The Little Owl Counts the Clouds

In a little house high in a big tree lived a little owl named Nono. Nono wore blue pajamas with yellow stars, and she loved to play very much. Every night, when Mama said, "It's bedtime, Nono," Nono would answer, "Not now, Mama, I'm not sleepy!"

Nono's home was lovely and warm. It had a small wooden bed, a blanket of red, yellow, and green, and a soft star-shaped pillow. The room had a big window looking out over the sky and the forest. In the daytime Nono played a lot: she hopped on the branches, played hide-and-seek with the squirrel, sang with the sparrows, and collected colorful leaves. She laughed and ran until her little cheeks turned pink.

That night, Mama turned off the lamp and kissed Nono on her soft head. "Good night, my little one," said Mama. But Nono didn't close her big eyes. She hopped quietly out of bed and sat on a little cushion by the window.

Before Mama left the room, she asked, "Did you brush your teeth, Nono?" "Yes, Mama, I brushed them until they shine!" said Nono, giving a big smile to show her teeth. Mama laughed. "And did you drink some water?" "Yes, a little cup." "Well done, sweetheart," said Mama. "Now close your eyes and think of something nice." She closed the door quietly and left a small light on in the hallway.

Nono looked at the sky. She saw the round moon laughing and the stars twinkling like grains of sugar. Then she saw soft white clouds drifting slowly by. "I'll count the clouds!" said Nono. "That's nicer than sleeping."

Near the moon was a little star that shone more brightly than all the others. Nono waved her wing at it. "Hello, Star! Are you awake like me?" The star twinkled as if to say, "Hello, Nono!" Nono was delighted. "I'll play with you a little, and then count the clouds." She heard the light wind passing through the leaves: whoosh, whoosh. The sound was soft, like Mama's song.

Nono began to count: "One cloud, like a little bunny. Two clouds, like two pieces of cotton. Three clouds, like a big ship." The clouds moved slowly, and slowly, and slowly. The air was cool and gentle, and the tree rocked its branches like a quiet swing.

"The cloud bunny has long ears, like my friend Bobo the rabbit!" said Nono. She remembered how she had played a hopping-over-stones game with Bobo that morning, how Bobo fell on the grass, and how they had laughed and laughed. Then she looked at the cloud ship. "Where are you sailing, Ship? To the faraway sea?" She imagined the ship was carrying lots of lovely dreams to share with all the sleeping children.

"Four clouds…" said Nono more softly, "like a big white blanket." Then she yawned: "Aaaah." She looked at the sky again. "Five clouds… like a soft pillow, just like mine." Her eyes grew heavy, and her wings grew warm.

Then Nono saw a long cloud like a white train with many carriages. "Cloud train… where are you going?" she asked sleepily. She imagined the train saying, "Toot toot! I'm going to Dreamland. Will you come with me?" Nono gave a little laugh. "Maybe… in a little while." Her body felt as light as a feather, and her eyes wanted to close all by themselves.

Then came a very small cloud, drifting alone behind the big ones. "Little cloud, why are you moving so slowly?" asked Nono. She imagined the cloud answering, "I'm tired, Nono. I played all day with the sun and the wind, and now I want to rest on top of the mountain." Nono thought for a moment and remembered that she had played all day too: she had run with the squirrel, hopped on the branches, and sung with the sparrows. She laid her head on her wing and said, "Maybe I'm a little tired too."

"Don't be afraid," Nono told the little cloud. "You can sleep on the mountain. The mountain is big and strong, and it will watch over you all night." The little cloud was happy and drifted slowly toward the faraway mountain, then stopped on its peak as if laying its head on a pillow. "Good night, little cloud," said Nono, and she smiled, feeling she had done something kind.

Just then, the moon slipped behind a big cloud, as if to say, "I'm going to rest a little too, Nono." Nono smiled. "Even the moon rests?" She heard a little cricket singing a quiet song, and the wind saying, "Shhhh… sleep, Nono."

When Nono looked down, she saw that the whole forest was quiet. The rabbit was asleep in his burrow, the squirrel was asleep in her nest, and the sparrows were asleep under their wings. Even the flowers had closed their colorful petals as if sleeping. "All my friends are asleep," Nono whispered. "Everyone's resting now." She felt calm fill her heart, like a warm hug from Mama.

Mama quietly opened the door and saw Nono, sleepy, by the window. She lifted her tenderly, laid her in her warm bed, and covered her with the colorful blanket. "Mama," Nono whispered, "I counted five clouds, and they were all going to sleep." Mama laughed. "And so are you, my darling. Sleep makes you strong and lively for tomorrow."

Then Mama sat beside her and sang an old song in a soft voice: "Sleep, sleep, little one, on the big cloud; the stars guard your home, and the moon is a light for your eyes." Mama gently stroked Nono's soft feathers. As Mama sang, Nono's breathing grew slower and calmer: in… out… in… out. "Mama… I love you," said Nono very faintly. "And I love you more, my little moon," said Mama.

Nono closed her eyes and dreamed she was flying above the soft clouds, playing with the cloud bunny and the cloud ship. In the morning she woke early, happy and full of energy, and she played, ran, and learned new things. "You know what?" she told her friend the squirrel. "When I sleep well at night, I run faster and fly stronger!" The squirrel laughed. "Me too, Nono. That's why I go to bed early every night."

The next evening, when Mama said, "It's bedtime, Nono," Nono didn't say, "Not now." Instead, she brushed her teeth, drank her water, and hopped into bed by herself. Then she looked out the window and said, "Good night, clouds. Good night, Star. Good night, Moon." She closed her eyes quickly and fell asleep smiling.

In the morning, the sparrows came to the window and sang, "Good morning, Nono!" Nono opened her eyes and saw the sun laughing in the sky. She jumped out of bed. "Good morning, Sun! Good morning, sparrows!" She felt strong and lively, her wings ready to fly and play all day. She ate all her breakfast, then went out to play with her friends, full of joy.

From that day on, Nono loved bedtime. She learned that night is not a boring time, but a calm time when we rest so we can grow and play in the morning. Going to bed early is a lovely friend to every little child: it makes the body strong and the heart happy.