Cosmo the duck was lying in bed, wide awake. He turned over. He turned back. He fluffed his pillow. But sleep just wouldn’t come. ‘I can’t sleep,’ he sighed.
Moe the panda peeked in. ‘Try counting fireflies,’ said Moe. ‘Come and sit in the garden.’ They took their blankets, and out they went into the night.
One tiny light blinked on in the dark. ‘One,’ whispered Cosmo. A second light blinked. ‘Two.’ Then a third, a fourth, a fifth. ‘Three... Four... Five...’
The fireflies danced and swirled, glowing gold and green. ‘Six... Seven...’ Cosmo yawned. His counting slowed down. ‘Eight...’ Moe yawned too. ‘Nine...’
‘Ten,’ Cosmo mumbled. He leaned against Moe’s shoulder. The lights blurred and swam. ‘Eleven...’ he whispered, and then his voice trailed off into a long, soft breath.
Moe smiled. He carried Cosmo back to bed and tucked the blanket under his chin. Outside, the fireflies kept on glowing, one, two, three, all night long.
The little lesson
Counting slowly and breathing deeply can help you drift off to sleep.
Let’s talk about it
- Can you count fireflies with me?
- What do you do when you can’t sleep?
Finish stories to collect Cosmo as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Bedtime stories
Pippa’s Moon’s Lullaby
Everyone is awake, until the moon begins to hum a gentle lullaby.
Counting Fireflies with Finn
Finn can’t fall asleep, so he counts fireflies. One, two, three...
Kai Rides the Sleepy Train
Chug, chug, chug. The night train collects sleepy animals and carries them all the way to dreamland.
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