Remi and the Little Sleepy Dragon

High in an old, hollow tree, Remi the raccoon had a cozy little nest. It was lined with dry moss and soft brown leaves. A round window let in the last of the evening light. Remi sat with his small hands in his lap, warm and snug. Outside, the world was turning slow and golden. The leaves whispered. The breeze was soft. Everything was quiet, the way bedtime likes to be.

Remi yawned and looked around his little home. He loved to fiddle and tinker and find out how things worked. But the day was done now. His small fingers were tired. It was time to be still.

Then Remi heard a tiny sound. It was a soft little puff, like a kitten blowing out a candle. Puff. Puff. He peeked over the edge of his nest. Down on a low branch sat the smallest dragon Remi had ever seen.

The little dragon was no bigger than a teacup. Its scales were the color of warm butter, soft yellow and gold. Its wings were folded close, like two tired leaves. Every time it breathed out, a tiny puff of warm air drifted up. Not fire. Not smoke. Just a small, cozy warmth, like the breath above a cup of milk.

"Hello," Remi whispered. "You are very small for a dragon."

The little dragon blinked its round eyes. "I am lost," it said in a voice like a soft bell. "I cannot find my way home. And I am so very sleepy."

Remi's curious heart gave a gentle tug. He climbed down from his nest, slow and careful. "I will help you," he said. "Come. Let us look together."

The little dragon padded along beside him. They walked out onto the wide, low branches of the old tree. The wood was warm under their feet. The sky above had turned a deep, dusty blue. One soft star had come out to watch.

"Where is your home?" Remi asked.

"In the warm hollow," the dragon said. "Where the moss is thick and the wind cannot reach. But I have walked and walked, and I cannot find it."

Remi thought for a moment. He liked figuring things out. "Then let us follow the warm," he said. "You are a little dragon. Your home will be warm, just like you."

So they walked on, slow and quiet. Remi held one small hand out as they went. He felt the cool air near the leaves. He felt the cooler air near the open sky. And then, near the heart of the tree, he felt it. A soft, gentle warmth, like a blanket left in the sun.

"This way," Remi whispered. "Follow the warm."

The little dragon puffed a happy puff. They turned together and walked toward the warmth. Step by soft step, the air grew cozier. The wind fell away. The branches curled close around them, like arms holding them safe.

And there it was. A round little hollow, deep in the old tree. It was lined with thick green moss. It glowed faintly, the color of warm butter, just like the dragon. Inside, it was snug and still and warm.

"My home," the little dragon said softly. "You found it."

"We found it together," said Remi.

The little dragon crawled inside and curled into a tiny ball. Its wings folded down like a blanket. It puffed one slow, warm puff, and the whole hollow felt cozy. Then it looked up at Remi with sleepy eyes.

"Stay," it whispered. "There is room. And it is warm. And you look sleepy too."

Remi yawned. He was sleepy. His little hands had stopped their fiddling. His eyes felt heavy and slow. The warm moss looked soft as a cloud.

"Just for tonight," Remi said.

He climbed into the warm hollow beside the little dragon. The moss was soft. The air was warm. Outside, the sky was now full of dark velvet and quiet stars. The breeze had gone to sleep too.

The little dragon breathed out, slow and warm. Puff. Remi breathed out, slow and soft. The two of them lay close together, growing cozier and cozier. The hollow held them like a gentle hand.

"Hush now," Remi whispered. "Hush now. We are home."

The little dragon's eyes drifted closed. Its breathing grew slow. In, and out. In, and out. Warm and soft, warm and soft.

Remi watched the last star through the round door of the hollow. It was small and silver and far away. It seemed to twinkle just for them. His eyes grew heavier. His thoughts grew slower. The warmth wrapped all around him.

In, and out. The little dragon breathed. In, and out, Remi breathed too. Slower now. Softer now. The moss was so warm. The night was so still.

Hush now. Hush now.

Remi closed his eyes. He felt the warm puff of the little dragon beside him, soft as a feather. He felt the moss beneath him, soft as sleep. He felt the night around him, quiet and kind.

There was nothing left to fix. Nothing left to find. Everything was warm. Everything was home.

The little dragon was already dreaming. Remi was nearly there too.

Slow breath. Soft breath. Warm and safe and home.

Goodnight, little dragon. Goodnight, little Remi. Goodnight.