Humphrey the hippo was a very happy hippo, but he had a little problem. He never wanted to go to bed! He loved playing in the mud and splashing in the river, even when the stars started to twinkle.
One night, Mama Hippo said, "Humphrey, darling, it's time for bed." Humphrey groaned. He wanted to play just a little bit longer. Mama Hippo smiled gently. "But first," she said, "Let's help Fiona the frog find her lost lily pad."
Fiona the frog was very sad. Her lily pad had floated away down the river! Humphrey, even though he wanted to stay up late, knew Fiona needed help. He carefully searched the riverbanks, his big eyes scanning the water.
Finally, Humphrey spotted Fiona’s lily pad caught on a twig. He gently pulled it free and brought it back to Fiona. Fiona hopped onto her lily pad, so happy she almost burst! She thanked Humphrey with a big, wet hug.
Feeling warm and fuzzy inside, Humphrey went back to his mama. He felt sleepy now, after his act of kindness. Mama Hippo brushed his thick fur and sang him a sweet lullaby about twinkling stars and sleepy hippos.
Humphrey snuggled into his bed of soft reeds. He thought about how much fun he had helping Fiona, and how much better he felt going to sleep after doing something nice for someone else. He realized that bedtime wasn't so bad after all!
From that day on, Humphrey still loved to play, but he also looked forward to his bedtime routine. He knew that helping others and having a good night's sleep made him a happy, kind hippo. And that’s the best feeling of all!