The Star in the Cup

Leo lives in a small, old house on a very high hill. Every night, the sky is clear and dark. Leo sits by his window and looks at the sky. He loves the stars. They are bright, yellow, and beautiful. But they are very far away. Leo is sad because he cannot touch a star. He wants to have a star in his room.

One cold winter night, Leo wants a hot drink to keep warm. He goes to his small kitchen. He takes his favorite big blue cup from the shelf. He puts hot water, green leaves, and sweet honey in the cup. He makes warm tea. He walks outside into his garden with his cup. The night is very dark and very silent. The wind is cold. The moon is big, round, and white.

Leo sits on a wooden bench under a large tree. He holds the warm cup with both of his hands. He feels the heat on his fingers. He looks up at the sky. He sees millions of beautiful stars. They look like diamonds. Then, he looks down at his cup of tea.

Leo gasps. He is very surprised! He sees a star! It is inside his big blue cup. It is small, silver, and very bright. It shines in the dark tea.

"Oh!" Leo whispers. "I have a star in my cup! It is mine!"

He does not want to move. He does not want the star to run away. He holds the cup very still. He smiles. He feels very warm and very happy. He finally has a star of his own.

Suddenly, a small black cat runs past the bench. The cat bumps Leo’s leg. The cup shakes. The warm tea moves. The star is gone!

Leo is very sad. "My star is gone!" he says.

He looks at the tea. He sees only bubbles and leaves. He looks up at the sky. The stars are still there, high above the trees. He looks back down at his cup. The tea becomes still again. Slowly, the star comes back! It shines in the blue cup again.

Leo understands now. The star in the cup is a reflection. It is a picture of the star from the sky. He cannot touch the real star in the sky, but he can keep its beautiful light in his cup.

He drinks his warm tea slowly. He looks at the night sky. He knows the stars are always there for him.

What does Leo see in his cup?