The Little Red House with the Star Inside
One cool autumn morning, a little boy stomped into the kitchen saying, “Mom, I’m bored. There’s nothing fun to do!”
His mother looked out the window. The wind was blowing, and colorful leaves danced across the yard. “I have an idea,” she said. “Why don’t you go outside and find a little red house with no doors or windows and a star inside?”
The boy blinked in confusion. His mother usually had good ideas, but he thought this one strange. “A house with no doors or windows? Which way shall I go?” he asked.
“You’ll need to figure that out on your own,” his mom replied with a wink. “Off you go, and don’t return until you’ve found it.”
Curious but excited, the boy put on his cap and jacket and left the house. He walked down the road and soon found a friendly old farmer collecting vegetables from the fields. Beside him was a barrel of potatoes and a basket of yellow squashes. “Excuse me,” said the boy, “do you know where I can find a little red house with no doors or windows and a star inside?”
The farmer chuckled. Then he scratched his head. “A red house with a star? I’ve lived many years but have never seen one. Why don’t you ask the baker in town? He might know.”
The boy thanked the farmer and hurried on his way. The sweet smell of bread and cookies filled the air as he entered the bakery. The baker was kneading bread and was wrinkled and smiling. “Mr. Baker,” said the boy, “do you know about a little red house with no doors or windows and a star inside?”
The baker laughed cheerily. “No, I’ve never heard of such a thing! But maybe you could ask the wind—it travels far and wide.”
So the boy walked outside and called to the wind. “Oh, wind, can you help me? Where can I find a little red house with no doors or windows and a star inside?”
The wind swirled around the boy whistling a tune. It carried many brightly colored leaves. It whispered, “Go to the orchard, where the apple trees grow. You’ll find your answer there.”
The boy followed the wind to the orchard. A shiny red apple hung from a branch, and the boy’s eyes lit up. He carefully climbed the tree and gently picked the apple. The boy held the glossy apple, turning it over in his hands. “Could this be the little red house?” he wondered aloud.
The boy called goodbye to the wind, saying, “Thank you.” He ran back home and showed the apple to his mother. She smiled and said, “You’ve found it! But you’ll have to open the house to see the star.”
The boy looked confused. “How do I do that?” he asked.
His mom took a knife and cut the apple crosswise down the middle. The boy gasped in surprise. Inside the apple was a perfect star made of tiny seeds. “There it is—the star inside the little red house!” he shouted.
The boy took a bite of the sweet apple and grinned. “Thanks, Mom. This was the best adventure ever.”
And from that day on, the little boy never saw apples the same way again.