It's bedtime now.
Time to snuggle into bed and let your eyes softly close.
Let's take three deep breaths together.
Ready?
Good.
Notice how warm and safe and comfortable you feel.
Keeping your eyes closed,
Allow your mind to travel with the sound of my voice.
Beneath you,
Your bed has transformed and you find yourself snuggled in a nest,
Nestled in a crevice found on the rocky shoreline of your forever home.
You were born and hatched on this beach and you will continue to nest here for the rest of your days.
It is the perfect spot for you.
You can hear the ocean lapping and splashing onto the rocks outside.
The smell of sea salt is in the air,
Making you eager to do some fishing.
Beneath your webbed feet you feel the grainy texture of sand.
The black bottom and claws of your feet help you to grip the rocks as you hop along towards the water.
You find them to be a little cumbersome when trying to get about on land.
Luckily you are a nocturnal creature and most of your predators are sleeping while you are traipsing out to swim.
At the water's edge you dip in your toe and find that it is just the right temperature so you dive right in.
As your short black beak hits the water you hold your breath.
You may expect to feel the coolness of the water on your body but your plumage is so remarkable that it keeps you dry despite the depths that you dive.
Your body is covered in about 10,
000 feathers which vary in color.
Your head,
Back,
Wings and tail are covered in beautiful indigo feathers.
While your neck,
Chest and belly are white.
Your gorgeous blue eyes are framed by dark gray feathers on your cheeks.
Your coloring matches the sea and serves to camouflage you as you swim.
You even have special glands that emit an oil.
This oil helps you preen your feathers and gives you a smooth glide through the water.
Though you cannot fly in the air your wings,
Body shape,
Webbed feet and slick feathers help you fly through the water.
You fill your lungs with a deep breath and dive underneath.
The light of the moon filters through the water and glints off of the sardines you hope to catch.
Quickly you follow them down and down.
Your feet and wings propelling you faster and faster.
You snap your beak and catch one then swiftly find your way back to the surface of the water.
There are ten of you fishing together and you call to them.
Using your specialized throat structure you squawk and bray letting them know you found some sardines.
You hear back from them that one has been chasing some krill,
Another caught a squid and others have found some sardines.
It's a great night for fishing.
After a few more dives your belly is full and you decide to use your feet to paddle along the surface of the water.
The light changes sending gorgeous colors across the sky.
You bask in the reflections of light on the surface of the water,
Delighting in the feast for your eyes.
You start to feel a deep sense of relaxation come over you.
You gracefully swim your way back to the land.
Hop over the rocky coastline,
Your claws grasping the slippery stones until you reach the crevice where your nest is tucked.
You gently make your way into the nest feeling the soft grains of sand beneath your feet.
You ease your body down into your nest tucking your pink legs beneath you.
You hear the breeze whistling through the rocks and the seawater dancing at the coast's edge.
The muscles in your head and your neck and your back,
Your wings,
Your tail,
Your legs and feet relax.
Your eyelids become heavy and you gently let them close.
Your breathing becomes soft and deep and effortless.
You are completely comfortable resting in your warm safe nest.
You take a deep breath in and out and gently drift off to sleep.
Goodnight,
Aurora,
Little blue penguin.
