Humphrey the hippo was a very sleepy hippo. Every night, he wished upon the brightest star he could find. He didn’t wish for toys, or treats, or even a bigger mud puddle. Humphrey wished for wonderful dreams! But lately, his dreams hadn’t been very wonderful at all. They were just… gray.
One evening, as Humphrey was getting ready for bed, he heard a tiny sniffle. He peeked out of his cozy riverbank home and saw Penelope the pygmy goose. Penelope was all alone, and her wing was drooping. “What’s wrong, Penelope?” Humphrey asked gently.
Penelope explained that she’d bumped into a branch and hurt her wing. She was supposed to fly south with her family, but now she couldn’t. Humphrey felt a pang of sadness for Penelope. He knew what it felt like to be unhappy.
“Don’t worry, Penelope,” Humphrey said. “I can’t fix your wing, but I can keep you company. And I can share my yummy water lilies with you!” Penelope smiled, a tiny, grateful smile. Humphrey spent the evening telling Penelope stories and making sure she had plenty to eat.
As the moon climbed high, Penelope began to feel sleepy. Humphrey helped her find a soft patch of moss to rest on. He stayed with her until she was fast asleep, making sure she was warm and comfortable. He almost forgot about wishing on a star!
Finally, Humphrey went back to his own bed. He looked up at the night sky and saw the brightest star twinkling just for him. He didn’t even need to make a wish. He felt warm and fuzzy inside, knowing he had helped a friend.
That night, Humphrey had the most wonderful dream he’d ever had! He dreamed he was flying through the sky with Penelope, soaring over fields of water lilies and sparkling rivers. The dream was full of color and joy, and it felt so real.
When Humphrey woke up, he realized something important. Wonderful dreams don’t just *happen*. They come from doing wonderful things. And the best thing of all was knowing he had made a new friend. From that day on, Humphrey continued to be kind and helpful, and every night, he had the sweetest, most colorful dreams.