Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Ema. Ema was very happy. She had big, round glasses and a sweater so large and soft it felt like a warm hug. Can you wiggle your shoulders like you’re wearing a cozy sweater? One morning, Ema looked down at her sneakers. Oh! One shoelace was bright sun-yellow. The other was deep berry-blue.
Ema took a step. Clomp! Then another step. Clomp! And then something magical happened. The shoelaces didn't stay tied. Instead, they grew long and soft, like velvet ribbons. They began to slide across the floor and out the door. Swish, swish, swish. The yellow lace pointed to the trees, and the blue lace pointed to the grass. Do you think Ema followed them? Yes, she did! She followed her colorful feet all the way to the Whispering Woods.
But inside the woods, the colors looked sad. The green leaves were dusty and the sky looked a little grey. Oh no, thought Ema. She saw a tiny, Sleepy Rainbow Cloud floating near the ground. It looked like a tired marshmallow. Puff... puff... it sighed. The little cloud had lost its sparkle because the woods were too quiet and the flowers were too thirsty.
Ema knew just what to do. She didn't need a grown-up; she had her own kind heart. She reached out her hand and gently touched a leaf. Ting! The leaf turned bright green. She began to hum a sweet, quiet song. Loo-loo-loo. Can you hum with Ema? When she hummed, her sun-yellow shoelace began to glow. When she smiled, her berry-blue shoelace began to shine.
The Sleepy Rainbow Cloud woke up! Pop! It turned pink and orange and purple. The shoelace paths felt so happy that they zipped forward, leading Ema to a secret place. It was the Meadow of Resting Rainbows. In this meadow, the grass was as soft as a pillow. Dozens of rainbows were curled up in the flowers, napping like colorful cats. Zzzzz. It was a place where color went to sleep so it could be bright for the world tomorrow.
Ema realized that the Earth needs us to be gentle. By humming her song and walking softly, she helped the rainbows rest. She sat in the middle of the meadow and felt the warm, colorful mist on her cheeks. It felt like a gentle tickle. Tee-hee!
When it was time to go home, Ema’s shoelaces shrank back down into perfect little bows on her sneakers. They were still mismatched, and they still shimmered just a little bit. Ema walked back to her house, feeling very peaceful inside. She knew that every time she took a kind step, she was helping the big, beautiful world stay bright. And that’s how it all turned out just right.