In the Kingdom, little Cowboy Lucas trotted down a sunny road. He wore a small hat and tiny boots. Clip-clop, clip-clop.
Lucas was brave, but also a bit shy. He liked to help. He held his rope and whispered, “I can do it.”
Near the castle gate, his friend King waited. King was not a king. King was a big, gentle dog with a shiny tag that said KING. King wagged his tail. “Woof! Lucas!”
Lucas smiled. “Hi, King. Let’s go!”
They walked past tall towers. They passed a fountain that went splash-splash. Birds went tweet-tweet.
Then Lucas stopped.
“Oh no,” he said.
The Kingdom’s colors looked sleepy. The red flags were pale. The blue pond looked gray. Even the flowers looked tired.
King sniffed the air. “Rrr… woof?”
A shadow moved behind a wall. A Monster peeked out. It was round and furry, with big eyes. It did not roar. It just huffed, “Hmph.”
Lucas held his hat. His knees felt wiggly.
King stood close. Warm and steady.
Lucas took a slow breath. “Hello, Monster. Are you… okay?”
Monster blinked. “I lost the Color Pebble,” it said in a small voice. “Now colors hide. I did not mean to.”
Lucas nodded. “We can find it. Right, King?”
“Woof!” said King.
They went to the garden. Lucas looked under a bench. “No pebble.”
They went to the market. Lucas looked behind a crate. “No pebble.”
They went to the river. Lucas listened. The river went glug-glug.
King barked at a pile of leaves. “Woof! Woof!”
Lucas knelt. He moved the leaves. Something sparkled.
“There!” Lucas said.
A tiny pebble shone like a rainbow. It was smooth. It felt warm.
Monster hopped closer. “That is it!”
Lucas held it up. “Color Pebble, please help the Kingdom.”
He placed it on the fountain edge.
Whoosh!
Red came back. Bright red! Blue came back. Sky blue! Yellow flowers popped like little suns.
The castle flags flapped proudly again.
Monster smiled wide. “Thank you. I was lonely. I hid in shadows.”
Lucas touched Monster’s fluffy arm. “You can be with us. No hiding.”
King licked Monster’s cheek. “Slurp!”
Monster giggled. “Hee!”
A guard came running. “Cowboy Lucas! You found the Color Pebble!”
The guard gave Lucas a reward: a small treasure box.
Inside were three star stickers, one silver coin, and a golden sheriff badge that said FRIEND.
Lucas’s eyes went big. “Wow!”
He pinned the badge on his vest. “I’m Sheriff Friend!”
King barked, proud. Monster clapped softly.
Together they walked through the bright Kingdom, clip-clop, clip-clop, under happy colors.