The Silly Shadow Dance

The bedroom was very quiet, very warm, and very, very cozy. Nora snuggled deep into her blankets, pulling her favorite soft sheet right up to her chin. Outside the window, the summer fireflies were still dancing their sleepy yellow dances in the dark garden. But inside, the bedroom was painted in soft, quiet shades of bedtime blue.

Nora looked over at the wall near her closet.

Her eyes grew wide.

There was a giant shape on the wall. It was dark, and it had two big, bumpy ears. It did not move. It just sat there, quiet and still in the corner. Nora felt a tiny, cold wiggle of worry in her tummy. She reached out her hand and felt Luna’s soft, warm fur.

"Luna," Nora whispered, pointing one small finger. "Look. Do you see it? There is a big shadow monster on the wall."

Luna did not run away. Luna was a very wise, very calm cat who knew all the best, safest corners of the house. She let out a long, rumbling purr that felt like a warm hug vibrating right through the mattress. Luna hopped off her pillow and walked slowly across the bed, stretching her front legs out long, and then her back legs.

With a light, silent boof, Luna jumped onto the little table next to the wall. She looked right at the big, dark shape. Then, she lifted one white paw and swatted at the shadow. Pat, pat, pat.

Nora held her breath.

Luna’s paw shadow looked like a giant, fuzzy cloud dancing on the wall. Luna purred even louder, trying to catch the shadow’s big ear. She looked back at Nora with her bright, round eyes and let out a happy, chirping meow.

Nora let go of her blanket. A tiny giggle bubbled up in her throat. "Luna, you are tickling it!"

Nora looked closer. She looked past the shadow on the wall, down to the little plug-in nightlight shaped like a smiling star. Sitting right in front of the nightlight’s warm, yellow glow was Barnaby, her favorite brown teddy bear. Barnaby was sitting a little bit sideways, and his round, fuzzy ears were casting the big, bumpy shadow on the wall.

"Oh, Barnaby!" Nora laughed, her tummy worry melting away like sweet ice cream in the sun. "You are not a monster at all. You are just a sleepy bear having a turn near the light."

Nora sat up in bed, her blankets spilling into her lap. "Let’s make our own shadows, Luna!"

Nora held up her hands in front of the star nightlight. She pressed her palms together and wiggled her fingers. On the wall, a big, floppy-eared bunny appeared.

"Hop, hop, hop," Nora whispered, making her hand-bunny jump up and down the wall.

Luna watched the shadow bunny. Her tail swished from side to side. Swish, swish. Luna patted the wall again, trying to catch the bunny’s long ears.

Next, Nora crossed her wrists and locked her thumbs together. She wiggled her fingers.

"Look, Luna! A night-bird!"

On the wall, a beautiful shadow bird flapped its wings. It flew up high near the ceiling, then drifted down to land right on Barnaby’s shadow head. Nora made a soft, sleepy coo-coo sound.

Luna yawned a big, pink cat yawn. She walked back over to Nora and curled up in a tight, warm, furry circle right next to Nora's tummy. The shadow dance was very fun, but it was also very relaxing. Nora’s eyelids began to feel heavy, like sleepy little window shades sliding down. She lay back down and pulled the covers all the way back up to her chin.

"Goodnight, shadow bunny," Nora whispered into the dark. "Goodnight, shadow bird."

The room was peaceful, safe, and warm. Nora closed her eyes, ready to dream about fireflies and dancing bears.

But just as her giggles quieted down, a brand-new sound came from the glass.

Whoosh... tap-tap-tap.

Nora opened one eye. Luna’s ears perked straight up.

Whoosh... tap-tap-tap.

Something soft was knocking on the bedroom window.