Lily the little lamb loved snuggling in her cozy bed at night. Every night, she dreamt of soaring through the sky on fluffy clouds, or swimming in a sparkling ocean filled with playful fish.
But tonight, Lily's dreams felt different. She dreamt of a tiny, wobbly, little chick, all yellow and fluffy. The chick was having trouble falling asleep. It kept flapping its wings and chirping in her dreams.
Lily felt a warmth in her heart, a feeling she’d never had before. This tiny chick, so different from the fluffy lambs in her flock, needed comfort.
She nudged the chick in her dream with her soft, woolly nose and whispered, "Don't worry, little one. Soon, you'll be snug and warm in your nest."
The chick chirped softly, then seemed to calm down. Lily felt a strange happiness as the chick's chirps faded into the quiet of her dream. Lily realized that the chick wasn't like her at all. And that was okay.
In the morning, Lily woke up feeling very happy. She knew that it’s good to be kind and understanding to those who are different from us. She remembered how she had helped the little chick in her dream.
Later that day, Lily met a new little friend at the waterhole. This little friend was a clumsy, playful, duckling, making funny splashes in the water. Lily felt a sense of understanding and kindness for the clumsy duckling.
Lily saw how the little duckling enjoyed playing and splashing, even when it accidentally splashed Lily. And Lily understood that everyone has different ways of playing. She was kind, playful and accepting of the little duckling’s differences. Lily realized everyone can be different in fun ways.
As Lily drifted back to sleep, she imagined all her friends – the little chicks, the playful ducklings, and the fluffy lambs – all together in the meadow, happily playing and learning from each other, appreciating each other's unique ways.
She knew that having different friends made her world more interesting and made her feel happy. Lily realized that being patient and understanding of other people's differences made the world a more joyful place. Lily smiled, knowing that sleep would come soon.
Lily closed her eyes, ready to dream again, knowing that being kind and understanding was the best part of a good dream. And a good night.