Morning Troubles

Crayon Mother Goat stood in her fortress kitchen, stirring breakfast porridge with her giant magic crayon. The yellow dress with blue outlines swished as she moved between seven small bowls.

"Good morning, little ones!" she called to her kid goats bouncing around the crayon-stone walls.

Baby Billy bumped into a red crayon pillar. "Mama, look! The red is getting lighter!"

Mother Goat blinked her bright, curious eyes. She touched the pillar with her hoof. The vibrant red had faded to pale pink.

"That's strange," she murmured, walking to the window. Outside, the fairy tale characters were starting their day. Snow White's cottage looked normal, but the seven dwarfs' hats seemed less colorful than yesterday.

Nanny Nina tugged at her yellow dress. "Mama, my blue blanket looks gray!"

Mother Goat examined the blanket. Indeed, the cheerful blue had drained away, leaving dull gray fabric.

Her magic crayon felt heavier in her grip. Something was very wrong in Fairy Tale Land.

The Failing Message

Mother Goat rushed to her magic crayon cabinet. She pulled out her emergency communication crayon—a special blue one that could send messages across Fairy Tale Land.

"I need to warn everyone," she said, drawing a glowing envelope in the air.

The message flew out the window toward the village. But halfway across the courtyard, it flickered and turned gray, crashing into the fountain with a splash.

"Even my magic isn't working properly!" Mother Goat gasped.

A loud honking sound echoed from outside. Through her window, she saw a mail truck painted bright red—except the red was rapidly draining away, leaving patches of dull gray metal.

The truck's driver, a cheerful baker named Pete, climbed out looking confused. His white apron was still white, but his red baseball cap had turned pink.

"My truck's losing its paint!" Pete called up to Mother Goat. "And look at this!" He held up a stack of colorful birthday invitations. As Mother Goat watched, the rainbow borders faded to pale gray.

"The colors are disappearing faster now," Mother Goat whispered to herself. "Whatever's causing this is getting stronger."