Rory Raccoon's Basket of Treasures
Rory the raccoon lived in a hollow tree in the middle of the woods. It was cosy in there. The floor was covered in soft moss, and a little lantern hung from a twig, glowing warm and golden.
Every day, Rory went out looking for treasure. Not gold or diamonds, oh no. Rory's treasures were much nicer than that.
Now it was evening, and Rory came home with his pockets full. He sat down beside his woven basket and yawned.
"Let's see," he said. "What did I find today?"
He took out a pebble. It was smooth and grey and shone a little in the lantern light.
"I found this one by the stream," said Rory. "The water had made it all soft and round. Thank you, stream."
He put the pebble in the basket.
Next he took out a pine cone. It was brown and bumpy and smelled of the forest.
"This one dropped right in front of my paws," said Rory. "Like a present. Thank you, pine tree."
The pine cone went in beside the pebble.
Last of all, he took out a feather. It was white and light, so light it nearly floated away when Rory breathed out.
"And this one," he said with a smile, "I found when a little bird flew past, singing. Thank you, little bird."
He laid the feather carefully on top, so it wouldn't get crumpled.
Outside the tree, the stars had come out. The woods were quiet. Only an owl hooted far away, soft and slow: hoo, hoo.
Rory rested his paws on the rim of the basket and looked at his treasures. A pebble from the stream. A pine cone from the pine tree. A feather from a bird.
"That was a good day," he said.
He yawned again, so wide that the stripes on his tail gave a little wiggle. Then he rested his chin against the basket. It was warm from his own paws.
"Goodnight, pebble," he whispered. "Goodnight, pine cone. Goodnight, feather."
The lantern flickered, as if it was getting sleepy too.
"Tomorrow," Rory mumbled, "I'll look for… maybe a shell… or a leaf shaped like a heart…"
He didn't get to say any more. His eyes closed, and he breathed slowly, in and out, with his nose close to his little treasures.
And the woods slept, and the owl slept, and the lantern glowed softly, softly, until it was morning again.
Goodnight, Rory.
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- 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.
- 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.