Hi,
I'm Cara Bloom.
At bedtime in our home,
We love curling up with a story,
Especially one that feels like a soft adventure wrapped in wonder.
I like to take classic fairy tales and gently reimagine them,
Turning them into calming bedtime stories filled with kindness,
Courage,
And just the right touch of magic.
These are the stories I tell my own children,
And now I'm so happy to share them with you.
So snuggle in,
Take a slow breath,
And let the day melt away.
We're about to drift into a story together.
Maui slows the sun.
Long ago,
In the islands of Hawaii,
People honored the value of imi loa,
The search for knowledge,
The courage to try,
And the wisdom to work together.
It was this spirit that helped Maui,
A boy both clever and brave,
Do something no one thought he could.
He slowed the sun itself.
And tonight,
As you rest,
We will drift into his story,
Slowly,
Like clouds crossing a warm Hawaiian sky.
The people of the islands worked hard every day,
But the sun rushed across the sky so quickly that their days felt too short.
The taro fields did not grow as tall,
The coppercloth did not dry in time,
And the fishermen had less daylight to bring home food.
The villagers sighed and worried.
Maui listened carefully.
He loved his people.
He loved the land.
He could see how tired they felt.
So Maui took a deep,
Slow breath,
Feeling the warm breeze on his face.
And he let it go,
Long and calm.
He knew he must think of a way.
Maui was known for his clever mind.
He gathered his brothers and spoke softly of a daring plan to catch the sun and ask it to move more slowly.
The brothers widened their eyes,
But Maui's steady voice gave them courage.
They braided long ropes of coconut fiber,
Strong and smooth,
Twisting them under the moonlight until their arms ached.
The ropes stretched across the ground like quiet rivers of shadow.
When at last the ropes were ready,
Maui tucked his magical fishhook into his belt.
It glimmered faintly like starlight.
Before dawn,
Maui and his brothers began their climb up the great mountain Haleakala.
The air was cool and crisp.
They stepped carefully,
One after another,
Their torches flickering.
Pebbles shifted under their feet.
The scent of Iliahi sandalwood drifted on the breeze.
Ferns brushed their ankles,
And the silver leaves of the Ahinahina,
The silver sword,
Shimmered softly in the moonlight.
Above them stretched the night sky,
Endless,
Jeweled with stars.
The brothers paused to look up,
Breathing deeply,
As if the ancestors were watching from the heavens.
Maui closed his eyes,
Filled his chest with cool mountain air,
And exhaled a deep breath and slowly,
Slowly.
His brothers did the same.
Their breathing rose and fell like the ocean tide.
Step by step,
Breath by breath,
They climbed together,
Higher and higher.
Sometimes,
The call of a Pueo owl drifted across the slopes,
Steadying their courage,
And sometimes,
They were quiet,
Listening only to their own heartbeats.
Up,
Up,
They climbed,
Until they reached the summit,
Where the sky was just beginning to glow with hints of gold and pink.
From the edge of the world,
The sun began to rise,
Glowing furiously,
Spilling light across the sky.
It rushed upward,
As it always did,
Eager to race across the heavens.
But Maui and his brothers were ready.
They cast their ropes across the sky,
The fibers glowing against the sunlight.
Maui took hold of his fishhook,
Planted his feet firmly,
And pulled with all his might.
The sun flared,
Bright and hot,
Straining to break free.
At first,
The ropes slipped,
Sparking with light.
The brothers stumbled,
Their hands burning from the pull.
But Maui steadied them.
Breathe with me,
He whispered,
Slowly.
Together,
They inhaled deeply,
Filling their lungs with mountain air,
And exhaled long and calm.
With every breath,
Their grip grew steadier.
The sun pulled harder,
Its fiery rays scorching the ropes.
But Maui anchored his feet,
His heart beating strong.
His breath never hurried.
His brothers followed his rhythm,
Their breathing like the steady rhythm of the tide.
Slowly,
Slowly,
The ropes tightened.
And slowly,
Slowly,
The sun's wild race began to ease.
The mountain seemed to hold its breath as Maui,
Calm but unyielding,
Spoke with courage.
Breathing deeply,
Maui called out,
Oh sun,
You move too fast.
The people cannot grow their food or dry their kappa.
They cannot live in balance.
Please slow your journey so life may flourish.
The sun glowed with fiery breath,
Then softened.
It agreed to move more slowly,
Giving longer days to the land.
Down below,
The villagers soon saw the change.
The days stretched with golden light.
The taro fields grew tall and strong,
Their leaves rustling like soft whispers.
The kappa cloth dried smooth and even in the sun.
And the fishermen paddled further and returned with nets full of shimmering fish.
Children played a little longer in the glow,
Chasing each other in the tall grass.
Families gathered for meals,
Cooking slowly,
Sharing laughter and stories as the sky lingered bright.
Elders smiled,
Feeling balance return to the land.
And the people lifted their voices in gratitude.
Maui,
Standing on the mountain,
Simply breathed in and out,
Feeling the peace of a promise kept.
Now the island stretched out under the long,
Warm sunlight.
The ocean shimmered with soft waves.
And the mountains glowed in gold and calm.
And as evening returned,
The light softened,
Twilight gently wrapping the island in stillness.
Maui closed his eyes once more,
Filling his lungs with the gentle wind of Haleakala.
Then he let it go,
Slow as the setting sun.
The stars returned one by one,
And the island drifted into peace.
And slowly,
Gently,
You drift into sleep.
Slowly,
Gently,
Resting now.
Good night,
Sweet dreams.
