The Rainbow Crayon

Ruby loved crayons. She had red ones, blue ones, green ones, and even gold. But there was one crayon she’d never seen before. It sat at the bottom of her art box, glowing faintly. " - Huh? How did this get here?" she wondered, holding up the rainbow-striped crayon.

She gave it a little test. As the tip touched the paper, every color of the rainbow swirled out, shimmering and bright. " - Whoa!" Ruby gasped. The crayon didn’t just color—it sparkled, like it had been dipped in magic. She drew a butterfly with blue and purple wings.

Ruby’s hand flew across the page. Suddenly, the butterfly lifted off the page, fluttering around her room! " - Come back!" Ruby laughed, chasing it. The butterfly perched on her windowsill, its wings glowing in the sunlight. Ruby’s heart felt as bright as her art.

At school the next day, Ruby saw her classmate Leo crying over a birthday card. " - It’s ruined," Leo sniffled, showing her a torn page. Ruby hesitated. Should she help? She pulled out her rainbow crayon and began to draw.

A bunch of balloons floated up from the card. " - Wow!" Leo gasped. The whole class clapped. Ruby smiled but quietly tucked the crayon back into her pocket. She still felt too shy to take credit for her magical touch.

Then came the day the colors disappeared. The sky turned gray. The grass lost its green. Even the flowers drooped, their petals dull and lifeless. " - Ruby, you’re the only one who can bring the colors back," said a voice from her crayon.

Ruby took a deep breath. She stood in the town square and drew with all her might. Rainbows arched across the sky. Flowers blossomed in every color. People cheered as the gray gloom melted away.

" - Your art makes the world better," her crayon whispered. Ruby looked at the smiling faces around her. She knew it was true. Her heart swelled with pride and happiness, as colorful as the world she created.

From that day on, Ruby never hid her art again. She knew the real magic wasn’t in the crayon—it was in her. She shared her art with everyone, spreading joy and color wherever she went. " - Thank you, rainbow crayon," she whispered.