Far, far away, where the stars twinkle like tiny flashlights and the planets hum lullabies, there was a cozy little spaceship. It smelled like warm cinnamon cookies—because Nathan, the kindest little astronaut, always baked them before takeoff. Clank! The spaceship door shut behind him, and his boots squished into the floor, soft as marshmallow fluff.

Nathan loved exploring the glittery galaxy, but today, his mission was extra special. His robot friend, Beep-Bloop (who had one wobbly wheel and a habit of sneezing sparks), handed him a shiny box. Rattle-rattle! "It’s a puzzle from Planet Patience!" Beep-Bloop said, his voice crackling like a bowl of Rice Krispies. "But hurry—it’s due by bedtime!"

Nathan’s eyes sparkled. He loved puzzles! He opened the box and—whoosh!—a thousand tiny pieces scattered across the floor, each one shimmering like a raindrop in sunlight. The pieces smelled like bubblegum and tasted like... well, Nathan *almost* licked one before Beep-Bloop gasped. "Zap! No licking space puzzles!"

Nathan giggled and started sorting the pieces. The edges were smooth as a pebble in a stream, but the middle pieces? Oh no! They were twisty and tricky, like a pretzel left in the rain. Tap-tap-tap. He tried one piece. Nope. Another. Nope! His fingers wiggled faster, but the pieces just wouldn’t fit. "Grrr..." Nathan’s shoulders slumped like a deflated balloon. He kicked a piece—bonk!—and it flew under the control panel. "I give up!" he huffed, crossing his arms.

Beep-Bloop rolled closer, his wobbly wheel squeaking like a mouse. "Beep... patience is like... waiting for toast to pop!" he said, his eye-lights blinking slowly. Nathan frowned. "But I *hate* waiting!" Just then, a tiny space mouse scurried by, its tail swishing like a feather duster. It sniffed the puzzle piece under the panel, then—plop!—sat on it. "Hey!" Nathan laughed. The mouse blinked at him, then scampered off, leaving the piece behind.

Nathan picked it up. It was warm, like a just-baked cookie. Hmm. Maybe... just maybe... he could try *one* more time. He took a deep breath (smelling the cinnamon from his cookies) and picked up another piece. Click! It fit! Then another. Click! And another! His fingers danced, and the puzzle grew, piece by piece, like a flower blooming in fast-forward. The last piece slid in with a snap! and—ta-da!—there it was: a beautiful picture of a rocket blasting off, with a tiny astronaut waving from the window.

Beep-Bloop cheered, his sparks fizzing like soda bubbles. "You did it! And you didn’t even lick any pieces!" Nathan grinned, his cheeks rosy as strawberries. The spaceship smelled like victory (and maybe a little like cinnamon), and the puzzle glowed softly, like a nightlight. As he snuggled into his bunk, the stars outside winked at him, as if to say, "See? Good things come to those who wait."

The end.