The fairground was bursting with colour and noise — flashing lights, spinning rides, music, and the sweet smell of popcorn floating through the evening air.
Katie skipped beside her dad past rows of noisy fairground rides and games packed with all sorts of prizes. But then she stopped suddenly.
Hanging next to a stuffed lion and a giraffe was a grey elephant sealed inside a clear balloon.
The elephant was much bigger than the other prizes. It was sitting in a space far too small for it.
Everyone else walked past without noticing.
But Katie couldn’t stop staring.
The elephant looked trapped.
And somehow, it seemed to be looking directly at her.
When the lady running the stall noticed that Katie was interested, she asked her what she would like to win.
“Can I win that elephant?” Katie asked quietly.
The lady glanced up at the balloon and nodded.
Katie turned and asked, “Daddy, please may I have a go?”
“Of course. But it’s not easy.”
“I’ll try really hard,” Katie replied. “That elephant wants to come home with me. It’s not happy here.”
Up close, the elephant looked even more cramped inside the balloon.
The lady studied Katie for a moment, then slowly lifted the string down from the hook.
“You’re the first one who’s ever thought about how he feels,” she said softly, and handed the balloon to Katie. “Take him. He is yours.”
She smiled as Katie carefully took the string.
“Look after him,” she said softly.
Katie blinked.
“Him?”
But the lady had already turned away to greet the next customers.
Katie carried the balloon carefully all the way home. Behind them, the fairground became smaller and smaller until the music was only a distant echo.
It was getting dark now and the evening felt calm. By the time they reached home, Katie could think of nothing except the elephant and how to set him free.
“If we open it,” Dad said gently, “the balloon will not stay whole.”
Katie looked down at the elephant fitting tightly inside.
“That’s okay,” she whispered.
“I don’t think he wants to stay trapped in there.”
That night, the elephant sat quietly beside Katie in bed.
“You’re free now,” she whispered sleepily.
The elephant curled its trunk happily and snuggled a little closer.
And high above the rooftops outside, another strange balloon drifted silently through the night sky…