Nola Counts the Sunny Faces — At first light, with the air smelling like warm straw and damp leaves, Nola stepped onto the farm path and gave herself a quiet challenge: count every sunflower that faced the sun before the rooster crowed twice. Read the full story →
At first light, with the air smelling like warm straw and damp leaves, Nola stepped onto the farm path and gave herself a quiet challenge: count every sunflower that faced the sun before the rooster crowed twice. “One, two, three,” she whispered, touching the fence rail where dew made her fingertip shine. The rows kept going, petal after petal, and the round brown faces seemed to listen while the clouds drifted slowly overhead.
By the time she reached the bend, Nola stopped counting. In the barn’s little window, the sunflowers were reflected backward, glowing like a second field inside the glass. She smiled and started again, not in a hurry now: one real flower, one window flower, one warm ray on the path. The rooster called once, then twice, and still the morning felt wide enough. Next time you see the fence path, can you find the window that helped Nola count the sunny faces?
