Tunde the Little Dragon Warms the Bedtime Tea: A Short Bedtime Story
Tunde the little orange dragon uses his gentle lavender-scented breath to brew chamomile tea and warm smooth bed-stones for his neighbor Zola before curling into his cozy basket.
4 min readAges 3–7
Written and illustrated with the Story Sprinkle app, then edited by our team.
The moon hung low and soft over the little yard. Tunde the little orange dragon peeked out of his cozy basket. His scales felt warm from the day. His neighbor Zola sat on the wooden step with an empty cup. The night air was cool. A small breeze tickled her toes. Tunde tipped his head and listened. Crickets sang a tiny song. Leaves made a hush hush sound. Zola gave a little shiver. Tunde wanted to help. He let out one slow breath. It smelled like sweet lavender. The breath was warm, not hot. It floated like a pale cloud. Zola smiled. "That smells like bedtime," she said in a quiet voice. Tunde nodded. He puffed again, soft and slow. The little kettle on the step began to hum. Steam rose in curly wisps. Chamomile flowers in the pot opened their sleepy faces. The water turned gold and gentle. Tunde watched the steam. He felt proud and calm. Sharing warmth made his heart feel snug. He would brew the tea just right. Then he would warm the smooth bed stones for Zola. The moon watched them both. The yard felt safe and still.
Tunde carried the warm cup with careful claws. The tea smelled sweet and soft. Zola held it in both hands. "Thank you," she whispered. The cup warmed her fingers. Tunde smiled a tiny dragon smile. Next he looked at the smooth bed stones by Zola's door. They were cool and gray. Zola liked them near her bed at night. Tunde leaned close. He breathed his gentle lavender breath over each stone. Hush, hush, went the warm air. The stones grew cozy, not too hot. Zola touched one with her palm. It felt like a sunny nap. "You are so kind," she said. Tunde's tail gave a happy little wag. Sharing warmth made him feel warm too. They sat together on the step. Zola sipped. They listened. An owl called far away, soft as a yawn. The moon painted silver on the grass. No one rushed. No one shouted. Quiet kindness filled the yard. Zola's shoulders dropped. Her eyes grew sleepy. Tunde felt sleepy too. But he had one more kind thing to do. He would walk Zola to her cozy bed. Then he would curl into his own basket. The night felt soft and close.
Zola climbed into her soft bed. Tunde set the warm stones on the floor by her bed. They looked smooth and snug. Zola sighed a happy sigh. The chamomile tea sat on the little table. Its steam still smelled like flowers and calm. "Thank you for the warmth," Zola said. "You shared your gentle breath with me." Tunde blinked slowly. He was glad he could help. Zola's eyes closed. Her breathing grew slow and even. Tunde tiptoed back across the moonlit grass. His basket waited by the window. The blanket inside was thick and soft. He curled his orange body into a round ball. His tiny wings folded like leaves. He let out one last lavender breath. It was small and sweet. Outside, the crickets sang softer and softer. The moon slid behind a cloud, like a night light dimming. Tunde's eyes grew heavy. He thought of Zola, safe and warm. He thought of the tea and the smooth stones. Kindness had made the whole night gentle. Tunde yawned a tiny yawn. Then the little dragon fell asleep.
The moral
Sharing warmth and quiet kindness brings comfort to both our neighbors and ourselves at the end of the day.
An original Story Sprinkle story
Written by Story Sprinkle for calm bedtime read-alouds. Unlike our classic fairy tales, this one is not a retelling: the characters and the little world around them are new.
