The Mystery of the Moonlit Footprints

 

Late one night, ten-year-old Silvia woke to a soft crunch outside her bedroom window. Curiosity flickered in her eyes. She tiptoed downstairs, past the sleeping dog and dozing parents, and eased open the back door. By the faint glow of moonlight, she saw tiny footprints zigzagging across the dew-covered grass. What sort of creature could have left them?

Armed with a flashlight, Silvia followed the trail through the yard and behind the old wooden shed. The footprints led to a small, shadowy form hunched over a row of freshly planted tomatoes. She steeled herself, expecting a raccoon or maybe a skunk—but it was just her neighbor’s lost cat, Pepper, batting at a fat garden beetle.

Pepper looked up, startled by the light. He darted away, leaving Silvia with nothing but a trace of paw prints on the soil. Although she didn’t solve the grand “mystery” the way she’d hoped, Silvia felt proud of her bravery. And as she tucked Pepper back into his yard next door (with a gentle pat on the head), she knew that sometimes the best adventures happen right in your own backyard—under a silent moon, with footprints leading to small surprises.