In the quaint village of Eguisheim, France, in the year 1900, winter had wrapped the streets in silence and snow. Inside a modest, stone-walled house, two siblings, Cora, a curious and spirited 11-year-old girl, and Jasper, her gentle and protective 15-year-old brother, were more than just family. They were inseparable companions, bound by the unspoken language of shared laughter, childhood dreams, and the kind of love that only siblings truly understand. They spent nearly every waking moment together, playing in the garden, helping each other with schoolwork, sharing meals, and whispering secrets under the old wooden beams of their home.
Now, the bitter cold of winter had confined everyone indoors. The world outside had become still and silent, the kind of silence that stretches long into the night. That evening, after dinner, Cora and Jasper curled up under thick woolen blankets in their small bedroom. But neither of them could sleep. The long, uneventful days of winter had settled heavily over them, and boredom stirred restlessly in their minds. To chase it away, they turned to the one thing that always worked, imagination. Read more
Cora: Jasper?
Jasper (turning toward her, smiling softly): Yes, my little sister?
Cora: Do you want to know what I’m imagining right now?
Jasper (with warm affection): Tell me, my little angel.
Cora: I’m imagining that summer has arrived. The sun is glowing above us, and we’re playing in a small, cheerful park, like the other kids, running barefoot on the grass, feeling the wind kiss our cheeks, and laughing with joy. The air smells like flowers and sunshine. Suddenly, I see her, Lora, a beautiful girl, pushing a cart full of cotton candy, calling out for the children to come and get their treat.
Jasper (eyes brightening, voice amused): Cotton candy? You know how much I adore sweets! Please don’t stop now, I’m starting to feel like I’m really there with you.
Cora (beaming with enthusiasm): She had so many flavors, Jasper, pink, blue, yellow, and white, each one with a taste more delicious than the last. Her cart looked vintage, like something from a fairy tale, with little beautiful wheels. All the children in the park, including us, ran toward her, our hearts bubbling with excitement.
Cora (eyes sparkling, speaking dreamily):
Jasper… I imagined something while eating the cotton candy. There was this girl — the cotton candy seller — with so many flavors, like pink, sky blue, lemon yellow, and soft white. Each one had a taste more magical than the last. Her cart looked vintage, like it belonged in a fairy tale — with delicate wheels and ribbons fluttering in the breeze.
Jasper (smiling, amused): Sounds like something from a picture book. What happened next in your dream?
Cora (giggling): All the children in the park, including us, ran toward her with our hearts bubbling with excitement. Everyone got a cotton candy, of course. But then I saw two little kids — a brother and sister. They felt so real, Jasper! The boy had a tiny net and was chasing butterflies, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t catch a single one. His sister just stood there, laughing at him in the sweetest way. When he finally gave up, he flopped down beside his sister on the grass, catching his breath as the butterflies danced just out of reach.
Jasper (grinning): Poor guy. Did he ever catch one?
Cora (shaking her head): Nope. But then the girl asked him, ‘Do you have any money left?’ — because their mother had sent them to the market with her special basket and some coins to buy a baguette for lunch.
Jasper: Let me guess… he barely had any left?
Cora: Exactly. He checked his pocket and said, ‘I’ve only got twenty cents left.’ They looked at the cotton candies longingly, and you could tell… they really wanted some. But they didn’t have enough for two.
Jasper: So what did they do?
Cora (smiling warmly): They decided to buy just one and share it. And you know what? Lora — that was the name of the cotton candy lady in my mind — she gave them the most beautiful, colorful one, as if she understood everything without a word.
Jasper (softly): That’s such a sweet thought, Cora.
Cora (dreamily): They sat down on a little bench and took turns, pulling the cotton candy gently, laughing, completely happy. It wasn’t just candy… it was a piece of joy, wrapped in pink and blue fluff.
Jasper: Oh! What color did we pick?
Cora (giggling): You picked blue, your favorite, and I picked pink. The cotton candies were bigger than our heads! They were fluffy, sticky, and unbelievably tasty. There was even a girl buying one for her baby brother. He kept squealing and tugging her dress because he couldn’t wait to get his own. He was so adorable, I couldn’t stop laughing.
Jasper (dreamily): Cora, you’re making my mouth water. I can almost taste it now. That must have been the best cotton candy in the world.
Cora: It was, Jasper. And I just can’t wait for summer to come so we can have real cotton candy together. In my imagination, all the children were beaming with happiness. Their faces lit up as they licked their fingers and smiled with delight. The park was filled with laughter, sunlight, and the sugary scent of candy.
She paused, waiting for his response.
Cora: Jasper? Jasper? Are you still listening?
But no answer came. Jasper had fallen asleep, his face softened into peaceful rest, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Cora (whispering): I love you, my dearest brother. I truly hope my dream comes true soon, so we can share the most delicious cotton candy in the whole wide world.
The next morning, as the pale winter sun peeked through the frost-covered window, Jasper stirred awake, his eyes bright with an unusual gleam. He sat up, looked at Cora, and said with wonder in his voice:
Jasper: Cora… I dreamed it. I saw everything you told me last night. I was there with you, in that sunny park, tasting the cotton candy, laughing with the children. It was the sweetest dream I’ve ever had.
And in that quiet, snowy bedroom, the two siblings smiled at each other, hearts warmed not by fire, but by the magic of shared imagination.
