

Emma skipped to the playground carrying her favorite bucket and shovel. She had colorful blocks too. Lily and Ben waved at her. "Hi Emma! Can we play together?" asked Lily. Emma hugged her toys tight. "No, these are mine," she said. She sat under a tree alone. Lily and Ben started building with sticks and leaves. Emma watched them laugh. She looked at her toys and felt lonely. Playing alone wasn't very fun after all.

Emma walked closer to Lily and Ben. They were making a tall tower. "Wow, that's so big!" Emma said. Ben smiled. "We're building a castle. Do you want to help?" Emma thought for a moment. "I have blocks that could make great walls," she said quietly. "Really? That would be perfect!" said Lily, her eyes bright. Emma felt a warm, happy feeling inside. Maybe sharing could be fun. She ran to get her blocks and brought them over.

The three friends worked together. Emma shared her bucket to carry water for the moat. Ben used Emma's shovel to dig. Lily arranged Emma's colorful blocks for the castle walls. "Look how beautiful it is!" cheered Emma. The castle had four towers and a rainbow gate. Other children came to see. "You all did this together?" they asked. Emma nodded proudly. "Yes! Sharing made it even better!" The castle was the biggest and prettiest one at the playground.

The sun began to set, painting the sky orange and pink. Emma, Lily, and Ben sat by their castle. "Thank you for sharing, Emma," said Ben. "This was the best day ever!" added Lily. Emma grinned. Her heart felt full and warm. "Playing together is so much more fun than playing alone," she said. The three friends held hands and danced around their castle. Emma learned that sharing brings friendship, and friendship brings happiness. From that day on, Emma always shared with her friends.