Every morning, the Moon goes to bed. This morning, he found something better to do.
About this story
Oliver the Moon looks down into Leo’s bedroom and sees him playing a video game. It looks much more fun than sleeping, so Oliver borrows a controller with a moonbeam. When the Sun arrives for work, the sky turns purple and the birds don’t know what to sing.
Ages: 4–8 · Reading time: about 3 minutes
Moral: Fun is important, and so is knowing when to rest.
Oliver the Moon was a very bright, very round fellow. Usually, when the Sun came up, Oliver would pull a blanket of blue sky over his head and nap until dinner time.
But one morning, Oliver looked down into Leo’s bedroom. Leo was playing “Galaxy Quest” on his video game console. “That looks like way more fun than sleeping!” Oliver whispered. He decided to stay just a little bit longer.
He reached down with a beam of moonlight and grabbed a second controller.
Oliver was surprisingly good at video games for a moon. He didn’t use a joystick; he used his gravity to move the characters. “Checkmate, Sun!” he laughed, as he defeated a giant space monster.
The Morning Moon Adventure
The Sun arrived at the door of the sky, wearing his sunglasses and carrying his coffee. “Oliver? What are you still doing here? It’s 8:00 AM!” the Sun shouted, tapping his watch.
Oliver didn’t look up. “Just one more level, Sunny! I’m almost at the boss!” The sky turned a weird shade of purple because the Moon and the Sun were both occupying the same spot.
The birds were confused. Should they sing “Good Morning” or “Good Night”? The owls were still awake, drinking tiny cups of espresso, and the flowers didn’t know whether to open or close. Oliver was so distracted by the game that he accidentally sat on a stray cloud, popping it like a balloon.
___Finally, Oliver’s eyes started to droop. His moonlight became dim and flickering. He realized that even the best video game in the world isn’t as good as a long, cozy sleep. He put down the controller, apologized to the Sun, and drifted into the softest, quietest slumber.
Oliver learned that everything has its time. Games are for playtime, but rest is what gives you the energy to win the next day. He knew that even the Moon needs a recharge.
