Good night,
Friend.
It's time for a bedtime story.
Tonight our story is Raccoon Connects the Stars.
Like a soft blanket,
Night wrapped around the forest.
All the creatures,
Big and little,
Tall and small,
Snuggled down for sleep.
In the distance,
The river whispered a gentle lullaby.
At night,
The forest was especially peaceful.
Raccoon and Dragon sat on a hill and watched the first stars begin to twinkle.
I see pictures in the sky,
Said Raccoon,
As she looked into the inky blackness.
What kind of pictures,
Asked Dragon.
Raccoon pointed at the sky.
I see lots of things,
A lion,
A teapot,
And a ladle for scooping water out of a well.
That scooper is called the Big Dipper,
Said Dragon.
Raccoon told Dragon the star pictures made her sad.
Why,
Asked Dragon.
Well,
Said Raccoon,
The star pictures remind me of dot-to-dot coloring books,
Except that the dots are not connected.
The star pictures seem unfinished,
Said Raccoon.
I see,
Said Dragon.
Would you like to connect them?
Raccoon wondered how that was possible.
The stars were very far away.
She didn't think she had the right markers to draw in the sky,
Not even her glittery ones.
Dragon smiled and blew a sparkling rainbow-colored breath.
When the mist cleared,
Raccoon had wings,
Pinkish-purple wings that sparkled like dragons but that were just the right size for Raccoon.
Oh,
Dragon,
I have wings like you,
Cried Raccoon,
Twirling in circles.
Ready to fly with me?
Asked Dragon.
Raccoon clapped her hands.
Yes,
She said.
Raccoon and Dragon spread their wings and flew high into the sky,
Past the moon and up to the star pictures they had seen from the hill.
I think you'll need this,
Said Dragon,
As he handed Raccoon a huge wand.
It glittered and sparkled like a thousand stars.
The pointy tip of the wand was a marker.
It's a skywriter marker,
Said Dragon,
Made with stardust and moonbeams.
Raccoon took the wand.
It shimmered and twinkled in her paw.
Using her tiny wings and the magic wand,
Raccoon connected the stars.
From star to star Raccoon flew,
Until the dark night sky was lit with star pictures.
For a moment,
She and Dragon admired their beauty.
Finally,
Raccoon yawned and handed the wand to Dragon.
I'm tired,
She said.
Let's go home.
Dragon and Raccoon flew back to Raccoon's house.
Everything was fun,
She told Dragon,
But I don't need my wings anymore.
Dragon waved his magic wand and Raccoon's wings disappeared.
Raccoon said goodnight to Dragon and went into her house.
She turned off her fairy lights and climbed into bed.
From her window,
She could see the star pictures twinkling.
Raccoon smiled.
It was nice to fall asleep under her artwork in the sky.
