Lady Ada was a little Explorer. She wore yellow boots, a round blue hat, and a tiny backpack with three crackers inside. She loved the Enchanted Forest. She loved its soft moss, its bright flowers, and its singing birds.
One morning, Lady Ada saw something sad.
The red flowers were gray.
The blue stream was gray.
Even the rainbow mushrooms were gray.
“Oh no,” said Lady Ada. “The forest has lost its colors.”
From an old oak tree came a warm, gentle glow. It was the Guardian Spirit. The spirit looked like a little golden light with kind eyes.
“Hello, brave Explorer,” said the Guardian Spirit. “A Ghost took the Color Crystal. The Ghost is not very nice. He hides in Misty Hollow.”
Lady Ada held her backpack close. She felt a little scared.
Then she took one small breath.
“I can go,” she said. “I will help the forest.”
A bright clink-clink sound came from the path. Crystal Guardian walked out from behind a fern. He was big and shiny. His crystal arms went clink, clink. But his smile was soft.
“I will go too,” said Crystal Guardian. “I know the safe path. Step where I step.”
“Thank you,” said Lady Ada.
They walked through the Enchanted Forest.
Step, step, step.
Clink, clink, clink.
Glow, glow, glow.
First they came to a puddle that went splish-splash. A little frog sat in the middle.
“Do not step here!” croaked the frog. “This is a tickle puddle!”
Crystal Guardian put one shiny foot in the water.
“SPLISH!”
The puddle tickled his toes.
“Ha ha ha!” laughed Crystal Guardian.
Lady Ada laughed too. Then she found three flat leaves. She put them on the puddle.
“Leaf bridge!” she said.
Step, step, step. They crossed safely.
Next they found a dark tunnel under a hill. Inside, they heard, “Whooo! Go away!”
Lady Ada stopped. Her knees felt wobbly.
Guardian Spirit floated near her hat. “You can be scared,” said the spirit. “And you can still be kind.”
Lady Ada nodded.
“Hello?” she called. “We are looking for the Color Crystal.”
Out floated the Ghost. He was pale and puffy, like a cloud in pajamas. He waved his arms.
“Whooo! It is mine!” said Ghost. “I found it first!”
In his hands was the Color Crystal. It sparkled red, blue, green, and gold. But Ghost looked lonely. Very lonely.
“Why did you take it?” asked Lady Ada.
Ghost looked down.
“No one comes to Misty Hollow,” he whispered. “I wanted the colors to come here. I wanted something pretty. I wanted a friend.”
Lady Ada opened her tiny backpack. She had three crackers.
“Would you like a cracker?” she asked.
Ghost blinked.
“A cracker? For me?”
“Yes,” said Lady Ada. “We can share.”
Crystal Guardian sat down with a clink. Guardian Spirit made a small golden picnic light. Lady Ada gave one cracker to Ghost, one to Crystal Guardian, and one to herself. The Guardian Spirit did not eat, but it happily glowed.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Ghost smiled a little.
“I do not want to make the forest sad,” he said. “But can Misty Hollow have colors too?”
“Yes!” said Lady Ada. “The colors belong to all the forest.”
So Ghost held out the Color Crystal. Lady Ada held it with both hands. Crystal Guardian touched it with one shining finger. Guardian Spirit sang a tiny hum.
“Hummm, hummm, bright colors come!”
The crystal flashed.
Red rushed into the flowers.
Blue danced in the stream.
Purple popped onto the mushrooms.
Green painted every leaf.
And a little rainbow swirled all the way to Misty Hollow.
Ghost gasped. “My hollow is beautiful!”
“It is,” said Lady Ada.
The animals came out to see. Rabbits hopped. Birds sang. The frog danced in the tickle puddle.
The Guardian Spirit placed a small gift in Lady Ada’s hands. It was a Compass of Colors. Its little needle pointed toward any place that needed help.
“For Lady Ada, Explorer of the Enchanted Forest,” said the spirit.
Crystal Guardian bowed with a clink. “You were brave,” he said.
“I was scared too,” said Lady Ada.
“That is still brave,” said Ghost.
Lady Ada smiled. She put the Compass of Colors in her tiny backpack. Then she, Ghost, Crystal Guardian, and Guardian Spirit walked home through the bright, happy forest.
Step, step, step.
Clink, clink, clink.
Glow, glow, glow.
And high above them, a rainbow said, “Well done, Lady Ada.”