Benny the bunny gets a little more time outside, so he walks all seven of his sleepy friends home before bedtime.
Out on the meadow in front of his burrow, Benny the bunny is playing soccer with all seven of his friends. The ball bounces through the grass, little paws race after it, and cheerful laughter carries across the meadow.
Nearby, Mommy and Daddy are hoeing the carrots and cabbages when Mommy calls out, “Time for bed!” Benny looks at the low golden sun and begs, “Please, Mommy, not yet! The sun is still shining.”
Mommy and Daddy look at his hopeful little face. “All right,” Mommy says gently. “You may stay outside a little while longer, but truly, only a little while.” Benny grins from ear to ear. “Then I’ll walk every single one of my friends home!”
The sun hangs low above the forest, painting the meadow gold. The ball flies into the air, the grass rustles, and the whole forest seems to laugh. But as the sunlight begins to fade, Benny’s friends remember that they are not home yet.
“Come on, Prickle. You’re first!” Prickle the hedgehog needs dry leaves for his bed, so Benny helps him rake them into a pile. Higher and higher it grows.
But Benny cannot resist one last bit of mischief. He takes a running start and… thump! He jumps straight into the middle. Leaves burst into the air like colorful confetti.
Laughing, they gather the leaves back into a pile. Prickle burrows deep into the softness, curls himself into a little ball, and closes his eyes. “Good night, Prickle!”
The first friend is fast asleep. But Benny is not going home yet.
The second friend is Rusty the squirrel. Before she can go to bed, she still needs to take the laundry down from the line. Benny cannot quite reach it, so he jumps much too high.
He catches hold of a large bedsheet and swings back and forth for a moment. Rusty starts to laugh, but a great big yawn interrupts her, and she realizes just how tired she is.
At last, they fold the laundry neatly. Rusty climbs into her little house in the tree, wraps her fluffy tail around herself, and closes her sleepy eyes. “Good night, Rusty. Sleep tight!”
Two friends are fast asleep. Benny still has five friends to walk home.
The third friend is Croak the frog. He needs to get home to the reeds on the other side of the pond. “I’ll carry you across on a big leaf!” says Benny.
But he pushes off so hard that… splash! The leaf spins around, Croak tumbles into the pond, and Benny gets splashed from nose to tail.
They shake off the drops and laugh. Then they climb back onto the leaf and drift quietly across the calm water. Croak settles into his soft bed among the reeds and slowly closes his eyes. “Good night, Croak!”
Three friends are fast asleep. The sun is sinking behind the hill.
The fourth friend is Digger the mole. He needs soft moss and dry grass for his bed, so Benny helps him fill a basket right up to the brim.
Then Benny jumps into a tunnel, but it is the wrong one. Shuffle, thump! He pops out of the neighboring molehill, covered from head to toe in dirt. Digger bursts out laughing.
Together, they carry the moss and grass underground. Digger lines his cozy little bed, snuggles down comfortably, and closes his eyes. “See you tomorrow, Digger. Sweet dreams!”
Four friends are fast asleep. The sky paints its cheeks pink.
The fifth friend is Nibble the mouse. She is afraid that her little house will be too dark at night. “We’ll find a way to let the moonlight in,” Benny promises.
They discover a tiny round window hidden behind ivy leaves. Benny gently brushes the leaves aside and wipes the dusty glass clean with his paw. Nibble hangs a thin white flower petal over the window like a curtain.
The rising moon shines through it, filling her house with a gentle glow. “It looks as though the moon has come to sleep beside me,” Nibble whispers. She climbs into bed, pulls up her blanket, and smiles. “Good night, Nibble!”
Five friends are fast asleep. The first star twinkles in the sky.
The sixth friend is Longlegs the fawn. As Benny walks him home, they suddenly hear pounding hooves and rustling in the grass. A whole herd of deer rushes out of the forest, frightened and unsure which way is safe.
“We have to help them!” Longlegs says bravely. He runs ahead of the herd and shows them a clear path across the meadow, where there are no holes or obstacles. Benny runs beside him, cheering them on.
The deer gradually slow down and safely reach the other side. Longlegs smiles, then returns with Benny to the tall grass. He lies down, the grass gently folds over him, and his eyes slowly close. “Good night, Longlegs!”
Six friends are fast asleep. Benny has only one friend left to walk home.
The seventh and last friend is Bruno the little bear. As Benny walks him home, they notice an old hollow tree trunk with a small hole in it. “Look! It looks like a basketball hoop!” Bruno whispers.
They gather little pebbles and begin tossing them into the hole. First Benny scores, then Bruno, and each time they laugh quietly so they will not wake the others. “One last throw,” Bruno whispers, and… plop! The pebble drops perfectly inside.
Pleased with themselves, they continue on to Bruno’s den. Bruno lies down, snuggles into his soft bedding, and slowly closes his eyes. “Good night, Bruno!”
All seven friends are fast asleep. Only Benny is still awake.
High in an old oak tree, Hoot the owl opens her eyes. She stretches her wings and glides down to Benny. “All seven of your friends are sleeping soundly,” she hoots. “And now it is time for you to hurry home too!”
Benny races back to his burrow. The meadow has grown quiet, and the stars are shining in the sky.
Mommy kisses him, and Daddy gently tucks him in. “Walking everyone home was the best part of the evening,” Benny whispers. “Do you know what happened? First, we…” But before he can finish his sentence, he falls fast asleep.
“Sweet dreams, our little darling,” Mommy and Daddy whisper as they kiss him on the forehead.
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