Sparky was a small dragon, but he had a very big collection. Not of gold, like some dragons, but of shiny things! Bottle caps, colorful stones, lost buttons, even a particularly sparkly pinecone – Sparky treasured them all. He kept them in a cozy cave, arranged just so, and spent hours admiring their gleam. He didn’t *mind* visitors, but he definitely didn’t like anyone touching his treasures.
One sunny afternoon, Rosie the rabbit hopped by. “Wow, Sparky!” she exclaimed, her nose twitching. “What a wonderful collection! I’m building a fairy house, and a sparkly stone would be *perfect* for the roof.” Sparky’s scales prickled. “No!” he said quickly, clutching a smooth, blue stone. “These are *mine*. I don’t share.” Rosie’s ears drooped. “Oh,” she said quietly, and hopped away.
Later, Barnaby the bear ambled over, looking a little sad. “I’m trying to make a gift for my mama,” he mumbled, “but I can’t find anything bright enough. A shiny bottle cap would be amazing on her flower crown.” Again, Sparky refused. “They’re too special,” he insisted. Barnaby sighed and wandered off, his head hanging low.
As the sun began to set, Sparky sat alone with his shiny things. But somehow, they didn’t seem as bright as they usually did. He looked at the blue stone he’d refused to share with Rosie. It felt…cold. He thought about Barnaby’s sad face. He realized that having all the shiny things in the world didn’t feel very good if he couldn’t share the joy with his friends.
Sparky took a deep breath and flew off to find Rosie. He found her carefully arranging pebbles on her fairy house roof. “Rosie,” he called, landing gently. “I…I changed my mind. You can have the blue stone.” Rosie’s face lit up. “Really, Sparky? Oh, thank you!” She carefully placed the stone on the roof, and it sparkled beautifully.
Next, Sparky found Barnaby near a patch of wildflowers. “Barnaby,” he said, offering a bright red bottle cap. “Here. For your mama’s crown.” Barnaby’s eyes widened. “Sparky! That’s wonderful! She’ll love it!” He carefully attached the bottle cap to the flower crown, and it looked magnificent.
When Sparky returned to his cave, it felt different. It wasn’t just filled with shiny things; it was filled with the warm glow of friendship. He realized that sharing his treasures hadn’t made them less special – it had made them *more* special. Seeing Rosie and Barnaby happy made his own heart sparkle brighter than any bottle cap or stone.
From that day on, Sparky still loved his collection, but he loved sharing it even more. He learned that the best treasures aren’t the ones you keep to yourself, but the ones you give away to make others smile. And as he drifted off to sleep, surrounded by the memory of his friends’ happy faces, Sparky knew he was the luckiest dragon in the world.