The Mountain series - Part 5

Story 5: Kilimanjaro’s Cloud Blanket

Characters:

• Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa – gentle, nurturing, loves animals and bedtime stories)

• Zaza the Monkey (cheeky and energetic)

• Leo the Lion Cub (brave but hates bedtime)

• Etna (Italy, dramatic and sleepy)

• Mama Elephant (wise and slow, Kilimanjaro’s forest friend)

Story: Kilimanjaro’s Cloud Blanket

It was bedtime in the African plains, but little Leo the Lion Cub was not sleepy.

“I don’t wanna sleep! What if I miss the moon doing something silly?” he huffed.

Zaza the monkey was leaping from tree to tree, giggling, “I heard the stars play peek-a-boo at night!”

Kilimanjaro looked down fondly at the animals below.

“Shh,” he whispered gently, “Let me tell you a secret…”

He blew a soft puff of mist from his snowy top. It drifted down slowly, cool and cozy.

“It’s a cloud blanket. It helps the sky rest and the stars too.”

Leo blinked. “The stars sleep?”

“Oh yes,” rumbled Kilimanjaro. “And they only shine bright after they’ve had a good nap.”

Mama Elephant nodded wisely. “Even brave lion cubs need dreams to grow strong.”

Leo curled up, Zaza snuggled in a banana leaf, and Etna mumbled from far away, “Is it bedtime already? Yaaawn…”

As the cloud blanket wrapped them all gently, Kilimanjaro hummed a soft lullaby only the mountains knew.

And just like that, the whole savannah fell asleep under the softest sky.

Moral: Even the strongest need rest dreams grow best in peaceful sleep.