It was a summer evening.
The day had been hot.
Now the heat was gone.
The pond was quiet.
Lotus flowers stood along the edge.
They were pink.
The wind made them smell sweet.
On the water floated one big leaf.
It was green and round.
It looked like an open umbrella.
Water lay on the leaf.
It shone in the light.
A dragonfly flew over.
It landed on the tip of the leaf.
It folded its wings.
It wanted to rest.
It had flown all day.
It had flown since morning.
It had flown over the water.
It had flown over the flowers.
Now its wings were still.
It was tired.
The sun slipped behind the hill.
The air turned cool.
Then a drop of water fell.
It landed on the leaf.
The leaf shivered a little.
The drop rolled.
It rolled over a green vein.
It rolled back again.
It rolled to the middle.
Then it stopped.
It was round and bright.
It looked like a small pearl.
The wind came again.
The leaf rocked.
The drop rocked too.
Up a little.
Down a little.
Left a little.
Right a little.
Like a tiny cradle.
In China, people call this leaf the lotus leaf.
In summer, it is a bed for every small child in the pond.
The sky grew dark, little by little.
The red clouds glowed for a while.
Then they were gone.
A small bug rowed across the water.
It left a tiny line.
Then the line was gone too.
A small frog hopped up.
It sat on the leaf.
Its belly went in and out.
It sang two notes.
Ribbit.
Ribbit.
It was singing.
It was also saying: time to sleep.
The frog looked at the sky.
The sky was turning soft and blue.
Then the moon came up.
The moon was round.
It climbed over the trees.
It laid a silver path on the water.
It looked like a lotus leaf too.
The moon fell into the pond.
Now the water had a moon.
The frog yawned.
The frog was sleepy.
It lay down on the leaf.
The leaf rocked it gently.
Rock, rock.
Rock, rock.
The dragonfly slept too.
It did not move.
Its wings lay over its body.
They looked like a tiny leaf.
The drop of water slept too.
It lay in the softest part of the leaf.
It had a dream.
It dreamed it was a drop of dew.
In the morning it was still on the leaf.
The moon shone on the pond.
The water was bright.
The reeds did not move.
The reeds slept.
The little fish did not move.
The little fish slept.
They all slept in the water.
There were many moons in the water.
One for every little sleeper.
On one big leaf, three small children slept.
Rock, rock.
Rock, rock.
Rocking all the way into a dream.
Nobody had to hurry now.
Nobody had to wake.
Nobody had to do anything at all.
Everything was where it should be.
The wind stopped too.
The pond was quiet again.
The pond was warm.
The whole summer went to sleep.
Softly.
Slowly.
An old willow stood by the pond.
Its branches hung down.
They hung over the water.
When the wind came, they rocked too.
Rock, rock.
Rock, rock.
The willow was sleepy too.
Under the big leaf, small fish hid.
They stayed in the shadow.
They did not move.
A few stars came out.
The stars fell into the water too.
Now the water had stars and moons.
Everything found its own soft place.
The drop found the middle of the leaf.
The frog found the warm green spot.
The dragonfly found the tip.
The fish found the dark cool water.
The stars found the sky and the pond.
Nobody was left out.
Nobody was alone.
The pink flowers closed their petals.
They would open again in the morning.
The reeds leaned together.
They leaned like tired friends.
The water lay flat and still.
It looked like a mirror.
In the mirror, everyone was sleeping.
The pond took one slow breath.
Then it let it out.
Then it was still.
Good night moved across the water.
It went from leaf to leaf.
That is the old story of the lotus leaf cradle.
It is a gentle Chinese folktale.
It is also a Chinese fairy tale, and one of the oldest Chinese bedtime stories for children.
Now it is time to close your eyes.
Good night, little drop.
Good night, little frog.
Good night, dragonfly.
Good night, big lotus leaf.
This is a very old Chinese bedtime story. It is not long, and it is very gentle. Best read slowly, with the lights low.
