The Lantern in the Old Oak Tree
What was that tiny lantern doing, glowing high in the old oak tree?
What was that tiny lantern doing, glowing high in the old oak tree? Nobody had climbed up to light it! At bedtime, Atharva spotted it from their bedroom window, a warm golden glow among the dark branches. Ashi pressed his nose to the glass and whispered.
Ashi: "Who lit it? And why is it still burning?"
In the morning, the brothers raced outside in their slippers to look closer. A tiny ladder made of twigs leaned against the trunk, and a thin rope hung beside it. Atharva climbed three rungs and peeked into a hollow in the trunk.
Atharva: "There is a little nest in here. And the lantern is hanging right above it!"
Just then, with a soft flutter, Hootie the baby owl landed on a low branch. His big round eyes blinked in the morning light.
Hootie: "I lit it. I light it every night."
Ashi: "But why, Hootie? Why does a little owl need a lantern?"
Hootie: "Not for me. For my neighbors down below."
Hootie pointed a soft wing toward the roots of the oak. A tiny mouse family had moved into a hollow there, and their three little babies were afraid of the dark.
Hootie: "So I light the lantern, and its glow falls right on their door. Then they are not scared anymore."
Atharva: "That is the kindest night-light in the whole world!"
That evening, a wild wind rushed through Maple Street. It shook the oak tree and blew the little lantern out! From the roots below came tiny frightened squeaks.
Ashi: "The babies are scared again!"
Atharva: "We have to help Hootie light it again, before it gets really dark!"
Atharva held the twig ladder steady while Ashi carried up a new candle in a little glass jar, so the wind could not blow it out. Hootie fluttered beside them, guiding the way with his soft wings.
Ashi: "Steady, steady. There!"
Hootie: "Thank you, little watchers!"
Atharva: "Now the light will stay lit, even in the wind!"
Together, they lit the lantern again, and its warm glow fell on the little mouse door. The three babies peeked out and squeaked happily, no longer afraid.
Hootie: "See? One little light is enough, when it is shared."
Ashi: "When you share your light, nobody has to be scared in the dark."
And that is tonight's secret: a little light shared makes the dark less scary for everyone. You do not have to be big to share your glow.
But wait — what is that paper star taped to our bedroom window? It glows softly, with no name on it... Tune in tomorrow for another adventure! Good night, sleep tight. And keep learning, and subscribe to A two Quest dot com.
The lesson: A little light shared makes the dark less scary for everyone