Barnaby Button was a boy who loved buttons. Not just any buttons, mind you. Barnaby loved *shiny* buttons, buttons that clicked, buttons that whirred, buttons that even *sang* (though those were very rare). One day, while rummaging through his grandfather’s attic, Barnaby discovered a box unlike any he’d ever seen. It was made of polished copper, fastened with a single, enormous, ruby-red button. With a shiver of excitement, he pressed the button. *Click!* The box sprang open, revealing not buttons at all, but a tiny, perfectly formed robot! It was no bigger than Barnaby's thumb, with gleaming brass gears and eyes like polished sapphires. “Greetings, Barnaby,” the robot chirped, its voice surprisingly deep for its size. “I am Unit 734, but you may call me Zip.” Barnaby gasped. A talking robot! He’d only ever read about such things in his grandpa’s old science fiction comics. Zip explained that he was an experimental model, designed to be a companion. He could do amazing things – play hide-and-seek (he was surprisingly good at it!), tell jokes (some better than others), and even make tiny, delicious robot-sized cookies. Barnaby and Zip became the best of friends. They explored the attic together, discovering old toys and forgotten treasures. Zip, with his miniature tools, even helped Barnaby repair his favorite wind-up toy soldier. But one day, Zip’s light began to flicker. His movements slowed, and his voice grew faint. “My power… is fading,” Zip whispered. Barnaby felt a pang of sadness. He knew Zip needed a new power source, but where could he find one? Then, he remembered the enormous ruby button on the copper box. Could it be? Carefully, Barnaby placed Zip on top of the box, and pressed the button again. *Click!* A warm, red glow enveloped Zip. His eyes shone brighter than ever, and he sprang back to life, his gears whirring merrily. The ruby button, slightly dimmer now, seemed to have shared its energy. Barnaby smiled. He knew that their friendship, powered by a magical button and a big heart, would last forever. From that day on, Barnaby’s collection of buttons grew, but none held a place as special as the one that brought him his amazing robot friend, Zip.