No Sleep for Mouse
By Leila
It was a quiet night in the meadow, but little Mouse couldn’t sleep.
The sounds of the forest made him anxious. The owl’s hoot, the flutter of wings, the pitter-patter of tiny paws and the snapping sounds of twigs—they all seemed to echo in his room.
When the rain started to fall, Mouse listened to the drops tapping on the leaves, each one making a different sound, lulling him to sleep.
His eyes were half-closed…but soon the rain grew louder, until the noise filled the whole room and he was wide awake again.
He turned on the light and opened his favourite book. He read about brave mice, magic cheese, and starry adventures… but still, his eyes stayed wide.
He reached for his grandmother’s charm — a tiny silver bell on a blue string. “She always said it helps calm busy thoughts,” Mouse whispered, and gave it a gentle ring. But he could barely hear it.
Outside, the wind began to howl. A storm rolled across the meadow — lightning flashing, thunder rumbling. Mouse pulled his blanket tight, heart beating fast.
He tried listening to the wind. He even tried counting raindrops. But nothing seemed to help. He just could not sleep.
Eventually, the storm began to soften and Mouse had an idea.
He hung the bell by its ribbon on some twigs , and soon it began to ring softly as the breeze pushed it back and forth.
Mouse yawned, a small, sleepy sound. The thunder grew quiet, the rain whispered low. Only the soft chime of the bell remained, singing him to sleep.
When dawn arrived, the meadow was calm again, and Mouse was finally fast asleep.
- The End -
