👉 ▶️ Watch more bedtime stories on our YouTube channel.
Once upon a time, there lived an owl in a dark forest. The owl had become very grumpy in its old age and did not like being woken up during its afternoon naps. One afternoon, the owl was dozing off when a grasshopper suddenly began to sing.
The owl woke up with a start. It stuck its head out of the tree and hooted angrily, “What do you think you’re doing? Go away so I can sleep in peace!”
“You can’t tell me what to do!” replied the brave grasshopper. Then it continued singing even louder.
The owl realized that it could not make the grasshopper stop singing. The owl also knew that it could not see well enough during the daytime to catch the grasshopper. So it spoke in a sweet and gentle voice instead.
“If I must stay awake anyway, would you come a little closer so I can enjoy your beautiful song?”
The grasshopper felt flattered and jumped into the owl’s dark hollow tree. Suddenly, the owl tried to eat the grasshopper, but luckily the little insect escaped at the very last second!
From that day on, the grasshopper never sang near the owl’s tree again.
The moral of the story
Be careful when someone suddenly flatters you. Sweet words don’t always come from a friend. And when someone asks you to stop because they need rest, it’s kind to listen, even if you’re having fun.
Questions to talk about at bedtime
- Why do you think the owl suddenly started speaking in a sweet and gentle voice?
- What could the grasshopper have done differently when the owl asked for peace and quiet?
- Have you ever been woken up by a noise? How did it make you feel?
