

Tom and Lily liked to play hide and seek in the big park. They took turns to count and hide behind trees, bushes and benches. They laughed and shouted when they found each other.
One day, they saw a new place to hide. It was a small house made of wood and stone. It had a door and a window, but no one lived there. Tom and Lily ran to the house and opened the door. It was dark and dusty inside.
"Wow, this is a great place to hide!" Tom said. "Let's go in and explore!"
"OK, but be careful. It might be scary," Lily said.
They went in and looked around. They saw a table, a chair, a bed and a shelf. On the shelf, there was a box. It was old and rusty, and had a lock on it.
"What's in the box?" Tom asked.
"I don't know. Maybe a treasure, or a toy, or a secret," Lily said.
"Let's open it and see!" Tom said. He tried to break the lock with a stick, but it was too strong.
"Stop, Tom! You might break something!" Lily said.
But Tom did not listen. He hit the lock harder and harder, until it snapped. He opened the box and looked inside.
There was nothing in the box, except a small ball of light. It floated out of the box and flew around the room. It made a soft sound, like a whisper.
"Wow, what is that?" Tom asked.
"I don't know. It looks like a spirit," Lily said.
"A spirit? What is a spirit?" Tom asked.
"A spirit is a thing that has no body, but has feelings and thoughts. Sometimes, spirits are nice and friendly, and sometimes, they are mean and scary," Lily said.
"Is this spirit nice or mean?" Tom asked.
"I don't know. Let's say hello and find out," Lily said.
They said hello to the spirit, and the spirit said hello back. It had a cheerful voice, and it smiled.
"Hello, children. I'm glad you found me. I've been lonely for a long time," the spirit said.
"Who are you? Where did you come from?" Tom asked.
"I'm a fairy. I used to live in the forest, with my friends and family. But one day, a bad man came and caught me. He put me in this box and locked me up. He wanted to use my magic for his own selfish purposes. He was very cruel and greedy," the spirit said.
"That's terrible! How long have you been in the box?" Lily asked.
"I don't know. A very long time. I lost track of the days and the seasons. I missed the sun and the moon, the flowers and the birds, the wind and the rain. I missed my home and my people. I was sad and lonely," the spirit said.
"I'm sorry. That's very sad," Lily said.
"Can we help you? Can we set you free?" Tom asked.
"Yes, you can. You already did. By opening the box, you broke the spell that kept me trapped. Now I can go back to the forest, and find my friends and family. You are very kind and brave, children. Thank you very much," the spirit said.
"You're welcome. We're happy to help you. We're your friends, too," Tom said.
"Can we go with you? Can we see the forest and the fairies?" Lily asked.
"Of course. I would love to show you my home and my people. They will be happy to meet you, too. Come, follow me. Let's go," the spirit said.
The spirit took Tom and Lily by the hand, and led them out of the house. They flew in the air, with the spirit's magic. They saw the park, the town, the river and the hills. They saw the forest, green and bright. They saw the fairies, colorful and cheerful. They played and danced and sang with them. They had a lot of fun.
Tom and Lily never forgot that day. They never forgot the spirit, their friend. They never forgot the forest, their adventure. They never forgot the magic, their gift. They always remembered to be kind and brave, and to help those in need. They always remembered to be happy and grateful, and to enjoy life. They always remembered to play hide and seek, and to laugh and shout. They always remembered to be children, and to dream.
