Quill’s Bigger-Than-Balloons Cheer — Above the festival canopy, Quill zipped from limb to limb with a tiny bow tie tucked under his chin, checking every banner knot before the music drums began. Read the full story →
Above the festival canopy, Quill zipped from limb to limb with a tiny bow tie tucked under his chin, checking every banner knot before the music drums began. The bow tie looked like plain cloth, but its middle button was carved from the first seedpod he had ever found after a summer storm. It clicked softly against his chest as he tugged a round balloon higher and let the eucalyptus air smell sharp and sweet around him.
Soon the party grew taller than the trees. Streamers snapped, paper stars spun, and Quill’s paws bounced on the branch like drumbeats. “Higher, higher, hooray!” he called, because the cheer inside him felt too huge for one koala. He tied one balloon string to each wrist and lifted both paws, ready to send the first shout across the leaves.
Then the wind flipped the bow tie button outward, and a rainbow lorikeet gasped. The carved seedpod was not a button after all; it was a tiny whistle. Quill blew once, and the balloons answered with squeaky notes. Every banner, star, and bit of confetti seemed to jump into the song. If you spot Quill with both paws up, can you hear the little click that started his bigger-than-balloons cheer?
