Sparky was a little dragon, and little dragons are usually very good at sleeping. They spend all day zooming and swooping and breathing little puffs of smoke, and then they curl up and snooze! But Sparky… Sparky couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned in his cozy cave, his scales shimmering in the moonlight. He wiggled his toes and flapped his wings, but nothing helped.
“I just can’t get comfy!” he grumbled to his mama. Mama Dragon smiled gently. “Sometimes, little one, our minds are too busy to sleep. Let’s try something.” She showed Sparky how to take a deep breath, filling his tummy like a balloon, and then slowly letting the air out. “Breathe in… and breathe out…”
Sparky tried it. He breathed in, and his tummy puffed up. He breathed out, and his scales felt a little less prickly. He did it again, and again. It *did* feel a bit better, but his mind was still racing with thoughts of all the fun he’d had that day – chasing butterflies, playing hide-and-seek with the cloud sheep, and learning to blow smoke rings.
“What if I forget how to blow smoke rings?” Sparky worried. Mama Dragon chuckled. “Silly Sparky! You won’t forget. You’re a wonderful smoke-ring blower. And even if you did, you could learn again tomorrow. Right now, it’s time to rest your amazing dragon brain.”
She then showed Sparky how to listen to the sounds around him. “Hear the gentle breeze rustling the leaves? Hear the crickets chirping their sleepy song? Just listen, Sparky. Don’t try to change anything, just listen.” Sparky closed his eyes and focused on the sounds. The breeze sounded like a soft whisper, and the crickets sounded like tiny bells.
He noticed a little pebble had rolled into his cave. He didn’t try to kick it away or worry about it. He just *noticed* it. Mama Dragon explained that sometimes, thoughts and feelings are like that pebble – they just *are*. We don’t have to fight them, we can just let them be.
Sparky took another deep breath, remembering to fill his tummy and then slowly let the air out. He listened to the breeze, the crickets, and the little pebble. He thought about blowing smoke rings, and then he let that thought float away like a cloud. He felt his eyelids getting heavy.
Slowly, Sparky’s wiggling slowed down. His wings relaxed. His scales stopped shimmering so brightly. He snuggled close to his mama, feeling safe and warm. He realized that it was okay to feel a little restless, and it was okay to need help calming down. And finally, with a tiny puff of sleepy smoke, Sparky the little dragon drifted off to sleep.
Mama Dragon smiled and kissed his forehead. “Sweet dreams, my little Sparky,” she whispered. “Sweet dreams.” And Sparky dreamed of butterflies, cloud sheep, and perfectly formed smoke rings.