Little Rabbit's Leaf Blanket
Autumn had come to the woods. The leaves on the big old tree had turned yellow and orange and red, and whenever the wind blew they sailed down one at a time, like little boats in the air.
Little Rabbit sat at the foot of the tree and watched them.
"The evenings are getting chilly," she said, wiggling her nose. "I need a blanket."
So she began to gather leaves. A yellow leaf, soft as a mitten. An orange leaf, warm as a sunset. A red leaf with tiny spots, which she liked best of all.
She put them in a pile. She patted the pile with her paws. She fetched some more.
A squirrel came by with an acorn in his mouth.
"What are you making?" asked the squirrel.
"A blanket," said Little Rabbit. "Out of leaves."
"How lovely," said the squirrel, and he set his acorn down beside the pile. "Here. A pillow for your feet."
Little Rabbit smiled. An acorn isn't really a pillow, but it was kind of him all the same.
The sky turned purple, and then deep blue. A thin moon came out, like a slice of melon, and the stars switched on one by one.
"Now it's bedtime," Little Rabbit told herself.
She crept in under the leaves. First her paws. Then her tummy. Then her back. In the end, only her head and her long ears poked out.
The leaves rustled a little when she moved, a soft, whispery sound. Rustle, rustle. Then everything was quiet.
The big old tree stood perfectly still and kept watch. Its roots curled around her like arms, and its trunk was wide and safe to lean on.
"Goodnight, tree," whispered Little Rabbit.
One last leaf drifted down from a branch, slowly, slowly, and landed right on her shoulder, as if the tree wanted to tuck her in.
Little Rabbit pulled her leaf blanket a little higher. It was warm in there. Warm and soft, and it smelled like autumn.
She thought about everything she'd done that day: hopping through the grass, nibbling a clover flower, watching a butterfly, getting an acorn from a friend.
It had been a good day.
Her eyes closed. Her ears sank slowly down, one at a time, until they rested on the leaves.
And beneath the big old tree, under the thin moon and all the stars, a little rabbit slept in her very own leaf blanket.
Goodnight, Little Rabbit.
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.
- 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.
- Little Owl Hoo and the Sleepy TreeA gentle bedtime story about Hoo, a fluffy baby owl who listens to the old tree hum a lullaby and snuggles down in her soft round nest.
- 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.