Part One
Lina found a card on the table. It was bright and smelled like crayons. "Bon Ramadan," it said in round letters. Lina smiled. She was four. She showed the card to Amir and Sara. They were four too.
"Who is it from?" asked Amir.
"It is from Noor, from our class," said Lina.
Noor was new. She had just come from far away. The children had seen her quietly play with blocks. They had not yet said hello.
"Let's make her feel welcome," said Sara. She clapped once. The clapping sounded like a small drum.
They decided to bring Noor a small cake. Not a real cake. A cake made of paper and flowers. Lina cut the paper. Amir folded. Sara glued. They laughed. The paper cake smelled of glue and sunshine.
A tiny lantern appeared on the table. It was not there before. It was warm and soft. It glowed like a sleepy star.
"Magical lantern," whispered Lina.
The lantern hummed a gentle tune. It liked kind things. It liked sharing.
Part Two
They walked to Noor's seat in class. Noor looked up. Her eyes were curious. She held a small toy bird. She smiled a shy bird smile.
"Bon Ramadan," said Lina, and she gave Noor the card back with a gentle hand. "We made this for you."
Noor's smile grew. "Thank you," she said. Her voice was like warm milk. "I like friends."
Amir held the lantern. It glowed brighter. Noor touched it. The light made a little sparkle on her sleeve. The sparkle turned into a tiny paper flower. It floated up and landed on the paper cake.
"Friends make flowers," said Sara.
They all giggled. Then they sat in a circle. The teacher gave them soft pillows. The room smelled like paper and crayons and a hint of cinnamon from snack time.
"Noor, do you want to help us make a welcome song?" asked Lina.
"Yes," said Noor. She clapped. The lantern hummed. They made a slow song. "Welcome, welcome, come and play. We share our toys and our day."
The song was small and sweet. It had three voices. It had a little pause for a laugh. They sang it twice. Then three times.
Part Three
After singing, they made a small feast of imaginary cookies. They counted them: one, two, three. They passed the paper cake. They poured pretend tea into tiny cups. Each cup made a tiny sound like a bell. The lantern watched and twinkled.
"Noor, tell us about your bird," said Amir.
Noor told a short story. The bird liked clouds. It liked soft breezes. The story was simple and bright. The lantern blinked in time with Noor's words.
The afternoon grew soft. The sun folded like a handkerchief. The children kept singing and sharing. They helped each other fold the card into a tiny house. They shared crayons. They shared hugs. They shared the lantern's warm light.
When it was time to go home, Noor held the paper cake close. Lina held Noor's hand. Amir waved his small fingers. "See you tomorrow," he said.
They walked out together. The lantern floated back to the table, small and content. The room was quiet and kind.
That night, the three friends slept with happy hearts. They dreamed of songs and paper flowers. They dreamed of welcoming. Ramadan felt like a gentle light. It felt like friends.
