Once upon a time, in a sunny little town, there lived a boy named Benny. Benny loved playing in the park with his friends, but there was one thing he loved more than anything else: his big blue ball.
This wasn’t just any ball—it was the perfect shade of blue, bouncy and shiny, and Benny took it everywhere. He played with it at home, bounced it on the sidewalk, and even brought it to bed sometimes!
One bright morning, Benny raced to the park with his big blue ball in hand. His friends, Mia, Carlos, and Lila, were already there, playing on the swings and the slides.
“Hi, Benny!” called Mia, waving her hands excitedly. “Wow, that ball looks amazing! Can we play with it too?”
Benny clutched his ball close to his chest. He loved his friends, but he felt a little nervous. What if they didn’t treat his ball as carefully as he did? What if it got dirty or rolled into the pond?
“I… um… I kind of like playing with it by myself,” Benny said, holding it tightly. “Maybe next time!”
Mia, Carlos, and Lila looked a bit disappointed, but they didn’t say anything. They went back to playing, and Benny started bouncing his ball up and down all by himself.
At first, Benny was happy to play alone. He bounced the ball high in the air and caught it every time. He even made up a little game of bouncing it off the tree and catching it. But soon, he noticed his friends laughing and having fun together on the slide. Benny tried to bounce his ball higher and higher, but it didn’t feel as fun as before.
Then, something unexpected happened! Benny bounced the ball a little too hard, and it went flying! It soared through the air, bounced off a tree, and rolled down a little hill. Benny’s heart skipped a beat as he watched it roll farther and farther… right into the pond!
“Oh no!” Benny cried, racing after it. But when he reached the pond, he couldn’t see his ball anywhere. It was stuck in the water, far out of reach.
Seeing Benny’s worried face, Mia, Carlos, and Lila ran over. “Don’t worry, Benny! We’ll help you!” said Carlos, reaching out a long stick to try and pull the ball back.
Lila and Mia joined in, holding onto Carlos to keep him from slipping. Together, they managed to scoop the big blue ball back to the shore. Benny hugged his ball tight, feeling very, very grateful.
“Thank you, everyone,” Benny said, a little embarrassed. “I should have let you play with it from the start. Playing alone wasn’t as much fun as I thought.”
His friends smiled. “It’s okay, Benny,” Mia said. “We’re just happy you’re sharing with us now!”
Benny grinned. This time, he handed his big blue ball to Mia. One by one, they all took turns bouncing the ball, tossing it high in the air, and laughing together. The game was so much more fun when they played it together.
As the sun began to set, Benny realized something important. Sharing his favorite toy didn’t make it any less special. In fact, it made him feel even happier, knowing he could enjoy it with his friends.
And from that day on, Benny never played with his big blue ball alone again—because sharing it with friends made every day at the park feel like a brand-new adventure.
The End