Eli and the Whispering Willow

In a place called Green Glade, there was a young boy named Eli. He took care of a group of white sheep. Every day, he would take them out to eat fresh green grass. One day, while watching his sheep, Eli found a tall, old tree. This wasn't just any tree; it was the Whispering Willow.

People said that the Whispering Willow could hear your wishes if you whispered them to its trunk. For fun, Eli leaned in and whispered, "I wish my sheep would turn into fluffy clouds for a day." He laughed and went home, thinking nothing of it.

The next morning, Eli rushed out to check on his sheep, but to his shock, they were gone! In their place were fluffy white clouds floating just above the ground. He tried to touch them, but his hand went right through. Eli remembered his wish and realized the tree had made it come true.

Not knowing what to do, he ran back to the Whispering Willow. "Please," he pleaded, "tell me how to change my cloud-sheep back." The tree's leaves rustled as if thinking, and then, it whispered a riddle for Eli to solve. "To get what you seek, find the golden daisy where the sun and moon speak."

Eli thought hard and remembered a hill where the sun set, and the moon rose at the same time. He rushed there and, sure enough, found a single golden daisy. Its petals were shiny, and morning dew made it sparkle. Eli carefully picked it up and hurried back.

The moment he touched the daisy to the clouds, they started to change. Slowly, one by one, the clouds turned back into his sheep. They seemed a bit confused but were otherwise okay.

Eli learned an important lesson that day. Even if you don't mean it, wishes can come true, so you must be careful about what you wish for. From then on, he respected the power of the Whispering Willow and was more thoughtful with his words.