WEBVTT 1 00:00:12.919 --> 00:00:20.719 Hello, and welcome back to Sleepy Stories. I'm your host, Lucy, 2 00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:24.640 and my friends and I will be reading you a 3 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:31.120 sleepy bedtime story every week to relax you and to 4 00:00:31.239 --> 00:00:37.600 help you to drift off into a RESTful sleep. From 5 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:42.039 time to time, we will also read you a relaxing, 6 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:49.119 peaceful meditation that will take you somewhere beautiful and calming. 7 00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:54.359 Once we have read the stories, we will then read 8 00:00:54.439 --> 00:00:59.759 them a second time, but this time they will be 9 00:00:59.799 --> 00:01:05.760 read read even slower. This will help you to relax 10 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:12.000 even more. Before we begin, I would like you to 11 00:01:12.159 --> 00:01:19.680 close your eyes and breathe in and out nice and deeply. 12 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:26.879 Take a few seconds to inhale, and then hold your 13 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:34.040 breath for a few seconds more, and then release and 14 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:39.319 breathe out. Do this a few times if you need to. 15 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:44.599 While you listen to the music and you listen to 16 00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:51.200 my voice, give yourself time to let your body relax 17 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:58.840 and your mind settle. It's important that we allow time 18 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:07.920 for us to feel safe, cozy, and completely at ease. 19 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:42.479 And now it's time for this week's story. In a 20 00:02:42.599 --> 00:02:46.719 valley folded gently between two hills that looked like they 21 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:50.639 were always whispering to each other, they lived a fox 22 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:55.240 who asked too many questions. His fur was the color 23 00:02:55.280 --> 00:03:00.039 of toasted leaves, his tail brushed the ground like a 24 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:04.879 slow moving paintbrush. And his name, at least the name 25 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:10.080 he used for himself, was Lumin. The owls called him 26 00:03:10.439 --> 00:03:14.879 that one, the rabbits called him please don't, and the 27 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:18.639 river stones had learned to stay very still when he 28 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:23.120 walked past, just in case he decided to interview them. 29 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:29.199 Lumin did not ask questions because he wanted answers exactly. 30 00:03:30.680 --> 00:03:34.120 He asked them because he liked how the world sounded 31 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:40.240 when it tried to explain itself. Why does moss grow 32 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:46.000 on the shady side of rocks? How do clouds know 33 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:51.879 when to stop being clouds and start being rain? Where 34 00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:57.120 does the wind put things when it is done carrying them? 35 00:03:57.479 --> 00:04:01.120 One evening, when the valley was dimming like a candle 36 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:06.840 being turned down carefully rather than blown out, Loomin noticed 37 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:11.479 the moon climbing up from behind the far hill. It 38 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:16.000 was round and pale, and glowing the way milk might 39 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:21.560 glow if milk had ever been blessed by starlight. The 40 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:26.079 crickets tuned their legs, the frogs cleared their throats, and 41 00:04:26.120 --> 00:04:30.480 the fireflies switched on one by one, like someone testing 42 00:04:30.519 --> 00:04:36.079 a string of tiny lanterns. Lumin sat on a warm 43 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:43.480 stone and squinted. He tilted his head, he tilted it 44 00:04:43.560 --> 00:04:48.199 the other way. Then he lay down flat on his 45 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:54.160 back and stared until the sky blurred gently at the edges. 