Benny the beaver woke up with a tickly nose and a big, big idea. “Today,” he said to his tail, “I will have breakfast somewhere very special.” So he put on his favorite red scarf, brushed his strong beaver teeth, and tip-tapped down the path.
He stopped. He blinked. He giggled. Benny had never seen a kitchen this huge before! It was enormous and silly, as big as a playground! The fridge was as tall as a tree. The cookie jar was as fat as a pumpkin. The table had legs as long as giraffes. The chairs wore silly hats—one had a teacup, one had a banana peel, and one had a rubber duck wiggling on top. Benny clapped his paws. “What a funny kitchen!” he cheered.
Suddenly, a parade of animals marched in. There came Penny Penguin, carrying a spoon almost as big as herself. Next came Larry Lizard sliding on a rolling pin. Molly Mouse bounced along on a jellybean. “Welcome, Benny!” they all chirped.
“We're having a breakfast party!” said Penny Penguin. “But it's a little too warm in here. Could you please open the window?”
Benny looked around. He saw a sink shaped like a seashell. He saw a lamp that winked. But he didn't see any window. Not a single one! Benny frowned so hard, his nose did a somersault.
“Where's the window?” he asked.
Larry Lizard pointed to a white square on the wall. “There it is! It's an invisible window.”
“Invisible?” Benny giggled. “How do I open it?”
“With your imagination!” Molly Mouse squeaked. “Just pretend!”
Benny took a deep breath. He reached out, grabbed the imaginary handle, and pulled. Swoosh! The window whooshed open with a sound like giggling popcorn.
A gentle breeze floated in. It smelled like strawberries and pancakes and a little bit of bubblegum. The pancakes on the table did a happy flip. The orange juice wiggled with joy. Benny's whiskers wobbled and wiggled, too.
Penny Penguin clapped her wings. “Hooray! Now our breakfast will stay cool and breezy. Thank you, Benny!”
Just then, the teapot started to sing. “Tea is ready, tea is ready!” it trilled. The cups danced a slow, silly waltz. Benny poured some tea. Out came little rainbow bubbles instead of tea! Pop, pop, pop! They floated up, up, up, until they made a bubble hat on Benny's head.
“Oh, Benny!” laughed Larry Lizard, “You look like the king of breakfast!”
“King Benny!” cheered Molly Mouse.
Benny grinned. He took a pancake, but the pancake jumped up and did a little pancake wiggle. “Catch me if you can!” it squeaked.
Benny chased the pancake around the giant table. Penny Penguin slid after it. Larry Lizard did a flip. Molly Mouse giggled so much she had to hold her tummy. The pancake zipped past the cookie jar, bounced over the wiggly chair, and landed—plop!—right back on Benny's plate.
“Well done, pancake,” Benny said, patting it gently. “You can stay right here.”
Breakfast was delicious. The animals munched and crunched. They sipped juice and nibbled cookies. The invisible window let in more happy breeze. Every animal felt cozy and calm.
After breakfast, Benny peeked out the pretend window. He saw a whole parade of clouds, shaped like spoons and forks and one big, round cookie. He waved to them. They waved back.
Penny Penguin yawned a little yawn. “This was the best breakfast ever,” she said.
Larry Lizard stretched. “Next time, can we open a pretend door, too?”
Molly Mouse nodded. “Or a pretend drawer with pretend cheese!”
Benny smiled. “We can open anything we imagine. A window, a door, a cheese drawer, or even a pancake trampoline.”
Everyone laughed a small, sleepy laugh. The giant kitchen felt soft and peaceful now. The breeze was slow and gentle, like the quiet quack of a sleepy rubber duck.
Benny closed his eyes for a moment and listened to the tiny pops of rainbow bubbles. He felt happy, safe, and warm, right here in the silly, happy kitchen with his friends.
The window—real or not—let in just the right amount of breeze, and just the right amount of giggles, for a very good day.
And that was more than enough for Benny the beaver.
