Part 1 of 5 · 3 minTilly’s Moon Chase Begins

Tilly stopped to tie her ribbon. It was a shiny blue thing she'd found near the hollow log, and it tied just right around her shell. She looked up at the sky and saw it again: a round, glowing face high above the treetops. It smiled back in the dark. "Hello, Moon," Tilly whispered. The moon seemed to smile even more.

"I see you too!" cried Bumble. He buzzed down from a dandelion cloud, landing on a patch of clover. His wings made a soft *hush-hush* sound as he settled. "You're the prettiest thing in all the world," Tilly said. She puffed out her chest just a little.

Bumble's antennae wiggled with excitement. "That means it belongs to you! Well, sort of. It belongs to everyone who looks up at night and says hello." He tilted his head. "But since you started first, maybe it is your friend now." Tilly nodded quickly. Her legs scurried as if she'd been told a secret.

"Then come on!" Tilly said. "We must keep up with you!" She took a step, then another, and then the moon seemed to glide higher, just out of reach. But not too far. It hovered like a soft lantern, following her every move. Bumble zipped ahead, hovering in mid-air, his little wings beating fast.

"Look how big it gets when you run!" Tilly said, her voice full of wonder. The moon did seem to grow, stretching across the sky as if watching their race. "And look at that shadow," she added, pointing with a claw. A dark shape passed slowly beneath the glowing orb. It looked like a cat, or maybe a dog. Or perhaps just a cloud pretending to be an animal.

Bumble buzzed close enough to hear her breathe. "It's probably a rabbit!" he declared, grinning wide. "Or a squirrel! Or a very round bird!" Tilly laughed and scrambled forward. Her shell clicked against the grass with every step. *Click-clack, click-clack.* The sound was like tiny raindrops falling on leaves.

They ran past the old oak tree where Pip usually slept, but he wasn't there tonight. Instead, Pip's tail twitched near a low bush, as if he'd just woken up to watch them go by. "Did you see that?" Tilly asked when they paused again. Bumble nodded, his eyes wide with mischief.

"And look," Bumble said, pointing upward. "The moon is smiling at us both!" Tilly blinked. She squinted. Yes! There it was—the same round, golden face watching them from above. But now something curious happened: the moon seemed to split into two reflections, one for each of them.

Bumble tilted his head again. "Maybe you're seeing your own special moon," he said slowly. Tilly frowned slightly, then smiled. "Maybe I am!" she replied. "But I think it's mine anyway." Bumble giggled. "Well, if it's yours, what are we going to do about my moon?"

Tilly laughed. She pointed up again, this time at a second glowing spot that looked just like the first one, but slightly smaller and farther away. "Let's chase both of them!" she shouted. Bumble buzzed happily in agreement. They started running again, side by side, their footsteps syncing with the rhythm of the night wind rustling through the leaves.

And then, just as Tilly reached out to touch the moon's edge, something shiny caught her eye below them: a puddle reflecting the sky like a tiny mirror. The moon shimmered in the water, rippling gently as if it wanted to play. Bumble pointed down too, his wings beating faster. "Look!" he said. "The moon is dancing in the puddle!"

Tilly grinned. She took one last step toward the water, then stopped short, her eyes wide with wonder. "Do you think it will follow us there?" she asked. Bumble nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! It always follows whoever calls out to it first!"