46 00:04:55.399 --> 00:05:00.199 I wonder, he murmured, to nobody in particular, which which 47 00:05:00.279 --> 00:05:04.040 was his favorite audience, What it would be like to 48 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:08.519 hold the moon for a little while. The stone beneath 49 00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:13.639 him made no comment. The grass pretended not to hear. 50 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:20.319 A beetle paused, considered answering, and decided this was above 51 00:05:20.639 --> 00:05:25.720 its level of responsibility. But the idea stuck to loomin 52 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:32.279 the way burrs stick to passing tails. He imagined how 53 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:37.399 cool the moon might feel, or maybe warm, or maybe 54 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:43.720 like something that couldn't quite decide. He imagined balancing it 55 00:05:43.800 --> 00:05:50.120 on his nose, the way seals in traveling circuses balanced 56 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:56.120 shiny balls. He imagined using it to read at night 57 00:05:56.319 --> 00:06:01.759 without squinting. He imagined returned earning it later with a 58 00:06:01.800 --> 00:06:07.800 neat little bow tied around one of its craters. Just borrowing, 59 00:06:08.040 --> 00:06:14.399 he assured the darkness no one would mind. The darkness 60 00:06:14.439 --> 00:06:21.160 remained unconvinced, but polite Lumin padded down to the river 61 00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:26.879 because rivers were very old and usually knew how things worked. 62 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:33.199 The water slid past him in silver ribbons, carrying moonlight 63 00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:37.600 in broken pieces that looked like they had been dropped 64 00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:43.800 and forgotten. Excuse me, Lumin said to the river. If 65 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:48.600 someone wanted to temporarily hold the moon, how might they 66 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:55.319 go about that? The river burbled thoughtfully, which was its 67 00:06:55.399 --> 00:07:01.399 way of laughing without being rude. It's swirled around a 68 00:07:01.560 --> 00:07:06.720 rock and sent a ripple tapping against the bank. Then 69 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:11.759 it kept going because rivers are very good at continuing. 70 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:18.639 That's not a no, Lumin decided. He wandered into the meadow, 71 00:07:18.759 --> 00:07:24.040 where the sheep slept in puffy clusters like misplaced clouds. 72 00:07:24.839 --> 00:07:27.879 An old you had one eye open and was counting 73 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:34.519 stars instead of sheep for a change. Pardon me, Lumin whispered, 74 00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:40.399 Would you happen to know whether the moon can be borrowed? That? 75 00:07:40.600 --> 00:07:47.399 You blinked slowly. She blinked again. Then she sighed, the 76 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:51.600 kind of sigh that comes from carrying wool and wisdom 77 00:07:51.720 --> 00:07:57.160 at the same time. Everything that shines belongs to the night, 78 00:07:57.879 --> 00:08:02.319 she said, And the night is not known for lending 79 00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:12.920 things out. Lumin nodded, politely, of course, just checking. Next, 80 00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:16.839 he visited the oak tree on the hill, whose roots 81 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:20.319 gripped the ground as though the planet might try to 82 00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:26.079 wander off without warning. The oak creaked when the breeze 83 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:33.080 touched it, which Lumin interpreted as a greeting, Oh, very 84 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:37.200 tall one. He said, if I were to reach for 85 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:41.559 the moon, do you think it would mind? The oak 86 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:47.159 thought for a long time, which sounded like leaves rubbing 87 00:08:47.240 --> 00:08:54.919 together and branches stretching. Then an acorn dropped and bonked 88 00:08:55.159 --> 00:09:01.200 Lumin gently on the head. I will take that uncertain, 89 00:09:01.799 --> 00:09:06.399 Lumin said, rubbing his ears. He looked back up at 90 00:09:06.440 --> 00:09:11.919 the moon. It was drifting higher, now, serene and bright, 91 00:09:12.360 --> 00:09:16.399 and absolutely not behaving like something that expected to be 92 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:22.759 picked up. Still, I could ask it directly, Lumin said. 93 00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:27.200 So he climbed the tallest rock he could find, which 94 00:09:27.240 --> 00:09:31.159 was not very tall but was doing its best. He 95 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:36.279 stood on his hind legs, stretched his front paws into 96 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:42.440 the air, and cleared his throat with great formality. Dear Moon, 97 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:48.679 he called softly. I don't suppose you would mind terribly 98 00:09:48.759 --> 00:09:52.559 if I borrowed you for just a short while. The 99 00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:57.480 moon did not answer out loud, but a thin cloud 100 00:09:57.879 --> 00:10:05.840 drifted across its face, which Loomian took as a thoughtful expression. Encouraged, 101 00:10:06.279 --> 00:10:11.120 he climbed a little higher onto the rock, wobbled, regained 102 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:16.679 his dignity, and stretched again. I promise I would put 103 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:22.480 you back, he added, probably in exactly the same spot, 104 00:10:23.480 --> 00:10:31.639 or very close. The cloud slid away, the moon shone brighter. 