Reading time: about 5 minutes · Best for ages 3 to 8
Ollie Owl’s Night Shift is a 5 minute owl bedtime story where a kind owl helps the forest animals settle down for the night. Counting the stars with the baby rabbits is a nice spot to slow down your reading.
Ollie Owl’s Night Shift: Read the Story
When the other animals in Willow Wood went to bed, Ollie Owl woke up. He stretched his wings, fluffed his feathers and said, “Good evening, everyone!”
Ollie had a special job. He was the Night Watcher of Willow Wood. He made sure every animal was safe and snug while they slept.
First he flew to the rabbit burrow. Inside, five baby rabbits were wiggling and giggling. “We can’t sleep,” they said.
“Let’s count the stars,” said Ollie. “One, two, three…” By the time he reached ten, the baby rabbits were all snoring tiny rabbit snores.
Next he flew to the pond. Freddie Frog was croaking very loudly. “Freddie,” said Ollie, “your singing is lovely, but the ducks are trying to sleep.”
“Oops,” said Freddie, and he croaked a much quieter song, a lullaby that made the water ripple gently.
Then Ollie flew to the tallest oak tree, where Squirrel Sue was looking worried. “I’ve lost my acorn,” she said. “It was my favorite one.”
Owls have very good eyes in the dark. Ollie looked down and spotted something round and brown in the moss. He swooped down, picked it up and gave it back to Sue. “Thank you, Ollie,” she said, hugging her acorn. She was asleep before he even said goodnight.
All night long, Ollie flew from tree to tree. He tucked a leaf over a sleeping ladybug. He hooted softly to a little fox who had a bad dream. He watched over the whole wood until the sky turned pink.
When the sun came up, the animals woke one by one. “Good morning, Ollie!” they called.
But Ollie was already in his cozy hole in the old willow tree, eyes closed, feathers fluffed. “Good morning,” he mumbled with a yawn. “Now it’s my bedtime.”
Questions to Ask After the Story
- What was Ollie’s special job?
- How did Ollie help the baby rabbits fall asleep?
- When does Ollie go to bed?
