Junie Builds the Night Wings — Under the soft black sky, Junie pressed vine strips, leaf stems, and two bent kite sticks across the grass. Read the full story →
Under the soft black sky, Junie pressed vine strips, leaf stems, and two bent kite sticks across the grass. She wanted wings strong enough to reach the cloud shelves, where moon-milk smelled sweet and cool. Her round hands stuck with pumpkin sap. The first wing flopped. The second wing squeaked. Then a tiny cloud-bat tumbled down with a papery rustle and a shiver.
“My wing is wrinkled,” whispered the bat. Junie held her own floppy wing beside it and saw the secret: ribs, like fingers, must spread wide. Snip, tuck, tie—she made two grand wings and patched the bat’s small one, too. When Junie lifted off, the clouds hummed around her. Ever since, flying jack-o’-lanterns have worn wide ribbed night wings, proud and handmade; can you spot the little bat who helped the first pair work?