105 00:10:32.279 --> 00:10:40.559 Loomin gasped. That feels like permission, he whispered. He leapt Now. 106 00:10:40.759 --> 00:10:47.440 Foxes are excellent jumpers. They can spring over logs, fences, puddles, 107 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:52.840 and the occasional unfortunate bucket, but the distance between a 108 00:10:53.000 --> 00:11:00.679 fox and the moon is generally considered ambitious. Nevertheless, something 109 00:11:00.840 --> 00:11:08.919 peculiar happened. Instead of falling back down, Lumin floated, not fast, 110 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:16.200 not slow, just up. The valley shrank beneath him. The 111 00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:21.559 oak became a broccoly shaped idea. The sheep turned into 112 00:11:21.639 --> 00:11:27.559 puffs of cream. The river became a silver thread, sowing 113 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:34.600 the land together well, Lumin said, calmly, because panicking seemed 114 00:11:34.679 --> 00:11:40.919 impolite at this altitude. This is new Up. He drifted, 115 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:47.320 paws tucked close, tail streaming behind him like a banner. 116 00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:54.480 The air grew cooler and quieter. The stars leaned away 117 00:11:54.759 --> 00:12:01.960 politely to let him pass, and then bump. He collided 118 00:12:02.039 --> 00:12:05.960 with the moon in the gentlest way possible, as though 119 00:12:06.039 --> 00:12:10.399 two thoughtful thoughts had run into each other. The moon 120 00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:14.639 was not hot, it was not cold. It felt like 121 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:19.080 smooth stone that had been sitting in starlight for a 122 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:26.960 very long time. Oh, Loomin, breathed, You're heavier than you look. 123 00:12:27.720 --> 00:12:32.360 He wrapped his paws around it. The glow dimmed just 124 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:37.279 a little, the way lantern light dims when someone cups 125 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:43.440 it in their hands. Below the valley side, owls blinked, 126 00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:51.120 crickets missed a note, Fireflies hovered in confusion. The night 127 00:12:51.399 --> 00:12:58.600 felt suddenly shorter. Lumin did not notice. He was busy 128 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:05.039 admiring faint shadows inside the moon's glow, like secrets drawn 129 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:09.559 in chalk. I'll just take you down for a moment, 130 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:17.320 he said, show you around, stretch your horizons. The floating 131 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:25.440 sensation reversed down. He drifted moon and fox together, glowing 132 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:31.440 softly like a wandering bedtime thought. When he landed in 133 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:36.279 the meadow, the sheep woke all at once. Is that 134 00:13:36.919 --> 00:13:45.080 one began there another tried moon finished the old yew Yes, 135 00:13:45.559 --> 00:13:52.679 Loomin said proudly, but only borrowed. The meadow was dim, 136 00:13:52.759 --> 00:13:58.200 now lit only by stars that suddenly felt underprepared for. 137 00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:06.879 The jobs grew longer. The hills shuffled closer together. The 138 00:14:06.919 --> 00:14:13.480 owls swooped low, put it back. One hissed gently. The 139 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:18.480 frogs have lost their rhythm, croaked another. The river is 140 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:25.360 bumping into things called a third. Lumin looked around. He 141 00:14:25.559 --> 00:14:30.440 noticed the softer darkness pooling at the edges of everything. 142 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:38.519 He noticed the way the stars seemed nervous. Oh, he said. 143 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:43.600 The moon pulsed faintly in his paws, as though clearing 144 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:49.799 its throat. I didn't mean to inconvenience anyone, Lumin murmured. 145 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:56.480 The old ewe stepped forward. Light is not just for 146 00:14:56.559 --> 00:15:01.399 looking at, she said, It tells the night how to behave. 