Stan’s Sleepy Counting

Stan can’t fall asleep, so he counts fireflies. One, two, three...

Stan the snail 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.

Cara the rabbit peeked in. ‘Try counting fireflies,’ said Cara. ‘Come and sit on the porch.’ They took their blankets, and out they went into the night.

One tiny light blinked on in the dark. ‘One,’ whispered Stan. 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...’ Stan yawned. His counting slowed down. ‘Eight...’ Cara yawned too. ‘Nine...’

‘Ten,’ Stan mumbled. He leaned against Cara’s shoulder. The lights blurred and swam. ‘Eleven...’ he whispered, and then his voice trailed off into a long, soft breath.

Cara smiled. She carried Stan 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 Stan as a sticker in your Sticker Book.

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