The map drew itself faster than Leni could blink.
Blue lines curled across the brown party bag. They made the garden, the painting table, and the bouncy house.
Then a green footprint appeared beside the painted door.
Ravi pointed at Leni’s shoe. "That is definitely your splodge."
Leni lifted her foot. The green paint was still there, dry and shiny.
A tiny dotted path ran from the footprint to the bouncy house. It ended at a yellow corner with a silver cross.
The golden handle on the bag blinked once.
Find the corner that is not a corner. Mend the bounce before the last candle.
Ravi swallowed. "Cake has candles."
Dad called from the patio, "Cake in five minutes, everyone!"
Leni tucked her brush behind her ear. "Then we have five minutes."
⁂
Most children ran to the table, where the cake waited under a spotty cloth.
The bouncy house stood empty, puffing and wobbling in the sun.
Ravi stopped at the doorway. His paper crown trembled on his head.
"I don’t like it when everyone jumps at once," he said. "Ben bounced me into the wall before."
Leni looked at the silver cross on the map. It was pulsing faster.
"We’ll do one tiny bounce," she said. "Rocket landing, not rocket blast."
Ravi gave a small nod. "Tiny bounce."
They climbed inside. The floor sighed under their socks.
At first, the corner looked ordinary. Yellow wall, blue floor, soft seam.
Then Leni saw a brown paper square flapping under the seam.
"That’s bag paper," she whispered.
She reached for it, but the floor lurched. The square tucked itself away.
The map rustled in Ravi’s hand.
"It says the corner is not a corner," Ravi said. "Maybe it only shows when the floor moves."
Leni held up her brush. "Can you do the tiny bounce?"
Ravi’s hands squeezed the map. Then he bent his knees.
"Rocket landing," he said.
He bounced once.
The seam opened like a little smile.
Leni darted forward and caught the brown paper square.
⁂
The square was not stuck down. It was lonely and blank.
All the other party bags had names. This one never had.
Leni thought of Dad wanting neat names, and the plain bag tapping for help.
"It doesn’t know who it belongs to," she said.
The bouncy house gave a sad, rubbery squeak.
Ravi bounced again, very gently. The seam opened wider.
A thin silver tear shone beneath it.
Leni pulled the silver paint pot from the table basket she had carried in.
Her fingers shook, but she dipped the brush carefully.
Steady silver, smooth and bright, hold the fun and seal it tight, she whispered.
She painted over the tear. The patch glowed.
But one corner peeled up again.
"It still needs a name," Ravi said.
Leni looked at the bouncy walls, the party bags, and her green shoe.
Then she printed one neat word on the patch.
Bounce.
The patch snapped flat. The whole bouncy house gave one happy hop.
Ravi wobbled, then laughed so loudly that Nico looked over from the cake table.
"Again!" Ravi said, surprised at himself.
"After cake," Leni said, grinning.
The map on the party bag faded until only the new name remained.
The golden handle whispered, Thank you, Painter.
⁂
They hurried back as Mum lit the last candle.
"Where were you two?" Dad asked.
"Checking the bounce," Ravi said.
Leni expected him to look nervous. Instead, he stood a little taller.
Everyone sang. Nico blew hard, and all the candles went out together.
The children cheered, and Dad cut the cake into wobbly squares.
Leni took the plain brown bag and set it beside the others.
Now it had a name. Bounce.
Then Nico’s rocket bag gave a tiny tap.
On its silver nose, a new black arrow slowly painted itself.
