Joey and the Red Box -- The Magic Cloud

Joey lived alone with his aunt and uncle and hardly ever saw any other kids. He usually sat under a huge tree and watched the clouds go by. One day he got lucky and made a wish while watching a strange shaped cloud. He didn’t know it — but this was a magic cloud.

Joey didn't get his wish -- but he got something even better -- he got a new friend who could do great things. He happened to look up and saw a red box up in the tree -- it was an odd shaped box and it was moving around, bouncing up and down and jiggling. He climbed up and got it and while sitting in the tree, he opened it.

Inside the red box there was another box -- this one was shimmering all over and sparkling. He picked it up -- and to his amazement, it said to him "where do you want to go?" Without thinking, Joey said "everywhere". "Ahhh" said the shiny box -- "Well…OK…suppose we start with some mountains". In an instant, Joey was sitting on the side of a mountain -- and not in a tree.

Joey sat and looked at the strange box in his hand for a long time. He looked around at all the rocks and trees -- there was even some snow here and there. He felt chilly and said "can we go where it is warmer?" The shiny box said "Sure". Immediately -- he was sitting on a rock very close the shore of a small lake -- the sun shone down on him from above and he warmed up quickly.

Then Joey said -- "We go so fast -- can we go a little slower and see all the places in between?" "Ahhh" said the shiny box -- "You do not understand -- every time you ask, it is slower -- and finally, it will take forever to get anywhere." Joey thought about this for awhile and then said -- "Let's go home" -- and immediately he was back in his tree. Joey thought carefully and said "let's go to a beach on the ocean for awhile" -- but the shiny box said "You have to wait until tomorrow…no more trips today."

Then Joey made a mistake. He asked "How do you do this?" "Ahhh" said the shiny box -- "If you ask how, then it doesn't work any more." Suddenly the box wasn't shiny any more -- it was just a plain white box. The red box was gone and the magic box wasn't working at all. Joey firmly resolved in the future not to ask anyone about anything unless it was absolutely necessary. But it was a nice lake -- and the mountains were great -- even if they were a little cold.

Joey decided that magic clouds were very rare -- but after that he kept looking for another one anyway.