R AJI DREAMED OF stars. She loved how they sparkled and danced, how they shared their light in the dark night. “I will reach them, somehow,” she thought. Before going to sleep, Raji imagined speeding among the sparkling lights. But when she woke up, she was still in her bed, her pillow under her head.
“Mama,” she asked one morning, “how can I race with the stars?”
“Maybe you need to practice,” Mama said.
Raji pondered the possibilities, then put on her running shoes. She ran up the block, then down. She ran through the yard, then around.
That night, when the first star came into sight, Raji was ready. She laced her shoes tighter and took off running. But as fast as she ran, she only reached the end…
