Hannah and the Lost Lollipop

Hannah loved to imagine and build more than anything. In her backyard, right where the grass met the giggling gum trees of the Whispering Woods, she built tiny twig houses for fairy folk and leafy castles for friendly beetles. The air smelled sweet like cinnamon and sunshine, and Hannah hummed a happy tune, feeling like the best builder in the whole wide world.

Suddenly, a tiny sniffle wobbled through the air. From behind a bouncy bottlebrush, a little gingerbread girl with icing buttons peeked out. A big tear rolled down her crumbly cheek. "My lollipop!" she cried. "My big, swirly, rainbow lollipop is gone!" Hannah’s heart gave a little squeeze. She knew right away what she had to do. A friend needed her, and she was the best helper she knew.

“Don’t you worry!” said Hannah. “We’ll find it! Where, oh where, could that lollipop be?” Her first idea was to build a map. She gathered a big flat leaf and used a sharp twig to draw the path. But a kookaburra, watching from a branch above, let out a big belly laugh. "That map's all topsy-turvy, little one!" he chuckled. Hannah felt her cheeks get warm. Maybe being a helper was trickier than she thought.

Hannah sat down with a little sigh. Building wasn't working. But then she remembered her other super-skill: imagining! She closed her eyes and imagined she was a giant, sticky lollipop. If she got lost, she would roll downhill and glittery things would stick to her. Her eyes popped open! She saw it – a shiny trail of wattle pollen and sparkly pebbles snaking down the path. "I see it!" she shouted, her heart thumping with excitement. The trail led right to a big wattle tree, where the lollipop was safely snagged on a fluffy, yellow branch.

Using her best building skills, Hannah quickly made a small ladder from strong twigs. She carefully climbed up and rescued the sticky treat. The gingerbread girl, whose name was Ginger, gave her a huge, crumbly hug that smelled of spice and happiness. They shared the lollipop under the golden wattle tree, and Hannah knew that the best helpers don't just build with their hands, they build with their hearts and their imaginations too.