Declan was a little Explorer with a round red hat. He loved doors, maps, and tiny shiny keys. One morning, he found a tall silver door behind a blue curtain.
On the door were three words: Illusion Chamber.
“Hello?” said Declan.
The door said, “Hello, Explorer.”
Creak! It opened.
Inside, the Illusion Chamber was full of soft mist. Pink clouds floated near the floor. Green stars blinked on the ceiling. A yellow path went this way, then that way, then upside down.
Declan held his small lantern. “I can look,” he said.
“Wait for me!” called Archer.
Archer was Declan’s friend. Archer wore a little blue scarf and carried a bow that shot harmless puff-puff arrows. He was quick, cheerful, and very good at seeing small things.
Together they stepped in.
Tap, tap. Declan walked.
Tip, tip. Archer walked.
Then the yellow path disappeared.
“Oh,” said Declan.
“Oh dear,” said Archer.
A deep voice rumbled from behind a purple curtain. “Who is in my Chamber?”
Out came Ogre.
Ogre was big. Very big. He had big boots, big hands, and a big green nose. But his eyes looked sad. In one hand, he held a tiny paintbrush.
“I am Ogre,” he said. “I wanted to paint a rainbow. But my colors are gone. Now the Chamber makes silly tricks. Paths vanish. Clouds wear socks. Stars sneeze.”
“Achoo!” said a star.
Declan looked at Ogre. “We can help.”
Ogre blinked. “You will help me?”
“Yes,” said Declan.
“Yes, yes!” said Archer. He shot one puff-puff arrow. Poff! It became a little arrow-shaped cloud.
Ogre showed them a picture. It had a red apple, a blue bell, and a golden sun. “Find these three colors,” he said. “Then my rainbow paint will wake up.”
First, Declan and Archer went to the Apple Room. It looked like a room full of apples. Big apples. Small apples. Apple chairs. Apple hats.
But the apples were not apples. They were red balloons!
“Pop?” asked Archer.
“No pop,” said Declan. “Look.”
Under one balloon was a red button. Declan pressed it.
Ding! A red drop of paint fell into Ogre’s little cup.
“Red!” cheered Archer.
Next was the Bell Room. Blue bells rang everywhere.
Ring-ring! Ding-ding!
Archer covered his ears. “So noisy!”
Declan listened very quietly. One bell did not ring. It sat under a pillow.
Declan lifted the pillow. There was a blue button.
Press.
Ding! A blue drop of paint fell into the cup.
“Blue!” said Declan.
Last was the Sun Room. It was dark. Very dark. A tiny golden light hid high, high up.
“I cannot reach,” said Declan.
“I cannot fly,” said Archer.
Ogre slowly knelt down. “You may stand on my hand,” he said.
Declan stood on Ogre’s big hand. Archer stood beside him. Up they went. Up, up, up.
Declan touched the golden light.
It giggled. “Tickle!”
The light became a golden button.
Press.
Ding! A golden drop of paint fell into the cup.
Ogre stirred the red, blue, and gold with his tiny paintbrush.
Swish, swish, swish.
A rainbow burst from the cup. It rolled across the floor. It climbed the walls. It tickled the stars. It painted the mist pink, orange, blue, and green.
The yellow path came back. The clouds took off their socks.
“No more sneezing!” said the star.
Ogre laughed a big, warm laugh. “Ho, ho, ho! You found my colors!”
He opened a treasure box. Inside were three Explorer badges, bright as buttons.
One badge had a red apple. One had a blue bell. One had a golden sun.
“For Declan,” said Ogre, “the Brave Explorer badge.”
“For Archer,” said Ogre, “the Sharp-Eye Helper badge.”
“And this,” he said, giving them both a small rainbow key, “opens the Illusion Chamber whenever you need a kind adventure.”
Declan put on his badge. Archer tied his badge to his blue scarf.
“Thank you, Ogre,” said Declan.
“Thank you, little Explorers,” said Ogre.
Then Declan and Archer went home along the bright yellow path.
Tap, tap.
Tip, tip.
Behind them, the Illusion Chamber glowed like a happy rainbow. And in Declan’s pocket, the rainbow key gave one tiny, friendly sparkle.