Nimbus: The Goodnight Round

Nimbus, part 1. A free five-minute bedtime story from CloudSheep.

When the sky turns the color of blueberry milk, Nimbus the little cloud-sheep wakes up. Nimbus has one gentle job every single night: float from window to window and leave each sleepy child one good thing to carry into their dreams. So Nimbus stretched, gave a soft wooly shake, and set off on the Goodnight Round.

At the first window slept a small brown bunny, tucked under a leaf blanket. Nimbus breathed out a warm, buttery color, soft as morning toast, and floated it gently onto the bunny's nose. The bunny sighed a happy sigh and dreamed of sunny meadows. "One good thing," whispered Nimbus. "Sleep sweet, little one."

At the next window a sleepy otter curled in a nest of reeds. Nimbus hummed a tiny, trickling lullaby, quiet as a stream over smooth stones, and set it beside the otter's ear. The otter's whiskers twitched into a smile. "One good thing," whispered Nimbus, and drifted onward through the hush of the night.

But at the very next window, someone was still awake. It was Remy, sitting up in bed, blanket kicked off, teddy squeezed tight. "I can't fall asleep," Remy said. "My thinks won't slow down." Nimbus floated close and settled on the windowsill like a warm little pillow. "Then tonight," said Nimbus softly, "we'll build your dream together, one gentle piece at a time."

"First," whispered Nimbus, "pick a color for your dream." Remy thought and thought. "Purple," Remy yawned, "like grape jelly." So Nimbus breathed out a soft purple mist that wrapped the whole room in cozy twilight. Remy's shoulders melted down into the pillow, just a little.

"Now, add a friend," said Nimbus. "And a place to go." "A slow, kind whale," murmured Remy, eyes half closed, "on a warm purple sea." And there it was, drifting behind Remy's eyes: a gentle whale, humming, carrying Remy across water as soft as a blanket. "That's a good dream," Nimbus whispered. "It's ready whenever you are."

Remy's breathing grew slow and deep, in like a wave, out like a wave, and at last Remy was fast asleep, smiling at the purple sea. Nimbus tucked the blanket up with one wooly nudge and floated back into the sky. There was just one window left on the Goodnight Round tonight, and it was yours. Close your eyes. Nimbus is here now, leaving one good thing for your dreams. Sleep sweet, and goodnight.