The Paper Rocket. Short audio story narrated in American English.

There was once a boy whose greatest dream was to have a rocket, and launch it to the moon. Unfortunately, he had little money and couldn't afford one. One day, at the side of a path, he found a box for one of his favourite kinds of rocket. Opening it, he found there was only one rocket inside, made of dodgy paper, the consequence of a factory malfunction.

The boy was very disappointed, but at least he now finally had a rocket of sorts. He started preparing his plans for the launch. For many days he collected paper of all shapes, sizes and colours; and with all his soul he set about drawing, painting, cutting, sticking, and colouring all the stars and planets that would turn his rocket into an outer space in paper form.

It wasn't an easy job, but the final result was so magnificent that his bedroom wall looked like an open window onto the galaxy. From then on, the boy enjoyed playing with his paper rocket every day. One day, a friend came to visit, and in the boy's bedroom he saw that spectacular sight. The friend offered to swap it with the boy, for a real rocket he had at home.

The boy went almost mad with joy, and delightedly accepted the swap. Since then, each day, playing with his new rocket, the boy would miss more and more his old paper rocket, with its planets, stars and all the rest. Really, he had much preferred playing with that one. He realised that it was much more fun playing with toys he had made himself, with great effort and enthusiasm.

And so it was, that the boy started building all his toys by himself, and when he grew up he became the greatest toy-maker in the whole world.