(Exposition) In a beautiful town filled with colorful flowers and friendly neighbors, lived a super happy girl named Olivia. She had a heart full of kindness and loved playing outside, exploring nature, and making others smile. Olivia's father was the mayor of the town, and his important job was to take care of the people and make sure everyone was safe and happy. 

(Conflict Introduced) One day, Olivia listened carefully to her father talking with the townspeople.

"I wish we could make things happy again," someone said with a sigh.

"I miss the laughter and joy," another person said. 

Olivia's father nodded sadly and said, "I want to make everyone happy, but I don't know how."

These words made Olivia sad too, but they also made her want to fix the problem. She didn't want her father and the people in the town to feel sad anymore. Olivia was super sure that she wanted to make everyone happy again so she said, "Don't worry, Dad. I'll find a way to bring back the happiness." 

Olivia had a strong look in her eyes and a little backpack filled with her most important things. She took a big breath, feeling both excited and a little scared as she began her journey. As she walked on the curvy road, she couldn't stop thinking about the fun and interesting things she would experience and the important things she would learn. Olivia knew it wouldn't be easy, but she was ready to tackle any problem to make her town happy again.

(Rising Action 1) After a few minutes of walking, Olivia found a temple, deep inside the forest. Right outside the temple, she found a wise monk. With a warm smile, the monk welcomed Olivia and listened carefully as she told him about her mission to bring happiness back to her town.

"I follow a religion called Buddhism. Come inside and I can show you how I find happiness in my religion."
Olivia then asked the monk, "Before we go inside, what is a religion?"
He explained to her that "A religion is a way that some people believe in and connect with something greater than themselves like a God. They have certain beliefs and do special things to find meaning in life. They go to special places, pray, and follow old traditions. There are many different religions all over the world."

Inside the temple, Olivia followed and listened to the monk as he explained that "Mindfulness is an important part of Buddhism (Huxter). Mindfulness means paying attention to what's happening right now and noticing all the wonderful things around you (Huxter). By practicing mindfulness we can feel happy on the inside ("Buddhist Meditation Techniques & Practices")."

"How do you practice mindfulness?" Olivia asked.

The monk, in his gentle voice, guided Olivia. "Sit in a nice and comfy way for you," he said kindly, "close your eyes, and focus on your breath ("Buddhist Meditation Techniques & Practices")."

As Olivia did what he said, she felt very peaceful and calm. Her worries about the town went away and she only thought about what was happening right now.

The monk smiled nicely at her and gently said, "Through mindfulness and meditation, you have learned to find peace inside yourself, Olivia. Remember, happiness is not something we find outside in things; it's something that we grow inside us." (Bialylew)." Olivia nodded, remembering all that she learned. She told the monk, "Thank you, mister!" as she waved goodbye and left the temple. She took a breath and then started to go back along the path to the town, hoping to spread mindfulness and meditation to the townspeople so they could be happy.

(Rising Action 2) As Olivia left the temple she saw an old woman sitting under a big tree. The woman had kind eyes and a warm smile. Olivia noticed how happy she looked and decided to talk to her. 

"Hi! My name is Olivia. I just saw how happy you are and wanted to ask you something. How are you so happy?" she asked.

"Nice to meet you, Olivia. My name is Atina and I'm just enjoying this beautiful nature and remembering the lessons I learned from our ancestors." Atina responded.
Curious, Olivia asked her, "What's an ancestor?" 
"An ancestor is someone in our family from a long time ago. Like a grandma, but 10 grandmas ago (Bull and Lindquist). My ancestors were Native Americans, so it is our tradition to honor our ancestors and nature in our religion (Bull and Lindquist). This is known as spirituality (Forbes)."

Olivia's eyes grew big as she listened closely to Atina's words. 

"That sounds really special. How do you show respect your ancestors and nature?"
Atina smiled warmly at Olivia's excitement. "We show respect for our ancestors by thinking about the smart things they knew and the important things they cared about (Bull and Lindquist ). We take care of the land, the animals and the plants like our ancestors did. It makes us feel close to them and really happy inside (Forbes)."
Olivia nodded, making sure to understand Atina's words. "That's amazing! Can you teach me how to take care of nature?"
Atina gently touched Olivia's hand. "Of course, my dear. It starts with simple things, like picking up litter, planting trees, and being understanding how our actions affect Mother Earth (Muñoz et al.). By being thankful and taking care of nature, we can help it stay healthy and pretty. It's also what keeps me happy."

Olivia's face turned bright as she got excited. "I want to do all those things! I want to make the world a better place like you and our ancestors. If everyone practices spirituality, then they'll definitely be happier!"
Atina's eyes sparkled with joy. "You have a kind heart, Olivia. Remember, even small actions can make a big change especially if we all work together."

Atina and Olivia hugged and said goodbye to each other as Olivia turned back to the town. Olivia noticed that she already felt happier as she enjoyed what was happening right now through mindfulness and appreciated nature, as well as her ancestors.
Confident that she now knew how to bring back the joy of the townspeople, Olivia skipped down the path.