The New Moon: Pip’s Search for the Vanished Silver

Imagine the smell of dried leaves and the feeling of a soft, cozy blanket wrapped around your shoulders. Welcome to PodThis and Dreamtime Stories. We'll follow a little hedgehog named Pip as she searches for the moon. It's time to snuggle deep into your pillows and get very sleepy.

Have you ever wondered if the moon simply decided to go for a walk?

Most people think the moon stays in one place. But tonight, the sky was just a deep, velvet blue. There is nothing you need to remember as you listen to this story. It is a lovely time to drift off whenever sleep comes to find you.

Now, you might think a tiny hedgehog wouldn't notice the moon is gone. But Pip is very observant. Pip the little hedgehog felt the cool night air on her nose. She trotted out of her cozy burrow. Her little feet made a tiny pitter-patter sound on the dry leaves. She looked up. The sky was empty and dark.

Her little nose gave a twitch as she searched for that familiar silver glow. Nearby, a pair of wide, yellow eyes blinked. Barnaby the owl sat on a low branch. He was busy fluffing his soft, grey feathers for the night. Barnaby is a very patient bird. He watched Pip as she circled her burrow. Pip asked him where the moon had gone.

Barnaby did not know. He wanted to help his friend. He turned his head all the way around. He looked up into the very tallest leaves of the oak tree. He searched the high branches where the wind whispers to the birds. But the moon was not stuck in the leaves. It was not hiding behind the acorns.

And Pip gave a soft little sniff, sniff, snuffle, but the moon was still hiding. Barnaby hopped down to a closer branch. He looked at the dark forest floor. He suggested they go ask the fox. The fox is very clever. She knows all the secrets of the dark woods. She knows where the shadows like to play.

Pip and Barnaby set off down the mossy path together. The moss felt like a soft, green carpet under Pip's toes. As they walked deeper into the trees, Pip wondered what they would find. Would the fox be awake to help them, or would the moon stay hidden behind the trees all night long?

People often think foxes are always fast and loud when they run through the dark woods. But that isn't really how it is. Pip and the owl left the high branches where Barnaby lives. They followed the winding path where the ground felt like a soft green pillow. The moss under Pip’s tiny paws was cool and damp.

The air smelled like rain and old trees. They soon found their friend Fiona the Fox. She was walking past a patch of sweet-smelling white flowers. She moved so quietly that her paws didn't make a single sound. Those flowers looked like tiny fallen stars tucked among the leaves.

Fiona’s tail brushed against the tall grass like a silk ribbon as she moved. Pip looked up at her orange fur. He asked her if she knew where the moon had gone. Fiona didn't answer right away. She simply closed her eyes and tilted her head. She used her special way of feeling the quiet night to search the shadows.

Fiona whispered for them to follow her closely. She led them carefully around a sleepy beetle. He was snoring a tiny, buzzing tune under a leaf. They stepped over a smooth, round log that felt like silk against Pip's tummy. The white flowers bowed their heads as if they were nodding off to sleep.

Pip gave a soft little sniff, sniff, snuffle, but the moon was still hiding. Fiona smiled a small smile and looked toward the trees. She whispered that sometimes, when the moon feels a little tired, it goes down to the river to rest. The water there sings a slow song to the stones. As they walked, the forest grew even quieter.

The shadows were long and soft. It is okay to let your eyes close now. The path is safe, and the night is kind. The leaves above them rustled like a gentle sigh. Every step was lighter than the one before. You can feel the coolness of the night air on your cheeks. We are almost at the water's edge, where the light is waiting.

It is strange to think that something as big as the moon can just disappear. But during a new moon, it is not really gone. It is just tucked away. It is taking a quiet nap behind the dark sky. Pip learned that she did not need the moonlight to feel safe. She had the twinkling stars and the warmth of her friends to keep her company.

Now, she is curled up in those sweet-smelling white night-flowers. Can you imagine how soft those petals feel?

They are like a tiny, fragrant bed. You can drift off now, too. Sleep well. Sweet dreams.