Sparky the dragon was a very bouncy dragon. He loved to zoom and swirl and puff little clouds of glitter! But when bedtime came, Sparky couldn't seem to settle. He’d wiggle his toes, flap his wings, and count all the stars, but he just couldn’t get sleepy. "Oh dear," sighed Sparky’s mama. "Being bouncy is fun, but sleepy time needs calm."
Mama Dragon showed Sparky a special trick. “Close your eyes,” she said, “and imagine you are floating on a fluffy cloud. A very, very slow cloud.” Sparky closed his eyes and tried. He imagined a cloud, but it was a *fast* cloud! He zoomed around on it, giggling. "Too fast!" he cried.
“Okay,” said Mama Dragon with a smile. “Let’s try again. This time, imagine the cloud is made of soft, warm honey. And it’s moving… very… slowly.” Sparky closed his eyes again. He imagined a honey cloud, golden and gooey. It drifted along, so slowly, it barely moved at all.
He felt his wings get heavy. He felt his claws relax. He took a deep breath, and it smelled like sweet wildflowers. A little firefly, Flicker, zipped by and winked. “That looks comfy!” Flicker buzzed. Sparky smiled. He wasn’t zooming anymore. He was just… floating.
“Now,” said Mama Dragon, “think of happy things. Think of playing with your friends, or eating yummy berries, or watching the sunset.” Sparky thought of all those things, and a warm feeling spread through his tummy. He felt safe and cozy.
Slowly, slowly, Sparky’s eyes began to droop. He yawned a big, dragon-sized yawn. Flicker the firefly landed on Sparky’s nose and blinked his light softly. Sparky snuggled close to his mama. He wasn’t bouncy anymore. He was sleepy.
“Goodnight, Sparky,” whispered Mama Dragon. “Sweet dreams.” Sparky mumbled, “Goodnight, Mama,” and drifted off to sleep, floating on his honey cloud, dreaming of slow, sparkly adventures. And Flicker the firefly kept watch, blinking his gentle light until morning.