147 00:15:02.759 --> 00:15:07.799 Loomin hugged the moon a little closer. I think I 148 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:13.399 may have borrowed too much, he admitted. A hedgehog waddled 149 00:15:13.480 --> 00:15:18.240 up with a lantern that looked deeply inadequate. A bat 150 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:23.000 flew in circles, trying to find a landmark that had 151 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:30.799 gone missing. The fox swallowed. I'll put it back, he said. Immediately, 152 00:15:32.279 --> 00:15:37.480 He climbed the rock again, balancing the moon carefully like 153 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:43.000 a glowing bowl of milk. He did not wish to spill. Sorry, 154 00:15:43.639 --> 00:15:47.279 he whispered to it. I just wanted to see what 155 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:53.360 you were like. The moon shimmered up. He floated once more, 156 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:59.240 slower this time, as though the sky itself was helping. 157 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:07.360 Stars scooted aside, clouds bowed. When he reached the moon's 158 00:16:07.480 --> 00:16:13.120 old place, he nudged it gently. It slid into the 159 00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:18.200 darkness with a soft, invisible click, like a puzzle piece 160 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:24.759 finding home. Light poured back into the valley. The river 161 00:16:25.240 --> 00:16:30.879 sighed in relief. The frogs found their beat. The fireflies 162 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:37.600 flicked back on with theatrical flare. Loomin drifted down and 163 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:43.320 landed in the grass, dizzy and glowing around the edges. 164 00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:53.080 The owls stared well. One said that was unnecessary, Yes, 165 00:16:53.759 --> 00:17:03.559 said another, but impressive. The sheep settled, the valley exhaled lumin, 166 00:17:03.720 --> 00:17:09.279 lay on his back again, looking up. The moon hung peacefully, 167 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:15.519 pretending nothing unusual had happened. I won't do that again, 168 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:23.319 he promised. Probably. The grass hummed, the river glittered, the 169 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:29.079 hills leaned back into their whispers. Lumin curled his tail 170 00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:35.839 around his paws. His eyes grew heavy. Above him, the 171 00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:42.559 moon shone with quiet patience, and the night restored to 172 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:48.799 its proper brightness. Tucked the valley in the moon stayed 173 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:53.759 where it belonged, high and calm and glowing as though 174 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:59.960 nothing in particular had happened at all, which Lumin suspected 175 00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:06.279 was exactly how the moon preferred things. He watched it 176 00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:12.200 blink slowly behind a passing veil of cloud, the sort 177 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:16.720 of cloud that didn't hurry, the sort of cloud that 178 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:23.839 had nowhere else scheduled to be looming. Yawned, not a 179 00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:32.359 polite yawn, a long, bending, tail curling, whisker tilting yawn 180 00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:37.000 that started in his toes and wandered all the way 181 00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:41.519 up to his ears. Well, he murmured to the grass. 182 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:49.640 That was exciting enough for several lifetimes. The grass rustled approvingly. 183 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:54.079 He rolled on to his side and listened to the 184 00:18:54.240 --> 00:19:00.039 night reorganize itself. That is what nights do. After some 185 00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:07.960 peculiar happens. They take a moment, smooth their edges, put 186 00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:14.200 stars back in neat places, Remind the insects what page 187 00:19:14.279 --> 00:19:26.039 they were on. The frogs restarted with cautious enthusiasm one, two, three, 188 00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:30.279 then altogether, like a choir that had briefly lost its 189 00:19:30.359 --> 00:19:35.440 conductor and found him again Hiding behind a reed. The 190 00:19:35.559 --> 00:19:43.400 river tried a new sparkle pattern, just to be sure. Satisfied, 191 00:19:43.720 --> 00:19:48.279 it went back to its usual work of carrying reflections 192 00:19:48.359 --> 00:19:52.599 downstream when no one could keep them for very long. 193 00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:59.319 Lumin watched until his eyelids drooped, then forced them open again, 194 00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:04.240 because he not quite ready to stop existing for the evening. 