The Boy with the Cloud in His Pocket

Leo was a quiet boy. He lived in a small town near the hills. Everyone liked Leo, but Leo often felt sad. He did not know why.

One morning, Leo woke up and felt heavy. He put his hand in his coat pocket. He felt something soft and cold. He pulled his hand out. A tiny white cloud sat on his palm.

Leo stared at the cloud. It was small, like a cotton ball. It felt wet and cool. He pushed the cloud back into his pocket.

On the way to school, Leo walked slowly. The cloud in his pocket made his coat heavy. At school, Leo sat at his desk. His teacher, Mrs. Green, asked the class to draw pictures. Leo tried to draw, but he felt tired.

His friend Mia came to his desk. "Leo, do you want to play outside?" she asked.

Leo shook his head. "I am too tired today," he said. He touched his pocket. The cloud felt a little bigger.

After school, Leo walked home alone. It started to drizzle. Raindrops fell on his red coat. Leo took shelter under a large oak tree. He felt very lonely. He took the cloud out of his pocket.

The cloud was bigger now. It filled both his hands. It looked gray and heavy, like the sky before a storm.

Mia walked past the tree. She saw Leo and stopped. She had a bright yellow umbrella.

"Why are you standing in the rain?" Mia asked. She walked under the tree with him.

Leo looked at the ground. "I have a cloud," he whispered.

"A cloud?" Mia asked. "Where?"

Leo opened his hands. The gray cloud floated just above his palms. It shook a little.

Mia did not laugh. She reached out and touched the cloud softly. "It looks cold," she said.

"It is," Leo said. "It stays in my pocket."

"Clouds belong in the sky," Mia said. "Not in pockets."

Leo looked at the cloud. "How do I put it in the sky?"

"Let it go," Mia said with a smile.

Leo looked at his hands. He opened them wide. The wind blew softly through the tree branches. The gray cloud lifted off his hands. It rose slowly into the air, past the green leaves of the oak tree, up into the gray sky.

As the cloud went higher, it mixed with the big clouds above. The rain stopped. A beam of warm sunlight broke through the clouds and warmed Leo's face.

Leo felt a sudden lightness in his chest. He took a deep breath. His coat felt light again.

"Do you want to walk home together?" Mia asked.

Leo smiled. "Yes," he said.

What would you do if you found a cloud in your pocket?