Lily loved looking at the stars. Every night, she'd lie in bed, gazing at the twinkling diamonds scattered across the velvet sky. She dreamed of traveling among them, of floating through the vast emptiness of space.
One night, a shimmering, silver spaceship gently landed on her windowsill. It was smaller than a toy, but it hummed with a warm, inviting light. Inside, a tiny astronaut, no bigger than her thumb, beamed at her. 'Hello, Lily!' he chirped.
Lily gasped. 'You can fly to space? How?'
'Follow my instructions,' said the astronaut. 'First, close your eyes, and imagine the night sky filling up with magical light. Feel the cool, soft wind of space on your face.'
Lily did as she was told. The night sky became a swirling canvas of vibrant colours, and a cool breeze caressed her cheeks. She felt herself floating, weightless, soaring past the moon, which looked like a giant, shimmering pearl.
Next, the astronaut directed her to imagine a nebula, a beautiful cloud of colourful gas, swirling like a giant, glowing candy floss. 'Imagine you are a tiny explorer, carefully navigating through the nebula,' he said.
Lily, with her eyes still closed, imagined herself exploring the nebula, her tiny astronaut-suit protecting her from the unknown. She felt a sense of wonder and excitement, but also a bit of calm patience, as she discovered the nebula's different colours and patterns.
The tiny astronaut then whispered, 'Open your eyes, Lily. Now, follow the constellation Orion. Imagine it's a giant map guiding you to the planet of dreams.'
Lily opened her eyes, and sure enough, Orion blazed across the night sky. Following its twinkling stars, she imagined a pathway leading to a planet made of pure moonlight, sparkling and inviting.
As she floated near the magical planet, Lily felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest. The astronaut smiled. 'You've discovered the planet of dreams! Now, it's time to return.'
Lily imagined the spaceship floating toward her. She felt an overwhelming sense of calm and wonder as she returned to her comfy bed, the gentle hum of the spaceship fading away into the quiet night.
Lily drifted off to sleep, her mind filled with the beautiful images of space and her wonderful little astronaut friend, and knew that she could explore the universe through her imagination. And, as she slept, she remembered the importance of following directions, even in dreams, just like following Orion's constellations.
She knew that, with patience and curiosity, she could explore many exciting places in the world around her. And the more she explored, the more discoveries she would make.