Little Owl Hoo and the Sleepy Tree
High up in an old, old tree, in a round little hollow, lived a baby owl called Hoo. Hoo was so fluffy that she looked like a dandelion with eyes. Her nest was lined with soft lavender wool that Mama Owl had found caught on a fence.
Big owls stay up at night, and Hoo wanted to stay up too. "I want to see everything," she said, blinking her big round eyes. "The moon, the stars, the clouds, all of it."
"Then let us look together," said Mama Owl, "just for a little while."
So they sat at the edge of the hollow and looked out. The crescent moon hung in the sky like a silver smile. The stars came out one by one, as if someone was lighting tiny candles. A soft pink cloud drifted slowly past, taking its time, going nowhere special.
"What is that sound?" asked Hoo.
"That is the tree," said Mama Owl. "When the wind blows through its branches, the tree hums. It has hummed like that for a hundred years. It is humming a lullaby, just for you."
Hoo listened. Shhhh, went the leaves. Mmmm, went the branches. Creak, creak, went the old trunk, very gently, like a rocking chair.
"The tree is sleepy too," Hoo whispered.
"Everyone gets sleepy," said Mama Owl. "The squirrels are curled up in their drey. The rabbits are tucked into their burrow. The little birds have their heads under their wings. And soon, a little owl will be asleep in her nest."
Hoo yawned. It was a very small yawn, but it was a yawn all the same.
She shuffled back into the hollow and settled down in the lavender wool. It was warm from where she had sat before. Mama Owl spread one big soft wing over her, like a feather blanket.
"Will the moon still be there tomorrow?" asked Hoo.
"The moon will be there," said Mama Owl. "And the stars. And the tree. And me."
Hoo closed one eye. Then she closed the other. The tree hummed its old, slow song, shhhh, mmmm, and the crescent moon smiled down on the forest.
And little Hoo fell asleep, safe and fluffy, in the heart of the sleepy tree.
More bedtime stories
- Misty Says Goodnight to the MoonA calm bedtime story about Misty the kitten, who sits in the window and says goodnight to the moon, the stars and the whole sleepy house.
- Biscuit Counts the StarsA bedtime story about Biscuit the puppy, who lies on a soft hill counting stars and fireflies until he drifts off to sleep.
- Little Rabbit's Leaf BlanketA cosy autumn story about a little rabbit who gathers soft leaves into a blanket and falls asleep beneath the big old tree.
- Rory Raccoon's Basket of TreasuresA bedtime story about Rory the raccoon, who tucks the day's little treasures into his basket and says thank you for the day before he falls asleep.
- Kiki and the Rain LullabyA calm bedtime story about Kiki the little monkey, who lies in her leaf hammock listening to the rain sing a lullaby in the rainforest.
- Pip the Hedgehog and the Moss BedA cosy bedtime story about Pip the little hedgehog, who builds a soft moss bed under a big red mushroom and falls asleep among the fireflies.
- Bramble the Bear Cub's Winter SleepA warm bedtime story about Bramble the bear cub, who curls up in a snug den as the first snow falls and dreams the long, soft winter away.
- Shelly the Turtle and the Moonlit SeaA soothing bedtime story about Shelly the little sea turtle, who listens to the slow waves on a moonlit beach and lets the sea sing her to sleep.
- Lily the Lamb and Finn the FoxA tender bedtime story about two best friends, Lily the lamb and Finn the fox, who count the stars in the meadow and fall asleep side by side.