Kiri Waits for the Bell — Under the striped straw, Kiri kept a tiny spoon-bell tied to her leaf cap with thread. Read the full story →
Under the striped straw, Kiri kept a tiny spoon-bell tied to her leaf cap with thread. She wanted one clear ting to wake the sleepy soda fountain before the evening rush, the way her friend Luma used to do before moving to the waffle cart. But the bell made only a dull tick. So Kiri slid from her whipped-cream nest, past sugar stars that stuck to her cheeks, and crossed the cool marble counter toward the rinse cup where old spoons chimed in warm water.
The trip was small, but not easy. A drizzle of berry sauce tugged at her heel, and one candy star cracked under her foot with a sandy crunch. At the rinse cup, Kiri dipped the bell and waited. Steam smelled like vanilla and metal. Drip. Drip. Drip. At last, a bubble slipped out of the bell’s mouth.
“Ting,” it sang, soft as moonlight on milk. Kiri carried it back slowly, sweeter for waiting, and rang it beside the striped straw. Next time you spot the little strawberry in her cream nest, can you guess where she kept that tiny song?
