The Day Nobody Played With Me
The Day Nobody Played With Me — an illustrated stories story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Books.
Page 1
The swing set creaked a lonely tune as ten-year-old Finn slumped onto a bench, kicking at the dust. Maya, usually bubbling with laughter, sat beside him, unusually quiet, sketching furiously in her notebook. "Nobody wants to play today," Finn muttered, watching kids stream past towards a kickball game. "It's like I'm invisible."
Page 2
"Look," Maya said, nudging Finn with her elbow, "remember that old wishing well Mrs. Willow told us about? She said it's hidden somewhere in the woods near the creek." Finn perked up slightly. "The one where you have to whisper a secret wish?" he asked skeptically. "She also said it's guarded by a... grumpy gnome who collects lost buttons," Maya added, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Page 3
"A grumpy gnome? Seriously, Maya?" Finn scoffed, but a tiny smile played on his lips. "Well," Maya said, jumping up, "as Helen Keller said, 'Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.' Let's find that wishing well! Maybe it can wish us some friends." Finn hesitated for a moment, then grinned. "Alright, let's go button-hunting!"
Page 4
The woods were dappled with sunlight as Finn and Maya followed a winding creek. "I think it's this way," Maya said, pointing towards a thicket of thorny bushes. "Wait," Finn said, stopping abruptly. "My new sneakers!" He tried to push through the thorns, but they snagged his shoelaces. "Ouch! This is impossible!"
Page 5
"Look!" Maya exclaimed, pointing to a large, flat rock covered in moss. "There's something carved into it." They brushed away the moss to reveal a set of strange symbols. "Mrs. Willow told us about these," Maya said. "They are ancient nature symbols that guide you to the wishing well."
Page 6
Following the symbols led them to a dark, overgrown part of the woods. Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the trees. "What was that?" Finn whispered, his eyes wide with fear. A small, grumpy-looking gnome stepped out from behind a tree, holding a tiny net filled with colorful buttons. "You're trespassing on my button-collecting grounds!"
Page 7
"We didn't mean to!" Maya exclaimed. "We're looking for the wishing well. Mrs. Willow told us you guard it." The gnome scoffed. "Guarding it is boring! Besides, I've lost my favorite blue button, and I can't find it anywhere." Finn looked at Maya. "Maybe we can help him find it!"
Page 8
They searched high and low, but the blue button was nowhere to be found. Finn remembered the thorny bushes. "Wait!" he shouted. "Maybe it got snagged on the thorns when I got my sneakers stuck!" They raced back to the thicket. Finn carefully parted the thorns, and there it was: the gnome's favorite blue button! "As Leonardo da Vinci said, 'every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer.' Turns out, a short break helped me remember!" Finn declared triumphantly.
Page 9
The gnome, overjoyed, led them to a hidden clearing where a beautiful stone well stood, covered in flowers. "Thank you!" he squeaked. "Now, tell me your wishes!" Finn and Maya looked at each other. "We wish that we weren't invisible," Finn said softly. They whispered their wishes into the well.
Page 10
The next day, Finn and Maya walked into the park, nervously anticipating another lonely afternoon. But this time, something was different. Children waved, inviting them to join their games. Laughing, Finn and Maya raced to join in, no longer invisible. They realized sometimes, a little help and friendship are all you need.
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)