Clara and the Goldenland🔊

Once upon a time, in the heartland of England, there was a little town named Stillfield, filled with picturesque houses and lush green grounds. Stillfield was closely nestled in the embrace of a forest that stretched for miles and offered an eternal green sanctuary. Among the many households of Stillfield, one was particularly cherished, the Sanders' family.

The Sanders were known for their warm hospitality and, above all, for their young daughter Clara, a girl with springy chestnut hair, emerald eyes, and a freckled face that always wore a bright smile. Clara had a peculiar passion, collecting unique and orphaned objects she found in the forest, she called her collection 'Treasures,' which consisted of buttons, old coins, glass marbles, bird feathers, and even broken eggshells.

One cold winter morning, when the frost delicately clung onto the windows, Clara decided to venture into the depths of the forest to find her next treasure. Bundled up in her heavy forest-green cloak, she meandered through the winding trails. She wandered towards a part of the forest she had never visited before where she came across a dazzling golden door in the middle of nowhere.

The ornate golden door stood by itself, delicately engraved with mystical symbols, shrouded in its charm of elusive enigma. Clara was intrigued and nudged the door open. The world beyond was not the snow-covered forest she had left behind but a place seemingly out of a dream - 'Goldenland.'

Goldenland was a kingdom embellished by the most radiant and luminescent gold. Golden flowers blossomed, golden birds chirruped, and even the air seemed to shimmer with golden haze. It was as though Clara had walked into a heaven dipped in molten gold.

Clara was soon greeted by the inhabitants, humble golden creatures that resembled fairies. They introduced themselves as Goldies and to Clara's disbelief announced her their queen. The Goldies explained that they were awaiting a human with a heart as golden as their kingdom's richness. Clara's deeds of cherishing and valuing the abandoned had made her worthy of ruling Goldenland.

Clara decide to stay and reign. She valued the unusual in her kingdom, as she had done back at Stillfield, fostering a loving, accepting, and warm culture. But, as spring approached, she began to miss her home, the rawness of woods, the cold of winters, and above all, her loving family. She was torn between her ruling duties and longing to return home.

One day, the wisest Goldie, Eldor, presented Clara with a decision – she could choose to stay forever in Goldenland or return home and forever forget this golden kingdom. Clara, with a heavy heart, chose to go back to her home, her own world, surrendering herself to forgetting the extraordinary Goldenland.

So woke Clara, curled up against a grand oak tree, it took her a few moments to discern her dream from reality. As she walked home, she noticed a peculiar, shiny object protruding from the snow. It was the smallest piece of bright golden pebble. Clara held onto the 'Treasure,' vaguely aware of a fading golden memory, an echo of a past reality. The golden pebble joined Clara's collection but forever held a distinct place, silently whispering the tales of a forgotten Goldenland.

Back homes, Clara cherished her treasures more than ever. She was a queen in her own right, fostering her world, one orphaned object at a time. The golden pebble sparkled the tales of an extraordinary adventure that Clara had chosen to forget. For she had discovered that the treasures that actually counted were the ones close to her heart, right where she belonged.