Emily is an eleven-year-old girl who is staying home from school because she has the mumps. It’s a shame, she thinks, that she has to miss out on socializing with her friends just because of a silly diagnosis from her physician father. The last time he noticed one of her medical problems, she got prescription eyeglasses, and that was much more fun. Every girl in Emily’s class had begged to try on her glasses. She was happy to be well-liked, so she complied. She loaned them out to whoever was the nicest to her that day, always making sure to carefully clean them and put them back on before she went home. The mumps aren’t nearly as enjoyable. While on bed rest, Emily entertains herself by playing make-believe. She pretends to be a sailor or a soldier. She even pulls the covers over her head as if she’s a rugged explorer sleeping in a tent under the stars. Emily eventually runs out of imagination, and decides to put on her glasses. She always feels better with them on. While looking out the window, she marvels at the stunning contrast of the yellow house against the blue sky. This, she realizes, is true beauty like she’s never seen before. As the days go by, Emily begins spending less time with her family in favor of staring out the window. They mistakenly believe that isolation is making her depressed, and they are glad when she recovers and returns to school. Emily is happy to leave the house and search for more beautiful sights. One day while outside with her friends, she foregoes a game of jump rope to gaze upon the sunset. Her friends make fun of her, but Emily doesn’t care—she sees the beauty that they don’t.