Luma and the Missing Hush

Story

At bedtime, a tiny tap made everyone wonder. Every evening, just before moonrise, the sky fills up with the softest sound. Shhhh. Can you hear it? That is the hush. It helps every sleepy thing know it is time to close their eyes.

But one evening, little Luma the lantern floated up into the purple sky and noticed something strange. The hush was gone. And there was a small grey cloud sitting all alone on a low, fluffy cloud-shelf, hugging her knees. Her name was Willa. Willa was too shy to make a sound. Luma bobbed closer, glowing warm and gold. "Did you lose something?" Luma asked gently. Willa nodded. "I had the hush inside me," she whispered, "but I squeezed too tight and it slipped out." Luma looked down. There, caught on a little star like a sock on a doorknob, was a tiny curling wisp of sound. The hush. Luma carefully carried it back on a beam of golden light, soft as a yawn.

Tip-tap, soft and small. Tip-tap, home we go.

Willa held out her hands and the hush drifted in, warm and quiet. She took one slow breath. And then, from her middle, came the most beautiful sound. Shhhhh. It rippled out across the whole sky. The stars blinked. The trees nodded. Babies in every bed tucked their chins a little lower. Luma smiled and nestled right beside Willa on the cloud-shelf. "Want to do it again tomorrow?" Luma asked. Willa smiled her shyest smile. "Yes please," she said.

Then came the gentle surprise: the little hush had made a silver path for a tiny moon-moth. The moon-moth followed it to a cozy crescent nook and tucked the last little glimmer of moonlight into place. The moon rose round and kind, exactly where it belonged.

Together, in the soft purple sky, Luma and Willa listened to the whole sleepy world go shhhh.

Scenes

The Missing Hush

Just before moonrise, the sky should have whispered shhhh. But tonight it was quiet. Luma floated up and found shy Willa sitting all alone on a low cloud-shelf, holding the hush inside her heart and wondering where it had gone.

Tip-Tap, Home We Go

Luma looked down and saw the hush caught on a little star, curled like a soft silver thread. Tip-tap, soft and small. Tip-tap, home we go. She carried it back on a beam of golden light, soft as a yawn.

The Whole World Goes Shhhh

Willa breathed in, and the hush rippled across the sky. Shhhhh. The stars blinked, the trees nodded, and a tiny moon-moth followed the silver path to tuck a moon-clue into its cozy place. The moon was back where it belonged, and Luma nestled beside Willa to listen to the sleepy world go shhhh.