195 00:20:05.240 --> 00:20:10.480 He noticed something odd. The moonlight around him seemed thicker 196 00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:16.759 than usual, like warm honey instead of plain brightness. It 197 00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:22.880 pooled around his paws, gathered in his tail, left faint 198 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:28.440 silver freckles on the tips of his ears. He lifted 199 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:35.759 one paw and turned it slowly. I appear to be glimmering, 200 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:44.960 the poor, agreed, Oh dear. He shook himself, light shook, 201 00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:52.720 two sparkles, scattered into the grass, and faded politely. Looming 202 00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:57.920 squinted at the moon. You wouldn't happen to have left 203 00:20:57.960 --> 00:21:04.559 any of yourself behind. The Moon did not respond. It 204 00:21:04.680 --> 00:21:11.160 continued being extremely moonlike a snail in a shiny shell, 205 00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:16.920 slid past you're glowing, the snail said, because snails are 206 00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:25.839 very direct. Yes, Lumen admitted, I noticed, nicely added the snail, 207 00:21:26.839 --> 00:21:35.839 thank you. The snail slid away, satisfied Lumin's side, carefully 208 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:41.640 so as not to spill any more starlight. I suppose 209 00:21:42.200 --> 00:21:49.279 I should sleep this off, He padded toward his den, 210 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:53.279 which was tucked beneath a tangle of roots where the 211 00:21:53.319 --> 00:22:02.400 oak tree kept its underground thoughts. Step made soft silver 212 00:22:02.519 --> 00:22:07.640 footprints that faded after a moment, like the night, politely 213 00:22:07.720 --> 00:22:12.200 erasing his tracks so he wouldn't feel embarrassed about them. Later. 214 00:22:13.880 --> 00:22:18.920 Inside the den, the air was cool and smelled faintly 215 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:26.519 of earth and old leaves and forgotten adventures. Comfort smells 216 00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:33.759 the best kind. Loomin curled into a crescent shape, which 217 00:22:33.799 --> 00:22:40.400 felt appropriate all things considered, But sleep did not arrive 218 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:47.960 at once. Instead, his thoughts wandered. He thought about the moon, 219 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:55.359 how quiet it had been, how patient, how heavy with 220 00:22:55.559 --> 00:23:01.480 age and light. He thought about the valley, how everything 221 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:05.720 depended on everything else in ways that were easy to 222 00:23:05.880 --> 00:23:11.720 forget until someone picked up the sky. He thought about 223 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:18.359 how borrowing was different from owning, and how returning something 224 00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:23.960 was sometimes the most important part These were large thoughts, 225 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:29.720 too large to hold for very long. They slowly shrank 226 00:23:30.039 --> 00:23:35.519 into softer ones, like how warm the dirt was, and 227 00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:41.480 how steady the oak's roots must feel, and how nice 228 00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:49.400 it was that frogs existed at all outside. The wind 229 00:23:49.480 --> 00:23:55.720 wandered by and peaked into the den. Are you finished 230 00:23:55.920 --> 00:24:04.240 rearranging the universe? It whispered yes. Lumin whispered back, good, 231 00:24:04.599 --> 00:24:10.000 said the wind, and wandered off to bother reeds instead. 232 00:24:10.039 --> 00:24:17.079 Sleep crept closer, dragging a blanket made of shadows and slow, 233 00:24:17.279 --> 00:24:23.920 blinking and comfortable nothing. But just before Lumin drifted away, 234 00:24:24.920 --> 00:24:30.079 he heard a tiny cough. It came from the entrance 235 00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:36.920 of the den. Lumin opened one eye. A moth hovered there, 236 00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:44.160 glowing faintly with leftover moon enthusiasm. I'm sorry, said the moth, 237 00:24:44.759 --> 00:24:52.119 but since you were recently handling the moon, yes, could 238 00:24:52.200 --> 00:24:58.279 you tell it? Yes, that it dropped a reflection in 239 00:24:58.359 --> 00:25:07.319 the pond. Lumin blinked, I believe it does that every night. Oh. 240 00:25:07.799 --> 00:25:16.119 The moth paused, Well, never mind, then it fluttered off. Relieved, 241 00:25:17.319 --> 00:25:23.279 Lumin smiled, which is difficult for foxes, but not impossible 242 00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:29.880 if they try. He closed both eyes. The moonlight filtered 243 00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:33.880 through leaves and roots and thin places in the world. 244 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:39.480 It painted slow moving patterns on the walls of the den. 245 00:25:40.839 --> 00:25:46.079 Lumin followed one with his gaze until it blurred into nothing. 246 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:54.039 The valley settled deeper. The hills stopped whispering and started 247 00:25:54.119 --> 00:26:01.880 humming instead. Far away, somewhere between stars, the moon adjusted 248 00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:10.519 itself a millimeter just for comfort. Looming dreamed. He dreamed 249 00:26:10.599 --> 00:26:16.839 of carrying a teacup full of constellations. He dreamed of 250 00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:24.319 clouds that needed folding. He dreamed of sheep jumping over themselves. 