The Costume Contest

"Costume contest this Friday! If you have the best costume, win $100!"

Emily spotted the sign on the library window and knew she had to enter. Not only did Emily like dressing up, but $100 was the exact amount she needed to buy a new computer. She had been saving up for the computer for months and winning the costume contest would put her over her goal. Emily had to win that contest.

"But how?" she wondered to herself.

Emily headed to the costume store to see if she could find the perfect costume for the contest. Inside, she found tons of costumes, but none of them were just right.

"Too spooky," said Emily, looking at a ghost costume.
"Too bloody," said Emily, looking at a zombie costume.
"Too furry," said Emily, looking at a cat costume.
"Too orange," said Emily, looking at a pumpkin costume.

"I don't know if I'll ever find the perfect costume," Emily sighed.

Just then a store clerk appeared beside her. "I might be able to help," he said.

The clerk led Emily through a black curtain at the back of a costume store. There Emily saw a single brown witch's hat sitting on a shelf.

"That's just what I need?" Emily asked.

"Yes, this hat is the most special costume in the store," the clerk said.

"But it's just a plain brown hat," Emily said.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," the clerk said.

Emily wasn't sure she believed the clerk. It just looked like a plain brown hat, not a costume that was going to win her the costume contest.

"Trust me," said the clerk. "Try it on."

Emily reluctantly tried on the hat.

"Now," said the clerk, "wish to be something."

Emily was skeptical, but decided to give it a try. "I wish to be a cat," she said.

The hat started to glow and in an instant, Emily was a cat.

"Wow! That was amazing," said Emily.

"This hat can be anything you wish it to be," said the clerk.

Emily was sold. She thanked the clerk and headed out of the store.

That night, Emily headed to the costume contest at the library. Her friends saw her hat and laughed. "That's your costume?" they asked.

"Yep," Emily replied. She didn't want to give away the surprise.

Soon it was time for the judging. Each contestant had to walk in front of the judging table. When it was Emily's turn, she walked up to the judge's table and whispered, "I wish to be a cat."

The hat turned her into a cat.

Then she said, "I wish to be a butterfly."

The hat turned her into a butterfly.

The audience was amazed, so Emily kept wishing to be more and more.

Finally, one of the judges asked, "What is it you're supposed to be?"

"I can be anything I wish to be," Emily said. The judges were so impressed that they awarded Emily first place and the $100 prize.