In the Land of Suspended Time, where the clocks had no hands and the sun always played hide-and-seek behind fluffy clouds, lived a boy named Joseph. His house was a cozy nest of wooden planks, smelling of cinnamon and old books—like a hug from Grandma on a rainy day. The floorboards creaked like a sleepy mouse, and the doormat was as rough as a dragon’s tongue, but Joseph didn’t mind. He loved his home, even if the most ordinary things sometimes felt like big adventures.

One afternoon, Joseph burst through the door after school, his shoes leaving muddy footprints on the doormat. Squelch! Squelch! The mud smelled like wet earth and mischief, and his backpack jingled with the sound of forgotten treasures—a crumpled drawing, a half-eaten apple core, and a tiny plastic dinosaur that had lost its roar. Clink! Clank! Joseph’s hands were as grubby as a garden after a rainstorm, covered in fingerprints, glitter glue, and something sticky that might’ve been jam… or maybe glue. He grinned, ready to dive into his pile of toys, when—

POP! A bubble the size of a basketball floated down from the ceiling. It shimmered like a soap bubble but glowed with swirls of gold and blue. Inside, Joseph saw tiny versions of himself, washing his hands under a sparkling faucet. Whoosh! The water sounded like giggles, and the soap smelled like peppermint and fresh-baked cookies. The bubble wobbled, then landed gently on Joseph’s nose. Tickle-tickle! It was as light as a feather but warm like sunshine.

"Uh… hello?" Joseph said, rubbing his nose. The bubble didn’t answer, but it floated toward the bathroom, bouncing like a happy puppy. Joseph followed, his socks slipping on the wooden floor. Squeak! Squeak! The bathroom was small, with tiles as cold as ice cream under his feet. The bubble hovered over the sink, then—PLINK!—it burst, leaving behind a single, glowing soap bar. It smelled like a mix of strawberries and magic, and when Joseph touched it, it fizzed like soda pop. Fizz! Pop!

Joseph turned on the faucet. Splash! Drip! Drip! The water was warm and bubbly, like a mini ocean in his hands. He lathered up the soap, and suddenly, his fingers started to tingle. The grime on his hands didn’t just wash away—it danced. Black smudges twirled like ballerinas, glitter glue sparkled like fireworks, and the sticky jam turned into tiny, giggling jellyfish that swam down the drain. Gloop! Gloop! Joseph laughed so hard he nearly slipped on a puddle. Whoops!

But then—uh-oh. The soap bar slipped from his hands and plopped into the sink. Plop! Joseph scrambled to grab it, but his fingers were too slippery. Squish! He knocked over the soap dish, which clattered into the bathtub. Clang! Bang! The noise echoed like a drum in a cave. Joseph’s face turned as red as a tomato, and his shoulders slumped. He sighed, staring at his still-dirty hands. Maybe washing them wasn’t such a fun adventure after all.

Just then, the soap bar glowed brighter. It floated out of the sink and landed back in Joseph’s palm. A tiny voice, as squeaky as a mouse, whispered, "Try again!" Joseph blinked. The soap smelled even sweeter now, like caramel and courage. He took a deep breath, turned the faucet back on, and—scrub-a-dub-dub!—this time, he didn’t let go. The bubbles grew bigger and bigger, filling the bathroom like a cloud. They tickled his elbows, his knees, even his nose! Giggle!

When the last bubble popped, Joseph’s hands were as clean as a freshly laundered shirt. The soap bar gave a little bow, then dissolved into a puff of glitter. Poof! The bathroom smelled like rainbows and victory. Joseph dried his hands on a towel that was as soft as a kitten’s fur, then skipped back to the living room. The muddy footprints on the doormat had vanished, and the cinnamon-and-books smell wrapped around him like a warm blanket.

From that day on, Joseph never groaned about washing his hands. He’d turn on the faucet, lather up, and imagine the grime turning into dancing jellyfish or twirling ballerinas. And sometimes, if he listened very closely, he could still hear the soap bubble giggling. Pop!