Goodnight, Grace

4-5 min read
9 pages
4+

As the sun goes down, Grace the owl calls from the tallest tree that it's time for bed. One by one, Nutti the squirrel, Tilly the turtle, and Timmy the rabbit say goodnight to her and snuggle into a hollow, a shell, and a burrow. The birds, crickets, and fireflies make a sleepy lullaby, and the whole forest drifts off to sleep.

In a big old forest full of tall trees lived a bunch of animal friends. Every evening, as the sun went down, they met in the meadow for one last game. Then the sky turned pink, and it was almost time to hurry home to bed.

Every evening, Grace the owl was the first to say it was bedtime. She flew up to the top of the tallest tree. “Time for bed, my dears!” she called. Her voice was soft, but it floated far. Hoo, hoo… All over the forest, everyone began to yawn.

Nutti the squirrel answered first. She was busy grabbing one more acorn, and then one more. “Goodnight, Grace!” she squeaked, flicking her fluffy tail. “I’ll be snug in my hollow in a jiffy!”

Next came Tilly the turtle. Step by slow step, she went to her favorite spot by the pond. “Goodnight, Grace,” she said softly, smiling. “My shell is warm and cozy. I’ll sleep well tonight.” Then she tucked her head inside, snug as can be.

Timmy the rabbit hopped across the meadow. Boing, boing! His ears flew up with every hop. The grass smelled sweet, and the dew was cool on his paws. “Goodnight, Grace!” he called. “I hope I dream about bright, twinkly stars!” Then—hop!—he was gone, down into his burrow.

High in the treetops, the birds fluffed up their feathers. They sang a soft, sleepy lullaby—their last song of the day. All over the forest, little eyes grew heavy.

Down in the grass, the crickets chirped along. Cree-cree, cree-cree, like a little drum keeping time. The fireflies switched on their tiny lights. They twinkled like stars that had floated down to say goodnight.

Little by little, the song grew softer… and then it was quiet. The moon rose over the trees. Grace settled on her favorite branch. “Goodnight, forest,” she whispered. “Sleep tight, everyone. Sweet dreams.”

Nutti slept in her hollow, Tilly in her shell, and Timmy in his burrow. The birds slept in their nests. The night was soft and warm, and Grace kept watch. In the morning, they would wake up and play together again.

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