Where Does the Sun Sleep?

Little Tara looked out of the window. The sun was going down.

"Where does the sun sleep?" she asked.

She asked the goat. "Does the sun sleep in your shed?" The goat chewed slowly. "No," said the goat. "Only I sleep here, on my bed of hay."

She asked the hen. "Does the sun sleep in your basket?" The hen tucked her head under her wing. "No," said the hen. "Only I sleep here, with my eggs kept warm."

She asked the fish in the pond. "Does the sun sleep in your water?" The fish made one small bubble. "No," said the fish. "Only I sleep here, under a lily leaf."

She asked the owl. "Does the sun sleep in your tree?" The owl opened one round eye. "No," said the owl. "I do not even sleep at night. But I will tell you a secret. When the sun goes down here, it is rising somewhere far away, to wake other children. It will come back to you in the morning."

Tara thought about that. The sun was not lost. It was only busy on the other side of the world.

Her mother came and lifted her up. "And where does Tara sleep?"

Tara pointed. "In my bed. With my blue blanket."

"Yes," said her mother. "Only you sleep there."

So Tara slept, and the sun came back in the morning, just as the owl had said.