Sweet Little Bedtime Tales: 5 Mini Stories Before Sleep

Short bedtime tales are a splendid little lantern for guiding children into sleep. Reading by nightfall strengthens the tender ties between parent and child. These stories, each with a kindly ending, help a youngster set aside the bustle of the day and drift toward gentle rest.

🐱 Kitten Tosha and the Moon

Once upon a time, a small kitten named Tosha sat upon the windowsill, staring with all his might into the night. There, in the velvet sky, shone a grand Moon—just like the round of a cheese or a ball forgotten by some absent-minded soul.

Tosha stretched out his paw, spread his claws, and—snap! But his paw caught nothing but air. The kitten sprang, clicked his little teeth in a comical way, yet the Moon remained high, ever so high.

“Why are you so far away?” Tosha mewed sadly, pressing his ears flat.
Just then, an Owlet glided soundlessly onto the branch of the old apple tree. His name was Ooh. He was only a week older than Tosha, yet he fancied himself tremendously wise.

“What’s this—trying to catch the Moon?” he chuckled. “You can’t catch her, Tosha. The Moon is a lantern, you see. She shines so you won’t be afraid and stands guard over your dreams.”

Tosha listened closely. Indeed, the moonlight softly stroked his back, much like a warm mother’s paw by the hearth.

It grew so calm and snug that the kitten began to purr. It turns out not everything in this world must be grasped with claws. Sometimes it is enough simply to look and to feel gentle warmth.

Tosha curled into a fluffy little ball, tucked his nose into his tail, and closed his eyes. And the Moon went on smiling at him from the dark.

Purr… purr… purr…

🐻 Bear Cub Misha on a Cloud

One summer day, while little bear cub Misha was wandering across a sunny meadow, he tipped his head back and saw something wondrous above! High in the sky drifted a great snow-white cloud, shaped like the softest armchair or a vast tuft of spun sugar.

“What if…” thought Misha. He took a running start and nimbly hopped straight onto the cloud’s edge! At once the cloud swayed and began to rise—first above the trees, then higher than the tallest firs themselves.

From that flying height, the forest looked like a gentle green rug, and the river like a slender, shining thread. A cool breeze tenderly tickled Misha’s ears. Just then, a familiar bird darted past the cloud.

“Hello there, little bear!” she chirped gaily and plopped down beside him, tumbling in a most amusing way.

Oh, how splendid it was—to roll and romp together with a friend!

“Hey-ho!” cried the bear cub, flinging his paws wide.

“Whee-ee!” answered the bird, diving headfirst through the air.

…And when evening came, the cloud slowly—ever so slowly, like a silken parachute—lowered Misha straight onto the soft grass by his home. The bear cub hopped down, and the cloud, bidding farewell, gently rocked its white side and floated off to attend to its important sky-bound affairs.

Misha went inside, drank a cup of warm milk, climbed into his snug little bed, and yawned sweetly. He could still feel the breeze softly tickling his nose, and beneath his paws the sway of the fluffy cloud. “What a merry day it was,” he thought, pulling the blanket right up to his chin.

And within a minute, the bear cub was dreaming the softest, kindest dreams of all.

Sleep… sleep… sleep well…

⭐🌸 The Star Garden of Little Sabina

When the sun slipped behind the treetops, a girl named Sabina took her favorite watering can and stepped into the garden. But instead of dew, she beheld a marvel: among the bushes of her sweet raspberries sparkled tiny fallen stars. They looked like living fireflies, only shining even brighter.

Sabina carefully cupped her hands, catching drops of light and gently “planting” them in the grass, like little tulip bulbs. The stars were all so different! One warmed her palm like a cup of hot tea. Another was cool and ticklish, like a scrap of silk.

“Shine brightly,” Sabina whispered, watering her curious beds. “Grow into great stars and light everything around.”

Soon the whole garden was awash in a soft, enchanted glow. The grass seemed to gleam from within, and the flowers turned into magic lanterns. Sabina sat down on the porch, hugged her knees, and gazed at the shimmer. She felt so calm and light, as though the entire starry sky had wrapped its arms around her shoulders.

She stretched sleepily, went indoors, and slipped beneath her warm quilt. As she drifted off, the girl thought that while she slept, her starry garden would gift gentle dreams and sweet little songs to all her friends. And to her as well.

Ding… ding… ding…