Why Couldn’t Ollie Sleep?

In the heart of the Whispering Woods, high in a crooked old tree, lived a little owl named Ollie. Ollie was supposed to sleep during the day and fly through the night, just like every other owl.

But lately, something was wrong. He blinked. He yawned. He rolled over and fluffed his feathers.

Still, no sleep.

“Why is sleep hiding from me?” Ollie wondered, blinking at the golden sunbeams peeking through the leaves. Could sleep get lost? Could it forget where he lived?

Asking the Turtle.

Determined to find answers, Ollie flew quietly from branch to branch, searching for a solution.

First, he visited Tilda the Turtle, who was just settling onto a rock for her morning nap. “Tilda, do you know how to fall asleep when your eyes won’t close?”

Tilda yawned and blinked slowly. “I count the ripples in the pond. One… two… three…”

Ollie tried it. One… two… flop. Nope. Still wide awake.

Asking the Luna the Ladybug

Then he fluttered over to Luna the Ladybug, who rested on a dandelion puff.

“Luna, help! My brain feels buzzy, and my feathers feel twitchy.” Luna smiled and said, “I listen to the wind until it sounds like a lullaby.”

Ollie perched quietly and listened: Whooosh… rustle… shhhh… It helped, a little. But still, sleep didn’t come.

The Wise Whispers of the Trees

Ollie sighed and nestled into his favorite branch, feeling tired and a little bit sad.

Just then, the old Whispering Tree spoke in a voice like leaves brushing the sky. “Ollie,” it said kindly, “sleep isn’t something you chase. It’s something you welcome.”

“Welcome?” Ollie tilted his head. “But how do I do that?” “Try this,” the tree whispered. “Be still. Be quiet. Breathe in the stars and out the worries. Let your thoughts float away like clouds.”

So Ollie did just that.

He stopped flapping. He closed his eyes halfway. He imagined his worries as little leaves drifting off in the wind.

He breathed in…
He breathed out…