The Little Stars' Bed

Sara was six years old, and she loved the stars very much. Her room was small and warm, with walls the color of the light blue sky and little glow-in-the-dark star stickers on the ceiling. Her white bed was by the window, with a blanket printed with a smiling moon and a soft pillow shaped like a cloud.

That evening, Sara came home from her grandmother's house after a long, lovely day. She had baked date cookies with Grandma, watered the roses in the garden, played with Grandma's gray cat, and listened to a story about the fisherman and the golden fish. She was very happy, but also a little tired.

After dinner, Mama said, "It's time to get ready for bed, Sara." So Sara went to the bathroom, took a warm lavender-scented bath, put on her soft pink pajamas, brushed her teeth well, combed her hair, looked in the mirror, and said, "Good night, Sara."

Sara went into her room and began getting ready for bed by herself, like big girls do. First she arranged her cloud pillow, fluffing it with her little hands until it was puffy and soft. Then she straightened the blanket and folded back its corner so she could climb in. Then she placed her little shoes neatly beside the bed.

Next she picked up her favorite doll, Lulu, a soft cloth doll with two yellow yarn braids and a green dress. She placed her on the pillow beside her and covered her with a little handkerchief. "You need to be warm too, Lulu," she said. Lulu smiled with her embroidered mouth.

Then Sara went to the light switch, stood on tiptoe, and turned off the big light. The room went dark, and she felt a little afraid. But she quickly switched on her little lamp on the table by the bed. It was shaped like a star and glowed with a calm, warm golden light.

The star stickers on the ceiling began to glow a pale green, as if the sky itself had come down into her room. The little star lamp drew soft shadows on the walls. Sara looked around and said, "Now my room is as beautiful as the sky." Then she climbed under the soft blanket and felt the warmth wrap around her.

Sara hugged Lulu and began telling her about her day in a low voice: "Lulu, today I went to Grandma's house. We baked cookies together, and they were so delicious, and their smell filled the house. I shaped the cookies into stars and hearts, and Grandma said I'm the cleverest little baker."

Sara went on: "Then we watered the red and white roses, and I saw a yellow butterfly on a rose. Grandma's cat, Sukkara, played with me with a ball of yarn; she jumped and rolled, and I laughed a lot. Then we sat under the lemon tree, and Grandma told me a beautiful story." Lulu listened quietly.

"At the end of the story," Sara told Lulu, "the fisherman let the golden fish go back into the sea, because he knew it belonged there with its family. Grandma said kindness is the most beautiful treasure." Then Sara asked her doll, "And you, Lulu, what did you do today?" She imagined Lulu saying, "I waited for you all day to hear your stories."

Then Sara was quiet for a moment and listened to the sounds around her. She heard the calm ticking of the clock on the wall: tick, tock, tick, tock. The ticks were steady and slow, like little footsteps walking on tiptoe. Sara tried to count them: one, two, three, four, five…

Then she heard light rain beginning to fall on the window: tap, tap, tap. It was a soft, lovely sound, as if the clouds were singing a quiet song. She heard the wind passing among the leaves of the tree outside: shhh, shhh. And she heard Mama and Daddy talking softly in the living room.

With every minute that passed, the room grew warmer and calmer. Sara began to breathe slowly, as Mama had taught her: a long breath in through the nose, as if smelling a flower, then out slowly through the mouth, as if blowing out a candle. With every breath, her body felt lighter and more relaxed.

Sara looked at the star stickers on the ceiling and began imagining they were real stars. She imagined the big star in the middle looking at her and smiling. She imagined the little stars around it beginning to move slowly and come down from the ceiling, one after another, like shining feathers.

In her imagination, the little stars came near her bed and flew around it in a circle, glowing in lovely colors: gold, silver, and pink. The big star said in a voice as delicate as a bell, "Good evening, Sara. We've come to sing you a lullaby, because you made your bed by yourself and were kind to Lulu."

Sara smiled and said sleepily, "Really? You'll sing for me?" "Yes," said the star, "a song we sing only for kind children." And the stars began to sing softly: "Sleep, Sara, sleep, on your dreamy cloud. The stars guard the night, and the moon smiles in the sky."

The stars went on singing: "Sleep, Sara, sleep, with your doll Lulu beside you. Tomorrow is a lovely new morning, and the sun is waiting with laughter. Close your little eyes; sweet dreams are on their way." The song blended with the ticking of the clock and the sound of the rain, like magical music.

Sara felt her eyelids grow very heavy, like little doors slowly closing. She gave a big yawn: haaah. In her imagination, Lulu yawned too. "Thank you, stars," Sara said. "Your song… is so beautiful." And she closed her eyes.

At that moment, Mama quietly opened the door and looked at Sara. She saw her curled up under the blanket hugging Lulu, with a small smile on her face and the star lamp glowing beside her. Mama tiptoed over, straightened the blanket over her, and gently kissed her forehead.

"Good night, my little star," Mama whispered. She looked at the tidy room, the shoes beside the bed, and the fluffy pillow, and smiled to herself: "My little one has grown up and gets ready for bed by herself." She went out and left the door open a little.

Sara slept deeply and peacefully. In her dream she flew with the stars over the city and saw the sleeping houses, the still trees, and the big silver moon. In her dream she visited Grandma's house and saw Sukkara the cat asleep on a chair and the star-shaped cookies shining on the plate.

Then, in her dream, Sara sat on a soft cloud while the stars laughed and played around her. She played hide-and-seek with them among the clouds; the stars would hide, then suddenly sparkle, and Sara would find them. It was a beautiful dream, full of laughter and safety.

In the morning, golden sunlight slipped through the window, and Sara heard the birds singing in the tree. She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. The star stickers were in their places, still, as if asleep. She smiled. "Good morning, stars. Thank you for last night's song."

Sara jumped out of bed, lively and happy. She straightened her blanket, put Lulu on the pillow, and ran to Mama. "Mama! The stars sang me a lullaby last night!" Mama laughed and hugged her. "It sounds like you slept beautifully. Come, breakfast is ready, and I have date cookies for you from Grandma."

Sara learned that getting ready for bed calmly makes the night beautiful: tidying the bed, turning off the big light, talking quietly about our day, listening to soft sounds, and breathing slowly. When we prepare for sleep peacefully, sweet dreams come by themselves, and we wake up in the morning lively and happy.