Leo the lion cub wasn't very good at falling asleep. Every night, he’d toss and turn, wishing for a magical way to drift off to dreamland. One evening, Old Man Turtle, the wisest creature in Sunny Meadow, told Leo about the Sleepytime Star Rewards. “Legend says,” Old Man Turtle rumbled, “that if a little one completes three acts of kindness, they’ll earn a visit from the Sleepytime Star, who sprinkles dream dust and makes sleep come easily.”
Leo’s ears perked up! A quest! He was ready. His first task, Old Man Turtle explained, was to help Rosie Rabbit find her lost carrots. Rosie was very upset; she needed those carrots for her little brother’s dinner. Leo bravely searched high and low, under bushes and behind trees. It took a while, and he almost gave up, but finally, he spotted a bright orange pile near the babbling brook. Rosie was overjoyed!
“Oh, Leo, you’re a lifesaver!” she cried, giving him a big hug. “Thank you so much!” Leo felt a warm glow inside. That felt good! His second task was to help Barnaby Bear gather berries for his grandma’s special honey cakes. Barnaby was too small to reach the highest branches, but Leo, with a little jump and stretch, could easily pluck the plump, juicy berries.
Barnaby’s grandma was delighted with the berries and gave Leo a tiny honey cake as a thank you. It was the sweetest cake he’d ever tasted! But Leo knew the reward wasn’t the cake; it was seeing Barnaby and his grandma so happy. For his final task, Leo had to cheer up Penelope Penguin, who was feeling sad because she missed her family. Leo didn’t know what to do, so he simply sat with Penelope and listened to her stories.
He told her funny jokes and made silly faces until Penelope started to giggle. Soon, she was laughing so hard her tummy wobbled! As Leo finished cheering up Penelope, a soft, twinkling light filled the meadow. It was the Sleepytime Star! She floated down and smiled at Leo. “You have shown great bravery, kindness, and helpfulness, little lion,” she said. “You have earned your reward.”
The Sleepytime Star sprinkled Leo with shimmering dream dust. Leo felt his eyelids grow heavy, and a peaceful calm washed over him. He yawned a big, sleepy yawn. He realized the greatest reward wasn’t just the dream dust, but the joy he felt from helping his friends. He snuggled into his bed, and before he knew it, he was fast asleep, dreaming sweet dreams. From that night on, Leo didn’t need a quest to fall asleep; he just remembered the warm feeling of kindness and bravery, and drifted off to dreamland with a smile.