Barnaby was a little puppy with very big ears. He loved playing in the garden with his best friend, Lily. But when the sun began to set, Barnaby got a little bit scared. Shadows stretched long and wobbly, and every rustle of leaves sounded like a monster!
One evening, as the sky turned a beautiful orange, Barnaby heard a *whoosh* sound. He yelped and hid behind Lily’s legs. “What was that?” he whimpered, his tail tucked between his legs. Lily giggled. “It was just the wind, Barnaby! It’s making the leaves dance.”
But Barnaby wasn’t convinced. He imagined a grumpy shadow-monster was hiding in the bushes. He wanted to be brave, like the big dogs at the park, but his paws felt wobbly. He closed his eyes tight.
Lily knelt down and gave Barnaby a gentle hug. “It’s okay to be scared, Barnaby,” she said softly. “Even brave dogs get scared sometimes. The important thing is to ask for help.”
Barnaby took a deep breath. “Can… can you stay with me?” he asked, looking up at Lily with his big, brown eyes. Lily smiled. “Of course! We can look at the shadows together.”
Lily and Barnaby walked slowly towards the bushes. Lily pointed. “See? It’s just the branches moving in the wind. And look, there’s Mr. Hedgehog looking for his dinner!” Barnaby peeked out from behind Lily and saw Mr. Hedgehog snuffling around. He wasn’t scary at all!
Barnaby realized that the shadows weren’t monsters, and the *whoosh* sound was just the wind. He wagged his tail and started to feel brave. He even barked a little ‘hello’ to Mr. Hedgehog!
From that day on, Barnaby still felt a little bit scared when the sun went down, but he knew he could always ask Lily for help. And he learned that being brave wasn’t about not being scared, it was about facing your fears with a friend by your side. Now, close your eyes, little one, and dream sweet dreams of brave puppies and dancing leaves.
Barnaby yawned a big puppy yawn and snuggled close to Lily. It was time for sleepy cuddles and sweet dreams. Goodnight, Barnaby! Goodnight, Lily! And goodnight to you too.