brown. He folded the map carefully. "No treasure," he thought.
Yahya walked home with his empty pockets swishing against his legs. The map was crumpled now. He could feel the gold coin in his pocket.
Yahya pushed open the front door. The living room exploded with colorful paper streamers. His whole family was there.
His mom pressed a handmade card into his hands. His dad held up a photo of Yahya sharing his cracker with the cat. "We saw what you did," his dad said.
Yahya clutched the card to his chest and grinned. The gold coin clinked against his belly. He thought about the cat, the coin, and the warm room.
