Barnaby was a little blue cube. He loved to zoom and tumble and stack himself high! But Barnaby didn’t *like* bedtime. All his friends – Rosie the round red ball, Penelope the pointy yellow star, and Oliver the oval green bean – would yawn and snuggle down, but Barnaby wanted to keep playing. “Bedtime is boring!” he’d grumble.
One evening, Barnaby was zooming around when he bumped into Celeste, a shimmering silver cube. Celeste wasn’t zooming. She wasn’t tumbling. She was… wobbling! “What’s wrong?” asked Barnaby. Celeste sighed. “I’m trying to stay awake to sparkle extra bright for the moon, but I’m so tired. I just can’t seem to hold my shape!”
Barnaby had never seen a cube wobble before. It looked…sad. He remembered how good it felt to rest after a long day of playing. “Maybe,” Barnaby suggested, “you just need a little rest. Even cubes need to recharge!” Celeste looked surprised. “But I want to be bright!”
“You’ll be *even* brighter after a good sleep,” Barnaby explained. He gently helped Celeste find a cozy spot next to a fluffy cloud. He showed her how to close her shiny sides and breathe slowly. Soon, Celeste was resting peacefully. Barnaby watched her, and a funny feeling came over him. He felt… sleepy.
He realized that seeing Celeste rest made *him* feel calm. He found his own cozy spot next to Celeste and closed his blue sides. He thought about all the fun he’d had zooming and tumbling, and how much more fun he’d have tomorrow *after* a good night’s sleep.
Rosie, Penelope, and Oliver peeked over the clouds. “Look at Barnaby!” whispered Rosie. “He’s finally resting!” Penelope smiled. “It’s good to see everyone taking care of themselves.” Oliver added, “Even little blue cubes need their bedtime.”
Barnaby drifted off to sleep, dreaming of bright sparkles and happy tumbling. He learned that bedtime wasn’t boring at all. It was a special time to rest, recharge, and get ready for another wonderful day. And sometimes, helping a friend rest is the best adventure of all.