The Wonderful Morning Run

Tom gets up every morning at six o'clock.

He puts on his running shoes and goes outside.

Tom likes to run in the park near his house.

He runs the same way every day.

This morning is different.

When Tom starts to run, he sees a big orange cat sitting on a bench.

The cat looks at Tom and says, "Hello, Tom! Today is a very special day."

Tom stops running.

He looks at the cat with surprise.

"Did you just talk to me?" Tom asks.

"Yes, I did," says the cat.

"My name is Whiskers. I have been waiting for you. Today, you will see many wonderful things on your run."

Tom does not know what to think.

He has never heard a cat talk before.

But Whiskers seems very friendly, so Tom decides to continue his run.

Tom runs past the playground.

Usually, it is empty in the morning.

But today, he sees something amazing.

There is a tiny house in the big oak tree.

The house has small windows and a red door.

A little man waves at Tom from the window.

"Good morning!" calls the little man.

"I am Fred. I live in this tree house. Would you like to come up and have some tea?"

Tom looks up at the tree house.

It is very high up.

"How can I get up there?" Tom asks.

Fred throws down a rope ladder.

"Just climb up!" he says.

Tom climbs the rope ladder carefully.

The tree house is very nice inside.

It has tiny chairs and a small table.

Fred gives Tom a cup of tea in a cup the size of a thimble.

"This tea will help you on your wonderful run," Fred says.

"Drink it all up."

Tom drinks the tiny cup of tea.

It tastes like flowers and sunshine.

He feels very happy and full of energy.

"Thank you, Fred," Tom says.

"I must continue my run now."

"Have a wonderful time!" Fred calls as Tom climbs down the ladder.

Tom continues running around the park.

He comes to the duck pond.

Usually, the ducks just swim quietly in the water.

But today is different again.

A big fish jumps out of the water.

"Hello there, runner!" says the fish.

"I am Finn. Would you like to see something special?"

Tom stops by the edge of the pond.

"What do you want to show me?" he asks.

Finn swims in a circle, and suddenly, all the water in the pond starts to glow with blue light.

Beautiful music comes from under the water.

Tom sees many fish swimming and dancing together.

"This is the morning dance of the fish," Finn explains.

"We do this every day, but only special people can see it."

Tom watches the fish dance for a few minutes.

It is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen.

The fish move like they are flying through the water.

"Thank you for showing me this," Tom says to Finn.

"You are welcome," Finn replies.

"Keep running, Tom. Your wonderful morning is not finished yet."

Tom runs away from the pond.

He feels very excited about what else he might see.

He runs past the old clock tower in the center of the park.

The clock usually shows the right time, but today it looks different.

The clock starts to glow with golden light.

The hands on the clock begin to move backwards very fast.

Tom watches as the clock goes back in time.

Suddenly, Tom sees a little boy running toward him.

The boy looks exactly like Tom, but much younger.

It is Tom when he was seven years old.

"Hello!" says little Tom.

"Are you me when I grow up?"

"Yes, I am," says big Tom.

"But how is this possible?"

"The magic clock can show the past," little Tom explains.

"I have a message for you from when you were young."

"What message?" big Tom asks.

Little Tom smiles.

"Remember to always be happy about the small things."

"Remember to see the wonder in every day."

"Even when you grow up and have to work and be serious, keep the magic in your heart."

Big Tom feels tears in his eyes.

He had forgotten how much he loved simple things when he was a child.

He had forgotten to notice the beauty around him every day.

"Thank you for reminding me," big Tom says to little Tom.

Little Tom gives big Tom a small, shiny stone.

"Keep this to remember," he says.

Then little Tom waves and disappears as the clock stops glowing.

Tom looks at the stone in his hand.

It is smooth and warm, and it glows softly with white light.

Tom continues his run.

He feels different now.

He notices how beautiful the morning sky looks.

He sees how the grass sparkles with dew.

He hears how sweet the birds sound when they sing.

When Tom finishes his run, he goes back to his house.

He sits on his front steps and looks at the glowing stone.

He wonders if everything that happened was real or if it was just a dream.

Tom goes inside and takes a shower.

He gets dressed and makes breakfast.

He looks out the window at the park.

Everything looks normal again.

There is no tiny house in the tree.

The pond is just a regular pond.

The clock shows the correct time.

But Tom still has the glowing stone in his pocket.

And he still remembers everything that happened.

He remembers what little Tom told him about keeping magic in his heart.

From that day on, Tom's morning runs are different.

He still runs the same path every day.

But now he always looks for wonderful things.

Sometimes he sees a beautiful butterfly.

Sometimes he hears a bird singing a new song.

Sometimes he sees the sun making pretty patterns through the trees.

Tom never sees Whiskers the talking cat again.

He never sees Fred in his tree house.

He never sees Finn and the dancing fish.

But Tom knows they are there, waiting for people who believe in magic.

Every morning, Tom touches the glowing stone in his pocket.

It reminds him to keep his eyes open and his heart ready for wonder.

Because Tom learned that every day can be wonderful if you know how to look for magic.

The end.