In a village bustling with cheerful folks, three friends, Ben, Emma, and Sophie, were playing near the golden apple tree.

The tree was special; the villagers believed it brought good luck, and the golden apples were shared during the harvest festival.

One sunny day, the friends saw a shiny object at the tree's base. It was a small, golden apple that had fallen off.

Excited, Ben suggested, 'Let's take it! After all, it's just one apple.' But Emma felt uneasy about the idea.

Sophie chimed in, 'No one will notice.' Encouraged, Ben took the apple and they hid it in their secret fort.

As weeks passed, the villagers noticed the missing apple. They were worried that their luck had vanished with it.

However, Ben, Emma, and Sophie felt guiltier each day. The joy of their secret began to feel more like a burden.

One evening, around the fire, Emma confessed, 'We have done something wrong. We should return the apple.'

She continued, 'Keeping it has brought us nothing but worry. It's like the apple is only truly golden when it brings happiness to everyone.'

Ben nodded, feeling relief, 'You're right. We haven't been fair to the others.' Sophie agreed, and they planned to right their wrong.

The next morning, they returned the apple to the village square and wrote an anonymous apology note explaining their actions.

The villagers found the apple and the note, and were moved by the honesty of the unknown children. The festival was filled with extra joy that year.