One evening, under her pillow, Jade found a little golden key, warm as a ray of sunlight. Beside it, a tiny door had appeared in her bedroom wall. Heart pounding, Jade slid the key into the lock.
The door opened onto a staircase of clouds. At the top waited the Keeper of Dreams, an old owl with round glasses. “Every child who finds the key,” he said, “may choose the dream of their night.”
Jade thought hard. She could have chosen a mountain of sweets, or a castle all her own. But she asked: “Could I dream of my lost cuddly toy, just to say goodbye?”
The owl nodded, moved. In the dream, Jade hugged her toy tight, laughed with it one last time, and wished it a good journey. When she half-woke in the night, she no longer felt sad: she felt light.
She tucked the key back under her pillow, in case another night might need it. Then she fell asleep again, at peace. For the most beautiful dreams, she had learned, are the ones you give from the heart. Good night, Jade.