

Luna the fox sat by the window, her tail curled tight. She missed her mom, who worked all day. Luna sighed, "Why do I feel so sad?" A tear rolled down her cheek. Luna tried to giggle, but no sound came out. She realized her laugh was gone!

Luna searched under her bed and inside her favorite book. She whispered, "Laugh, where are you?" But nothing giggled back. Her room felt empty and quiet. Luna's heart sank even more. She thought, "I must find my laugh!"

"Max!" Luna called as she ran to her best friend’s den. Max, a chubby brown bear, looked up from his snack. “Why are you frowning, Luna?” he asked with worry. Luna sniffled, "I’ve lost my laugh.” Max gave her a gentle bear hug. “We’ll find it together!” he promised.

Together, Luna and Max searched under bushes and climbed up stones. Luna called, “Laugh, are you hiding?” Max sniffed the air for giggles, but found only leaves. Both friends felt puzzled. “Let’s not give up,” said Max. Luna smiled a tiny bit.

Soon, they spotted Gigi the goose, her beak bright orange, laughing by the pond. "Gigi, can you help us find Luna's laugh?" Max asked. Gigi flapped her wings and honked a funny tune. Luna waited for her laugh to come. But she still felt sad. Gigi shook her head sadly.

"Maybe your laugh is just playing hide and seek!" Gigi guessed. Luna managed a small smile at Gigi’s silly waddle. “Thank you, Gigi,” Luna said softly. “Let’s keep looking,” Max whispered. So they set off again, hopeful. Luna held Max’s paw tightly.

Max led Luna to an old tree where the Wise Owl lived. The owl wore round glasses and looked very smart. "Hello, little ones," Owl hooted. "Owl, I lost my laugh," Luna explained sadly. The owl fluffed her feathers and thought deeply. "I may know why," she said.

"Sometimes, laughter hides when we feel lonely," said Owl kindly. Luna’s ears perked up. “But I have friends,” Luna whispered. Owl nodded, “Yes, but hugs and company can help laughter return.” Max squeezed Luna’s paw. “Should I give her a hug?” Max asked.

Max wrapped Luna in a big, cozy bear hug. At first, Luna still felt sad. Suddenly, she felt a warm glow inside. Tee-hee! A tiny giggle slipped out. Max smiled wide. Luna hugged him back with her red fluffy tail.

"There you are!" Gigi honked, flapping to join them. Luna’s giggle grew into happy laughter. Owl smiled from her tree. “See? Laughter loves company!” she said. Max and Gigi cheered, “Hooray for Luna’s laugh!” The woods echoed with happy voices.

"Thank you for helping me," Luna said, tail swishing with joy. Max grinned, “Friends always help!” Gigi and Owl nodded, all smiles. Luna promised to share her laughs. “Next time you’re sad, remember we’re here,” said Max. Luna giggled again, feeling loved.

Luna skipped home, her laughter bright and strong. She wasn’t lonely, with her friends nearby. Her mom hugged her when she returned, happy to see Luna’s smile. "You found your laugh!" her mom said. Luna nodded, “And I’ll never lose it again."