“Happy birthday!” said Mike, giving his little brother Robby his present. “Open it.” 

Robby took the large, lumpy gift wrapped in red and blue polka dot paper. Attached to the top of the present was a red card that read:             

             “To Robby, From Mike" 

He tore the wrapping off the gift. Inside was a strange-looking stuffed lion.    

“Cool! Thanks Mike.” Robby picked up the stuffed animal and ran upstairs and into his bedroom. He plopped onto his bed to play with his new toy. It had a Velcro opening on its back. Robby opened it. Inside, he found a strange-looking stick. It almost looked like a magician’s wand except that part of the stick was brown and the other part was yellow.  

He reached in and grabbed it by the brown side. When he did, the tip of the wand started to glow a brilliant yellow.  

“Cool,” he said. “I didn’t know this used batteries.”

Robby marched around the room waving the wand and watching the yellow glow. 

Robby pointed the wand at the lion. “I will call you Cheese Puff.” 

All of a sudden, the stuffed lion began to glow the same yellow as the stick. Then it jumped to its feet, ran to the open window and leaped out.  

“CHEESE PUFF!” Robby cried.  

Mike came into the bedroom. “Did someone say Cheese Puffs? I’m starving!” 

“No, Cheese Puff is my new stuffed lion’s name, and he jumped out the window,” Robby said with a sob.  

Mike smirked, “You have a good imagination, Robby.”  

Robby pointed at the window. Mike walked over to the window and looked down. He gasped when he saw the stuffed lion he’d just given Robby as a gift jumping on the trampoline! Mike dashed downstairs, and ran straight out the door.

Robby ran back to the window. He saw Mike walk over to the stuffed lion, who was still happily bouncing on the trampoline. When Cheese Puff saw Mike approaching, it took a giant bounce and jumped over the fence. Mike scrambled over the fence after it. 

Shocked at the bizarre events of the day, Robby ran downstairs and out the door, without even stopping to put on his shoes. He, too, scrambled over the fence. He chased after Mike and the lion running down the street. He waved his wand this way and that as he hurried along.   

“Hey wait for me!”