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.
Raffi the Rattlesnake's Gentle Venom,
A Desert Bedtime Journey of Wisdom.
Welcome,
Friend.
Tonight we're going to take a journey far into the desert,
A peaceful place where the sun paints the sand gold,
The cacti stand tall like silent guardians,
And the stars begin to shimmer as the sky grows dark.
Can you take a slow breath in through your nose and gently out with your mouth,
And gently out using your mouth,
Like the wind brushing across the desert floor?
Good.
Now let your shoulders relax,
Let your hands be still,
And imagine the desert all around you,
Stretching wide and quiet.
You see tiny flowers blooming in the sand,
A lizard scampers over a warm rock,
And somewhere hidden beneath the shade of a smooth boulder lives a young rattlesnake named Raffi.
Raffi isn't very big yet.
His scales are shiny,
Patterned with soft brown diamonds that sparkle gold in the light.
And his favorite thing in the world is his rattle,
Shake,
Shake,
Shake,
Shake,
Who makes a proud sound like a rainstick made of pebbles.
Raffi was already good at all the snake things.
He could slither like a ribbon through the sand,
Smooth and silent.
He could hide under a rock so well that even the sharp-eyed lizards didn't notice him.
And he could make his rattle sing,
Shh,
Shh,
Shh,
Shh,
Shh,
Shh,
Shh,
Shh.
But there was one thing Raffi didn't understand yet,
His venom.
His mother had told him,
Venom is a gift,
Raffi.
It's not for playing,
It's for protection and survival.
Most of the time,
Your rattle will do all the talking.
A fun fact,
Rattlesnakes don't want to hurt others.
Their venom helps them catch food and stay safe,
But their first instinct is to warm with their rattle.
The rattle is made from keratin,
Like your fingernails,
And each time a rattlesnake sheds its skin,
It adds a new rattle segment.
Raffi wanted to be wise like the older snakes,
But how would he know when to use his venom?
He stretched out in the morning sun,
Curled at the ledge of a flat rock,
And whispered to himself,
I need to learn more.
One warm morning,
With the sun climbing over the cactus tops,
Raffi decided to find out.
I'll ask the desert animals how they use their special gifts,
He said,
And he slithered past blooming yucca,
Through golden sand that warmed his belly,
And out into the wide open desert.
His rattle made a gentle sound behind him,
Tch,
Tch,
Like dry leaves in the wind.
The first animal Raffi met was Tula the tortoise,
Resting beneath a prickly pear cactus.
Hello Tula,
Said Raffi,
How do you stay safe in the desert?
Tula lifted her slow head and smiled the way tortoises do.
I carry my home on my back,
When I feel danger,
I don't fight,
I wait,
I pull in and let the world grow quiet.
My shell is my gift,
It reminds me to be patient.
Raffi tilted his head,
Maybe my venom is a kind of shell,
Something I use only when I need to.
Fun fact,
Desert tortoises can live up to 80 years,
And only drink water a few times each year,
They store moisture in their bodies,
And survive by being still and strong.
Next,
Raffi met Zee the roadrunner,
Zipping between sagebrush bushes.
Zee,
Raffi called,
How do you stay safe without venom?
Zee zipped to a stop,
Feathers a little ruffled.
Me?
I run,
I run fast,
I think faster,
I zig,
I zag,
I don't need venom,
I use my legs and my brain.
Raffi nodded thoughtfully,
Maybe I can use other tools too,
Like hiding or warning first.
Fun fact,
Roadrunners can run up to 20 miles per hour,
And are one of the few animals fast enough to catch a rattlesnake.
But they usually prefer insects and lizards.
Last,
Raffi met Luma the hummingbird,
Hovering beside a red desert flower.
Her feathers shimmered with rose and emerald colors.
Luma,
Raffi whispered,
Not wanting to startle her.
How do you protect yourself when you're so small?
Luma hovered gracefully,
Wings beating like soft drums.
I don't protect,
I move gently,
I choose peace,
My wings are my gift,
I fly in and out,
Never causing harm.
She added,
Your venom,
Raffi,
Is powerful.
But true power is knowing when to use it.
Fun fact,
Hummingbirds flap their wings more than 50 times per second.
Their hearts beat over 1,
200 times per minute when they're flying.
But they slow way down to rest at night.
Raffi watched Luma fly off into the sky,
And he sat still for a moment,
Feeling the sun warm his back.
That evening,
The sky turned pink and orange.
Shadows stretched long across the sand.
Raffi was making his way home when he saw something unusual.
A tiny desert mouse caught near a thorny cactus.
Above,
A hawk circled,
Wings wide.
Raffi's heart beat fast.
This was danger,
He coiled gently,
Watching.
The hawk dipped lower.
Raffi wanted to protect the mouse.
He could strike with venom.
But he paused.
He remembered Tula's patience,
Z's cleverness,
And Luma's peace.
Instead of striking,
Raffi shook his rattle.
The sound rose into the wind,
And the hawk heard it.
And veered away,
Gone.
Raffi slithered forward and gently helped the mouse free with his nose.
No venom needed,
Just courage and wisdom.
That night,
The stars came out one by one.
The moon hung low over the desert.
And Raffi curled beside his mother and told her everything.
She listened,
Her eyes soft.
You've learned something important,
She said.
Your venom is a gift,
But your rattle and your heart are even greater tools.
A wise snake knows when to act and when to simply be still.
Now,
The desert is quiet.
Even the wind has gone to sleep.
Raffi curls into a circle.
His rattle still.
His breath soft and slow.
Can you take a deep breath in and let it all out like the breeze over the sand?
Good.
Imagine you're curling up like Raffi,
Your body warm and calm.
The stars above are sparkling.
The moon is watching over you.
Maybe you're floating above the desert like Luma.
Or resting deep inside your shell like Tula.
Or running fast like a cat.
Through dreams like Zee.
Wherever you are,
You're safe.
You're calm.
And you are loved.
Good night,
Sweet dreams.
