Luna the Unicorn lay in the soft grass at the edge of the old forest. It was her favorite time of day, for night was slowly falling. The crickets chirped, the fireflies danced, and bit by bit the sky turned into a velvety blanket.
Luna looked up, full of anticipation. Every evening she was right there when the first stars appeared. She knew every single one by name. But there was one she looked forward to most of all: Zippy. He was the liveliest, brightest star of them all. Whenever he appeared, he darted quickly across the sky, as if waving hello.
But tonight the sky stayed quiet. No twinkle, no Zippy. Luna stood up and turned in a slow circle. Maybe he was on the other side of the sky? Or had she gotten it wrong?
“Griselda! Griselda!” she called into the darkness. Old Griselda the Owl poked her sleepy head out of the tree hollow. “What’s the matter, little one?”
“Zippy isn’t here! The star, you know the one!”
Griselda blinked and yawned. “Stars aren’t clocks, you know. Maybe he’s simply running late.”
Luna lowered her head. “Or maybe he’s gone for good.”
Griselda wrinkled her brow. “Well, if you really want to, I’ll help you look.”
Luna nodded eagerly. “I’ll lead the way!”
She trotted off, her hooves barely making a sound on the damp, mossy ground. Griselda flapped along behind her, grumbling softly and complaining about the damp night air.
At the edge of the great meadow, fireflies glowed in tiny spirals. Luna stopped. “Have you seen Zippy?”
The fireflies swirled about in confusion. Then one buzzed, “Not tonight. Last night, though. He was lying on a leaf, snoring.”
“What?” cried Griselda. “A snoring star?”
Luna was astonished. “Then we simply have to find him!”
They crossed the tall grass, waded over a little stream, and reached the edge of the old silver forest. There, between a birch tree and a blackberry bush, Luna suddenly spotted a soft glow.
And there he was. Zippy. Curled up on a leaf, wrapped in a wisp of mist. A tiny point of light on his forehead flickered as he slept.
“Zippy?” Luna whispered.
The star stirred. “Mmmmhh?”
“What are you doing here? The sky is waiting for you!”
Zippy opened one eye. “I’m tired, Luna. So very tired.”
Griselda huffed. “That won’t do at all! Something is clearly missing from the sky without you!”
The star shrugged. “Nobody minds anymore, anyway. I’ve granted a hundred wishes, every single day. And no one ever says thank you. I figured if I stayed away for once, nobody would even notice.”
Luna looked at him for a long moment. Then she lay down beside him. “I missed you. Very much, actually.”
Zippy blinked. “Really?”
“Yes. And maybe you don’t always have to shine so brightly. Maybe a little twinkle is enough.”
Griselda nodded. “Exactly. All that matters is that you’re there.”
The star gave one last yawn, stretched, and slowly floated up into the air. He wasn’t quite as bright as usual, but Luna spotted him at once anyway.
A little while later, she lay back down in the meadow. The sky was clear, the night still. And up there, right beside the moon, a tiny little light twinkled.
Luna smiled. It wasn’t a great, dazzling glow. But it was there.
Did you enjoy this story?
More Bedtime Stories:
You’ll find more bedtime stories in our collection: All Bedtime Stories for Kids →
Popular Topics: