Scalez was a little Time Traveler. He wore a round clock on his blue coat. Tick-tock, tick-tock, it went.
Scalez loved the Enchanted Forest. The trees had purple leaves. The mushrooms wore tiny bright hats. The brook sang, “Plip, plop, plip!”
One warm morning, Scalez saw something strange.
The forest was still.
A bunny stood with one paw up. A butterfly hung in the air. Even one raindrop waited under a leaf.
“Oh no,” said Scalez. “Time is frozen.”
From the silver clouds came Astral Traveler. Astral Traveler was a gentle star bird with soft, shining wings. He flew in circles and sprinkled little lights.
“Hello, Scalez,” said Astral Traveler. “I saw the stopped forest from the sky.”
“Can we help?” asked Scalez.
“Yes,” said Astral Traveler. “But we must be brave and kind.”
At the end of the brook stood Sorceress. She had a tall violet hat and a grumpy frown. In her hands was a big glass jar.
Inside the jar was a golden tick-tock.
“I took the Forest Clock,” said Sorceress. “Now everything waits! No hopping. No flapping. No singing!”
“That is sad,” said Scalez.
Sorceress crossed her arms. “I wanted quiet. The birds sang too early. The squirrels bounced too much. The brook splashed on my boots.”
Astral Traveler looked at her kindly. “You wanted a rest?”
Sorceress blinked. “Maybe a little rest,” she whispered.
Scalez opened his round clock. Its hands were small, but they glowed. “We can make a quiet place for you. But please give time back.”
Sorceress shook her head. “The jar has three moon locks. Only three happy sounds can open them.”
“Then we will find them!” said Scalez.
First, Scalez and Astral Traveler went to the sleepy meadow. A tiny fox was stuck in a soft patch of mud. Time was frozen, so the fox could not wiggle.
Scalez turned his clock one tiny turn.
Tick!
The fox moved just enough to say, “Help!”
Astral Traveler pulled with his beak. Scalez pulled with both hands. Pop! The fox came free.
The fox laughed. “Hee-hee-hee!”
A moon lock on the jar went click.
Next, they went to the blue mushroom hill. A baby hedgehog had lost his red berry. He sniffed. He searched. He looked very sad.
Scalez looked under a leaf. Astral Traveler looked under a stone. There was the berry, round and red.
“Berry!” squeaked the hedgehog.
Crunch, crunch, crunch! He ate it with a happy little sound.
The second moon lock went click.
“One more,” said Scalez.
They hurried to the oldest tree in the Enchanted Forest. It was wide and wise. Its branches made a green roof.
But the tree was silent.
“What happy sound can we find?” asked Astral Traveler.
Scalez listened.
He heard no bird. No brook. No bunny feet.
Then he had an idea. “We can make our own sound.”
Scalez tapped his clock. Tick-tock! Astral Traveler flapped his star wings. Fwip-fwap! Together they hummed, “Tick-tock, fwip-fwap, hello, hello!”
The old tree gave a little shake.
A gold acorn dropped into Scalez’s hands.
“Thank you,” whispered the tree. “Your song is small, but it is full of care.”
The gold acorn chimed, “Ding!”
Click!
The third moon lock opened.
The glass jar opened too.
Out flew the golden tick-tock. It grew bigger and bigger. Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock!
The bunny put down its paw and hopped away. The butterfly fluttered. The raindrop fell with a plip. The brook sang louder than before.
Sorceress covered her ears, then slowly smiled. “It is noisy,” she said. “But it is a nice kind of noisy.”
Scalez showed her a little hollow under the old tree. Astral Traveler lined it with cloud-soft feathers.
“This can be your quiet nook,” said Scalez. “You can rest here whenever you need.”
Sorceress smiled a real smile. “Thank you, little Time Traveler. I will not freeze the forest again.”
She waved her wand. Poof!
In front of Scalez appeared a tiny treasure chest.
Inside was a silver time key and a pocket watch with star hands.
“This is for you,” said Sorceress. “The key opens kind moments in time. Use it for helping.”
Scalez held the watch close. “I will.”
Astral Traveler perched on his shoulder. “Where shall we go next?”
Scalez’s new watch went tick-tock, tick-tock.
The Enchanted Forest danced in the sunny morning.
And Scalez, the kind little Time Traveler, smiled all the way home.