The Great Big Package

Night had come, and the stars were out.

Dudu the owl put on his little cap—

Nighttime is when Dudu goes to work.

Dudu pushed open the door.

"Whoa!"

Right there at the door sat a great, big package,

taller than Dudu himself!

On the package, in wibbly-wobbly letters, it said—

"To... Doudou... beside the pumpkin patch."

It was for Doudou, the little field mouse!

And next to that was a tiny note:

"Han—dle... with... care."

Dudu nodded.

"Handle with care means soft and gentle, nice and slow.

No bumping, and no dropping!"

Hmm? But who sent it?

Dudu tilted his head and took a look.

On the back of the package

was a drawing of a round, smiley—

Moon!

Then Dudu remembered—

Doudou had sent a letter to the moon!

"So the moon wrote back!"

Dudu flapped his wings.

"Every single thing that comes to the mail-carrier gets delivered!

Goodnight letters, away we go!"

Dudu spread his wings and hugged the big package.

"Heave—ho!"

The package didn't budge.

"Heave—ho! Heave—ho!"

Still, it didn't budge.

It was so heavy, so, so heavy!

Dudu went around to the back and pushed with all his might.

"Heave-ho, heave-ho—"

The package wobbled.

"Oh! No, no, no!"

Dudu quickly held it steady.

"It says handle with care.

It mustn't go rolly-polly-rolling,

and no bumping, and no dropping."

Dudu grabbed hold of the straw rope,

and flapped and flapped, and flapped and flapped—

The package rose up, just a teeny-tiny bit...

"Plop."

And gently settled back down on the ground.

Dudu's wings were so achy, so, so achy.

Dudu sat down on the ground,

wings drooping, head hanging low.

"I tried and tried, and tried and tried,

and I still can't move it..."

All of Dudu's strength

seemed to go—whoosh—right out of him.

"I don't even want to move anymore.

This feeling is called discouraged."

Soft, fluffy Mr. Cloud came floating over.

"Dudu, why are you all droopy?"

Dudu said, in a small, small voice:

"The package is too big. I can't move it.

I feel so discouraged..."

Mr. Cloud said softly:

"It's okay to feel discouraged.

Let's rest a little first.

Breathe in—breathe out—. Breathe in—breathe out—."

Dudu leaned against Mr. Cloud

and took a deep, deep breath,

in—and out—.

Mr. Cloud said:

"Dudu, when something's too heavy to move,

there's a very handy thing you can say.

Would you like to try? Just say—

'Please help me'?"

Dudu lifted his head

and said, in a small, small voice:

"Mr. Cloud, please help me."

Mr. Cloud smiled.

"Of course, of course!"

Whoosh—

Mr. Cloud slipped ever so gently under the package,

and lifted the great big package right up!

A soft, fluffy cloud

is just the thing for a "handle with care" package.

Mr. Cloud carried the big package,

floating along, soft and steady.

Dudu led the way up front.

His wings weren't achy anymore,

and the strength inside his heart

came back, little by little.

"The pumpkin patch—we're here!"

"Knock, knock, Doudou!

There's a great big package for you!"

Doudou scurried out and looked—

"Whoa! It's so big, so, so big!"

Dudu and Doudou,

one on each side,

soft and gentle, nice and slow,

opened up the package...

Nestled in the soft, dry straw

lay something round—

a little moon lamp!

Bright and warm,

just like the moon in the pond.

Doudou cupped it in both paws and said, in a small, small voice:

"It's the moon's letter back to me!

On the nights when the moon plays hide-and-seek and I can't see it,

the little moon will keep me company,

and I won't be scared."

Doudou set the little moon lamp

beside the bed.

Its soft, gentle glow

shone on the little blanket.

"Thank you, Dudu. Thank you, Mr. Cloud."

Doudou thought for a moment, then said, in a small, small voice:

"Next time I can't move a big pumpkin,

I'm going to say—please help me!"

Dudu smiled and waved his wing.

"Together, we did it!

Now off I go with the rest of the letters!"

All the letters were delivered.

Dudu flew back to the post office and took off his little cap.

Mr. Cloud floated back up into the sky,

and in the forest, the lights went out, one by one.

Only Doudou's little window

glowed with a soft, warm light.

Goodnight, Doudou.

Goodnight, Mr. Cloud.

Goodnight, you—listening to this story.