Lost in the Corn Maze

At 5:40 on the day of the harvest festival, Emmett had one job. He had to bring his little brother, Pipo, to the hayride by six. Their mom was waiting there with the tickets. "One quick walk through the corn maze," Pipo said. "Please?" At the entrance, a woman gave each boy a paper card. "There are six stamps inside the maze," she said. "Find all six, and you win a caramel apple. We close at six, so hurry."

The corn was taller than Emmett, and every path looked the same. Pipo ran ahead in his red hat. "Wait for me!" Emmett called. He turned a corner, and the path was empty. He turned another corner. No red hat. There were only dry leaves moving in the wind and the sweet smell of hay.

Emmett started to run. "Pipo! Where are you?" Nobody answered. Near a pile of pumpkins, he saw a farm worker in a green jacket. "Excuse me," Emmett said. "Have you seen a little boy in a red hat?" The man pointed down a path. "I think he went that way. Go straight, turn left at the scarecrow, and go past the old tractor."

Emmett went straight. He turned left at the scarecrow. He ran past the old tractor and between two tall walls of corn. The sky was orange now, and then purple. He was out of breath, and his phone said 5:58. Then he saw a small wooden bridge above the corn. He climbed up the steps and looked down. There, next to the exit, was a red hat.

Pipo was sitting on a bale of hay, eating a caramel apple. His card had six stamps on it. Across the field, Mom was waving the tickets at the hayride. Emmett jumped down and ran to his brother. "You scared me! I thought you were lost!" Pipo took another bite and shook his head. "I wasn't lost," he said. "I was winning."