Twinkle's Big Yawn

Twinkle was the smallest star in the sky, but she was also the most excited. 'I'm not going to sleep tonight!' she declared. 'I want to see the Sun come up!' She sparkled brightly. Blink, blink, flash!

The Moon, who was big and round and very old, chuckled. 'That is a long time to wait, little one,' he said in a deep, crumbly voice. 'The night is long.' 'I can do it!' said Twinkle. She held her points out stiff and shined as hard as she could.

An hour passed. The owls were hooting. Twinkle's arms were getting tired. Her sparkle wasn't a flash anymore; it was a gentle glow. 'Are you tired?' asked the Moon. 'No!' yawned Twinkle. 'I'm just... resting my eyes.'

'Maybe a story would help you stay awake,' suggested the Moon slyly. Twinkle nodded. 'Yes, a fast, exciting story!' The Moon cleared his throat. 'Once upon a time, there was a rock. It sat very still. It did not move for a thousand years...'

'...and then,' continued the Moon, 'a piece of moss grew on it. The moss grew slowly. So very slowly.' Twinkle's eyelids fluttered. This was the most boring story ever. Her light began to pulse. Dim... bright... dim... bright.

'The wind blew,' droned the Moon. 'Whoosh... hush... whoosh... hush.' The sound was mesmerizing. Twinkle arms uncurled. She drifted a little to the left. She couldn't remember why she wanted to stay awake.

A big yawn bubbled up from her tummy. It was huge. 'YAAAAAA-wwnn.' Twinkle's light went out for a second, then came back as a tiny, sleepy ember. 'Maybe I'll just close my eyes for a minute,' she whispered.

'Goodnight, Twinkle,' whispered the Moon. He tucked a passing cloud around her like a blanket. Twinkle didn't answer. She was already fast asleep, dreaming of rocks that didn't move at all.

The End. Thank you for listening to Story Time.