Nina woke up one morning and felt strange.
She looked in the mirror.
Her eyes were there.
Her nose was there.
Her cheeks were there.
But her smile was gone.
Nina opened her mouth and tried to smile.
Nothing happened.
“Oh no,” she said. “Where did my smile go?”
She looked under her pillow.
No smile.
She looked in her toy box.
No smile.
She looked inside her red rain boots.
No smile.
Nina even looked in her goldfish bowl.
Her goldfish, Bubbles, stared back.
“Have you seen my smile?” asked Nina.
Bubbles opened and closed his mouth.
Blub.
Nina sighed.
She went outside to search.
First, she met Mrs. Plum next door.
“Have you seen my smile?” Nina asked.
Mrs. Plum looked in her apron pocket.
“No smile here,” she said. “But I do have a warm muffin.”
Nina took the muffin and said, “Thank you.”
The muffin smelled like blueberries.
Nina felt a tiny warm feeling inside.
Next, she met Mr. Green, who was watering flowers.
“Have you seen my smile?” asked Nina.
“I have not,” said Mr. Green. “But this daisy looks like it wants to meet you.”
He gave Nina a white daisy.
Nina held it gently.
The tiny warm feeling grew bigger.
Then Nina saw her friend Sam sitting on the sidewalk.
Sam looked sad.
“My kite is stuck in the tree,” he said.
Nina forgot about her missing smile for a moment.
“I can help,” she said.
She found a long stick and carefully lifted the kite string.
The kite floated down.
Sam hugged it. “Thank you, Nina!”
Nina’s cheeks tickled.
She almost smiled.
Then she walked to the bakery.
The baker, Miss Honey, was trying to carry a big tray.
“May I hold the door?” asked Nina.
“That would be lovely,” said Miss Honey.
Nina held the door open.
The bakery smelled like bread and cinnamon.
Miss Honey gave Nina a tiny cookie shaped like a star.
Nina shared it with Sam.
The tickle in her cheeks came back.
At the park, Nina saw a little boy crying.
He had dropped his toy boat in the pond.
Nina found a safe stick and helped pull it back to the edge.
The little boy clapped. “You saved my boat!”
Nina felt her lips move.
Just a little.
She ran to a puddle and looked down at her reflection.
There it was.
A small smile.
Not a big one yet, but a real one.
Nina laughed.
The smile grew.
She ran home and looked in the mirror.
Her smile was back.
It was bright and warm.
Mother came in. “Did you find your smile?”
Nina nodded. “I found it by helping people.”
Mother hugged her. “Smiles often hide inside kindness.”
That afternoon, Nina drew a picture of everyone who helped her.
Mrs. Plum with the muffin.
Mr. Green with the daisy.
Sam with the kite.
Miss Honey with the star cookie.
The little boy with the boat.
Then she drew herself in the middle with a big smile.
The next morning, Nina woke up smiling.
But now she knew what to do if her smile ever went missing again.
She would look for someone to help.
Because happiness grows when it is shared.
For more stories go to: Bedtime Stories