The Case of the Missing Moon Rock
The Case of the Missing Moon Rock — an illustrated stories story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Books.
Page 1
The Greatwood School pulsed with autumnal hues, leaves of scarlet and gold clinging to its massive trunk. "Hurry, Elara!" boomed Professor Bramble's voice, shaking down a shower of leaves. "The Astronomy exam starts at dawn!" Elara, a sprightly student, dashed through the root-carved doorway, her satchel bouncing.
Page 2
Inside the bustling classroom, Elara spotted her best friend, Finn. "Did you study the lunar charts?" she asked, breathless. Finn shrugged, revealing a mischievous grin. "More or less. Hey, look what I found!" He produced a small, velvet-lined box from his bag, revealing a shimmering, grey rock. "It's a real moon rock, Professor Bramble uses it for a lesson, but it's missing!"
Page 3
"Missing?!" Elara gasped. "Finn, we have to return it! What if it's needed for the exam?" Finn hesitated. "But... it's so cool!" He looked at the rock, mesmerized. Just then, Professor Bramble entered, his face etched with worry. "As Leonardo da Vinci said, 'I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply.' The exam cannot proceed without the moon rock!" Finn declared, "We'll find it Professor!"
Page 4
Their search led them to the Whispering Woods, a place known for its mischievous sprites. "Did you see anyone with a shiny rock?" Elara asked a passing butterfly, its wings shimmering. The butterfly fluttered towards a hidden grove. "That's Pip's territory, he likes shiny things." Finn cautiously entered the grove. "Hello? Pip?"
Page 5
Deep within the grove, they discovered a tiny cottage made of acorns and leaves. Suddenly, a voice squeaked, "Who dares disturb Pip?" A tiny sprite with iridescent wings emerged, clutching a collection of shiny objects. "Did you know," Finn stated, "that sprites hoard shiny things because they think they're compressed starlight?" Pip frowned, his eyes fixed on something behind them. "I have something far shinier than starlight here!"
Page 6
Following Pip's gaze, Elara and Finn saw...Professor Bramble's prized telescope, glinting in the sunlight! "The telescope?!" Elara exclaimed. "But...how?" Professor Bramble suddenly burst through the trees, looking frantic. "Oh dear! I seem to have sleepwalked again! I do that when I'm stressed!", he said. Pip noticed he'd been busted and flew away!
Page 7
"Professor, you were sleepwalking?" Finn asked, astonished. Professor Bramble wrung his hands. "The exam pressure got to me! I must have wandered off with it in my sleep." Elara, thinking quickly, grabbed a handful of glow-moss from the sprite's cottage. "This might help!" she said. "Glow moss is often used to light a path, even in dreams, it provides light and also direction!"
Page 8
That night, as Professor Bramble prepared for the exam, Elara and Finn coated the forest path with the glowing moss. When Professor Bramble began to sleepwalk again, the moss guided him back towards the school! "The moss worked!" Finn cheered. Professor Bramble awoke with a jolt. "What... what happened?" He looked at the moon rock that he somehow brought with him and placed it on the desk. "Now, the exam will begin!"
Page 9
The exam proceeded smoothly, thanks to the returned moon rock. "You two showed remarkable courage and kindness," Professor Bramble said, beaming. "And you used the knowledge from the glow-moss, too! Well done. You both get extra credit for your cleverness!" Finn shrugged humbly. "It was Elara's idea."
Page 10
As Elara and Finn walked through the Greatwood, now draped in the colors of winter, Elara smiled. "We solved the case of the missing moon rock!" she exclaimed. Finn nodded. "And we learned that even sleepwalking professors can have their moments." Professor Bramble watched them with a smile, the school twinkling in the fading light. As they walked away, he quoted: "'The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.' Helen Keller said that, and it's true for what these two did."
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)