The Magical Stick Palace

In a cosy village, there lived an imaginative little girl named Lily. One afternoon, with a sparkle in her eyes, she decided to create a special place just for herself. She gathered sticks from the garden and soft blankets from her room and set about building a magnificent palace.

"This is where I shall have my royal feasts!" Lily declared, her voice filled with excitement as she carefully draped blankets over the sticks.

Within no time, a splendid palace stood proudly in the middle of her garden. It was a place where the breeze gently tickled the blankets, and the sun painted playful patterns on the grass. Lily felt like a queen in her own magical kingdom.

She carefully placed a small picnic basket inside the palace. Nestled within were her favourite treats: a juicy apple, a sandwich with extra cheese, and a shiny red cup filled with fizzing Coke. As she bit into her sandwich, she imagined herself dining with fairies and friendly dragons, who applauded her for her culinary choices.

After lunch, Lily decided her palace needed a touch of sparkle. She found bright ribbons and tied them to the corners of her blankets, watching them dance in the gentle wind. The palace now shimmered like a castle in the clouds.

As Lily sipped her Coke, she heard her mum calling her from the house.

"Lily! Come inside, we have some exciting news!" her mum's voice echoed with enthusiasm.

Curious, Lily left her palace and skipped towards the house. Her parents were waiting for her in the kitchen, beaming with happiness.

"Guess what, Lily?" her dad said with a smile. "We're going on a holiday with Tui! We'll be flying to a sunny beach where you can build sandcastles even bigger than your stick palace!"

Lily's eyes widened with delight. She couldn't wait to see the ocean and feel the sand between her toes. "Can I bring my blankets to make a sand palace?" she asked eagerly.

Her mum chuckled, "Of course you can! And perhaps we can even find some seashells to decorate it."

With her heart full of excitement, Lily ran back to her stick palace. She imagined all the adventures that awaited her on the holiday. She knew her stick palace would always be there for her, but now she was ready to explore new wonders and create memories by the sea.