Lathan McCorkle is a little boy in a house. The house is warm. The floor is soft. It smells like toast.
Lathan has a tall, silly hat. The Hat can talk. The Hat is polite. It says, “Hello, Lathan.”
Lathan pats it. “Hi, Hat.”
A small fox peeks in by the door. The Fox is quick and curious. Its tail swishes. “Hi!” says the Fox.
Then the wall makes a slow shadow. A Giant is outside. The Giant is big, but gentle. He bends low to the window.
“Tiny friends,” rumbles the Giant. “I heard a little ‘plop.’”
Lathan looks around. He feels brave, but also a bit shy. “My Hat is here,” he says, “but… my Hat’s shiny button is gone.”
The Hat sighs. “My button helps me sparkle.”
The Fox sniffs. “We can find it!”
The Giant whispers, “I will help. I will be careful.”
They start in the living room. Lathan tip-toes. The Hat sits snug on his head. The Fox trots in circles. The Giant watches through the window.
“Look under,” says the Hat.
Lathan looks under a pillow. No button. “Nope.”
“Try low,” says the Fox.
Lathan looks under the couch. He sees dust bunnies. He giggles. “Hi, bunnies.” No button.
“Try high,” says the Giant.
The Giant points to a shelf. Lathan cannot reach.
The Giant puts one big finger inside the house, very slow. “Is this okay?”
Lathan nods. “Yes. Gentle.”
The Giant lifts a box of blocks down. Clack-clack! Lathan claps. The Fox jumps back, then laughs. “Silly blocks!”
No button.
They go to the hallway. The Fox’s nose touches the air. Sniff, sniff. “I smell… shiny.”
Lathan follows. The Hat says, “I feel a draft. Maybe near the door.”
At the front door, there is a little mat. Lathan lifts the mat. He sees something small.
But it is not the button. It is a tiny coin. It is bright.
“Treasure!” chirps the Fox.
Lathan holds it. “Wow.”
The Giant smiles. “A good start.”
They keep looking. Lathan checks his pocket. No.
The Fox taps the Hat. “Did your button jump?”
The Hat says, “I would never jump… unless I was tickled.”
Lathan giggles and wiggles his head. The Hat wiggles too. “Hee-hee!”
Plink!
Something falls. It rolls: tic-tic-tic.
“Stop it!” says Lathan.
The Fox pounces, soft and fast. “Got it!”
In its paws is the shiny button.
The Hat gasps. “Oh! There you are!”
Lathan takes the button. It feels cool. He presses it back on.
Click.
The Hat sparkles a little. “Thank you,” it says.
The Giant claps once, quiet like a drum far away. “Hooray.”
The Fox grins. “Teamwork!”
Lathan looks at the coin, then at the Hat. “We found the button,” he says. “And treasure!”
The Hat says, “Keep the coin. You earned it.”
Lathan puts the coin in his pocket. It clinks. He smiles big.
The Fox curls by his feet. The Giant waves from the window.
Lathan McCorkle, little boy in a house, feels cozy and proud. “Goodnight,” he whispers.
“Goodnight,” says the Hat.
“Goodnight,” says the Fox.
“Goodnight,” says the Giant.