One breezy afternoon, Zak was chasing a runaway hat down the street when something soft and ticklish floated right onto his nose.
It was a bright blue feather — and before Zak could even say “hello,” it spoke.
“Why are you chasing your hat?” asked the feather in a squeaky voice.
Zak blinked. “Because the wind blew it away!”
“Why did the wind blow it away?”
“Because… it’s windy?”
“Why is it windy?”
Zak laughed. “Are you always like this?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” said the feather cheerfully.
And so began an afternoon unlike any other.
The feather — who insisted its name was Whiffle — perched on Zak’s shoulder as they wandered through the park. It asked endless questions. “Why do ducks waddle instead of skip? Why are clouds never square? Why do socks vanish in the dryer? Why do dogs always know when you have snacks?”
Every question made Zak giggle harder. Some he answered; others he didn’t even try. Together, they invented answers that grew sillier and wiser all at once.
“The ducks don’t skip,” Zak said, “because they’d splash everyone at the pond!”
“Good point,” said Whiffle. “But why don’t we try skipping like ducks?”
So they did — splashing in puddles until they were soaked and smiling.
Later, as the sun dipped low, Zak lay on the grass with Whiffle beside him. “You sure ask a lot of questions,” he said.
“That’s how I stay light,” said Whiffle. “Every question lifts me a little higher.”
Zak looked at the feather glowing gold in the sunset. “Then maybe I should ask more, too.”
Whiffle nodded. “Why stop now?”
Zak burst out laughing, rolling onto his back. “Because my cheeks hurt from smiling!”
The feather giggled too — a sound like wind through leaves.
And as the stars began to blink awake above them, Zak whispered one last question:
“Why does wondering feel so good?”
Whiffle answered softly, “Because every why is the beginning of a wow.”