Quill’s Star Nobody Saw — Under the backyard bunting, Quill nosed through cool grass for the last yellow paper star. He wanted it tucked onto his bandana before the porch lanterns clicked on. Read the full story →
Under the backyard bunting, Quill nosed through cool grass for the last yellow paper star. He wanted it tucked onto his bandana before the porch lanterns clicked on. The flag rope tapped the pole—tick, tick—and the little stars overhead swung like they were keeping a secret.
Past the fence, behind the lilac bush, something whispered, “Psst.” A gray night moth trembled there, one wing caught on a splinter, dust smelling like old leaves. Quill stepped out of his soft clover patch and tugged the splinter free, but his bandana snagged too. Rip! The yellow star slipped off and fluttered onto the moth’s wing like a patch.
Nobody clapped. Nobody even looked out the window. Quill trotted back with one plain corner flapping at his neck and sat under the bunting anyway. The moth rose, gold-starred and silent, circling once above his nose. If you spot Quill’s smile under the flag, keep the secret: the last yellow star flew home changed.
