Harvey the hedgehog 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.
Percy the mouse peeked in. ‘Try counting fireflies,’ said Percy. ‘Come and sit under the big tree.’ They took their blankets, and out they went into the night.
One tiny light blinked on in the dark. ‘One,’ whispered Harvey. 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...’ Harvey yawned. His counting slowed down. ‘Eight...’ Percy yawned too. ‘Nine...’
‘Ten,’ Harvey mumbled. He leaned against Percy’s shoulder. The lights blurred and swam. ‘Eleven...’ he whispered, and then his voice trailed off into a long, soft breath.
Percy smiled. He carried Harvey 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 Harvey as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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