The Mystery of the Abandoned Observatory

At the very top of a steep, windy hill sat a large, dome-shaped building. It was the old town observatory, abandoned for decades. The air outside was freezing, and the wind howled around the curved walls like a hungry ghost. Inside, it smelled of ancient dust, rusted metal, and dry, crumbling paper.

Ten-year-old Riyansh and his eight-year-old sister, Manawa, stood in the center of the dark, circular room. Towering above them, pointing toward a slit in the roof, was a massive, rusty brass telescope.

We shouldn't be here in the dark, Riyansh thought, his hands shaking slightly in his pockets.

Would you have been brave enough to climb a dark, lonely hill in the dead of night to explore a creepy abandoned building?

Through the open slit in the roof, the night sky was beginning to sparkle.

ZIP. FLASH.

"Look!" Manawa pointed up. A streak of silver light zoomed across the darkness.

The Starfall Meteor Shower was starting! It only happened once every hundred years. Legend said that if the giant brass telescope was perfectly aligned when the biggest meteor—the Great Star—crossed the sky, a secret compartment in the telescope would unlock.

But there was a problem. The meteor shower was already getting faster.

ZIP! ZIP! FLASH!

The ticking clock had started! The Great Star could appear at any second. If they didn't align the heavy brass gears in time, the secret of the observatory would be lost for another hundred years!

"We have to turn the gears!" Riyansh yelled over the wind.

They ran toward the base of the giant telescope.

Step. Crunch. Step.

Suddenly, a terrifying noise stopped them in their tracks. Echoing out of the long, dark tube of the telescope was a high-pitched, wailing sound, like a shrieking alien!

WOOO-WEEEE-OOOOOH!

(Everyone, can you make a creepy, wailing alien sound? Cup your hands over your mouth and go WOOO-WEEEE-OOOOOH!)

It’s an alien monster! Manawa panicked, grabbing Riyansh’s arm. They both ducked behind a dusty wooden desk.

Riyansh’s heart pounded against his ribs. He slowly aimed his flashlight up at the telescope tube. He followed the terrible sound to the very top. Then, he let out a loud laugh. Manawa cautiously peeked out.

It wasn't an alien monster at all! The glass lens at the top of the telescope had a tiny crack in it. The strong wind from outside was simply blowing through the crack, acting just like a giant whistle! A false scare!

(Everyone, let out a big, relieved sigh! PHEW!)

But the sky was lighting up brighter and brighter. The Great Star was coming!

CLANK! GROAAAN!

(Everyone, make the sound of heavy, rusty metal moving! Grind your teeth and go ERRRRRKK-CLANK!)

Riyansh and Manawa pushed with all their might, spinning the giant wheel at the base of the telescope. The heavy brass machine slowly turned until it pointed directly at the center of the sky.

Suddenly, the wheel locked into place. In front of them were three dusty levers. Above the levers, glowing faintly in the moonlight, was a carved riddle.

The sky outside flashed with a brilliant, blinding white light. The Great Star was entering the atmosphere!

"Read it, hurry!" Riyansh shouted.

Here is the riddle:

“I am not a bird, but I fly through the night. I am a piece of space rock, leaving a tail of bright light. Make a wish when you see me. What am I?”

The Great Star was streaking toward the center of the sky! They only had seconds left!

(Wait! Don't read any further! Everyone, can you help Riyansh and Manawa solve the riddle? What leaves a tail of light and makes you want to wish? Yell out your answer before the star disappears!)

...

...

...

"A SHOOTING STAR!" Riyansh and Manawa screamed together.

They grabbed the lever shaped like a star and pulled it down hard.

CLICK! CLACK! WHIRRRR!

Just as the brilliant Great Star crossed perfectly into the telescope's view, a hidden door at the base of the brass machine popped open! A cloud of sparkling, silver dust puffed out into the air.

Inside the compartment sat two beautiful, jagged pieces of real space rock, strung onto sturdy leather necklaces. They glowed with a warm, pulsing silver light.

WHOOSH.

The wind outside suddenly died down, leaving the observatory completely peaceful and quiet.

Riyansh and Manawa slipped the glowing meteor necklaces over their heads. They felt instantly warm and incredibly brave. Because they had faced the spooky, wailing sounds and cleverly beaten the ticking clock, they had earned a magical piece of the stars to guide them through the dark forever.