The talking toy
The Talking Toy
In the small, snowy town of Everpine, Meghan and her friends—Lila, Sam, and Benny—were playing near the park when Meghan spotted something under a bench. It was a small, colorful toy, with red and green stripes and a button in the center. When Meghan pressed it, a soft jingle played, followed by a faint voice: “Help…find…”
“Open it!” Sam urged.
Meghan shook her head. “No. It’s not ours. Someone’s probably really sad without it.”
Her friends groaned, but Meghan was determined. “We’ll find the owner and return it before Christmas,” she declared.
The Search
Back home, Meghan and her friends made posters that read “FOUND TOY” with a drawing of the object and her number. They wandered the snowy streets, putting up posters and asking neighbors, shopkeepers, and passersby.
“Anyone lose a toy?” Benny would ask, holding it up.
No one recognized it. By the fourth day, hope dwindled, but Meghan refused to give up.
The Grumpy Shopkeeper
Outside Suthie’s General Store, the kids hesitated. Mr. Suthie had a reputation for being mean. “We shouldn’t go here,” Sam whispered.
“Every place counts,” Meghan said, her voice firm.
When Meghan approached the shop’s bulletin board, the door creaked open, and Mr. Suthie appeared. “What are you kids doing?” he barked.
Meghan explained nervously. Mr. Suthie frowned but surprised them by saying, “Put it up. Make it neat.”
“You’re doing a good thing,” he added, his voice softening. “People don’t care about small things anymore.”
The kids were speechless but thanked him before moving on.
Finding Ethan
Days later, outside the town’s church, they saw a boy staring at the Christmas rehearsal through frosty glass. Meghan approached. “Are you okay?”
The boy, Ethan, nodded hesitantly. “I… lost something important.”
Meghan held up the toy. “Is this it?”
Ethan’s eyes lit up. “It’s mine! My sister made it for me before she moved away.”
Meghan pressed the button: Merry Christmas, Ethan!
★★★★★6.0