251 00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:28.759 He dreamed of rivers that forgot where they were going 252 00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:35.400 and decided to nap all very sensible things. The night 253 00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:44.400 went on being enormous and gentle. Owls glided, beetles polished 254 00:26:44.440 --> 00:26:50.400 their wings. Trees leaned into breezes like dancers who had 255 00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:55.799 done this for centuries. Nothing else tried to borrow the moon, 256 00:26:57.000 --> 00:27:04.079 which pleased everyone, especial the moon and the fox, who 257 00:27:04.279 --> 00:27:12.119 slept and slept and slept while above him light kept 258 00:27:12.200 --> 00:27:21.480 shining exactly where it belonged, slow, soft, steady, in a 259 00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:25.680 valley folded gently between two hills that looked like they 260 00:27:25.759 --> 00:27:29.640 were always whispering. To each other. There lived a fox 261 00:27:29.720 --> 00:27:34.200 who asked too many questions. His fur was the color 262 00:27:34.279 --> 00:27:38.960 of toasted leaves, his tail brushed the ground like a 263 00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:43.519 slow moving paint brush, and his name, at least the 264 00:27:43.640 --> 00:27:48.799 name he used for himself, was Loomin. The owls called 265 00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:53.759 him that one, the rabbits called him please don't, and 266 00:27:53.799 --> 00:27:57.519 the river stones had learned to stay very still when 267 00:27:57.559 --> 00:28:01.640 he walked past, just in case he decided to interview them. 268 00:28:02.720 --> 00:28:08.200 Lumin did not ask questions because he wanted answers exactly. 269 00:28:09.680 --> 00:28:13.200 He asked them because he liked how the world sounded 270 00:28:13.720 --> 00:28:19.279 when it tried to explain itself. Why does moss grow 271 00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:24.960 on the shady side of rocks? How do clouds know 272 00:28:25.480 --> 00:28:30.880 when to stop being clouds and start being rain? Where 273 00:28:30.920 --> 00:28:35.039 does the wind put things when it is done carrying them? 274 00:28:36.519 --> 00:28:40.119 One evening, when the valley was dimming, like a candle 275 00:28:40.279 --> 00:28:45.839 being turned down carefully rather than blown out, Lumin noticed 276 00:28:45.880 --> 00:28:50.480 the moon climbing up from behind the far hill. It 277 00:28:50.519 --> 00:28:55.000 was round and pale, and glowing the way milk might 278 00:28:55.160 --> 00:29:00.559 glow if milk had ever been blessed by starlight. The 279 00:29:00.599 --> 00:29:05.079 crickets tuned their legs, the frogs cleared their throats, and 280 00:29:05.160 --> 00:29:09.519 the fireflies switched on one by one, like someone testing 281 00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:15.079 a string of tiny lanterns. Lumin sat on a warm 282 00:29:15.319 --> 00:29:22.480 stone and squinted. He tilted his head, he tilted it 283 00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:27.200 the other way. Then he lay down flat on his 284 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:33.160 back and stared until the sky blurred gently at the edges. 285 00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:39.319 I wonder, he murmured, to nobody in particular, which was 286 00:29:39.400 --> 00:29:43.480 his favorite audience, what it would be like to hold 287 00:29:43.519 --> 00:29:47.920 the moon for a little while. The stone beneath him 288 00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:53.640 made no comment. The grass pretended not to hear. A 289 00:29:53.680 --> 00:29:59.799 beetle paused, considered answering, and decided this was above its 290 00:29:59.880 --> 00:30:05.359 leg of responsibility. But the idea stuck to Lumin the 291 00:30:05.400 --> 00:30:11.720 way burrs stick to passing tails. He imagined how cool 292 00:30:11.799 --> 00:30:16.599 the moon might feel, or maybe warm, or maybe like 293 00:30:16.759 --> 00:30:22.880 something that couldn't quite decide. He imagined balancing it on 294 00:30:22.960 --> 00:30:30.519 his nose, the way seals in traveling circuses balanced shiny balls. 295 00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:36.680 He imagined using it to read at night without squinting. 296 00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:42.000 He imagined returning it later with a neat little bough 297 00:30:42.400 --> 00:30:47.799 tied around one of its craters, Just borrowing. He assured 298 00:30:47.839 --> 00:30:55.400 the darkness. No one would mind the darkness remained unconvinced, 299 00:30:55.519 --> 00:31:01.599 but polite Lumin padded down to the river because rivers 300 00:31:01.680 --> 00:31:06.759 were very old and usually knew how things worked. The 301 00:31:06.839 --> 00:31:12.519 water slid past him in silver ribbons, carrying moonlight in 302 00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:17.559 broken pieces that looked like they had been dropped and forgotten. 303 00:31:18.880 --> 00:31:23.920 Excuse me, Lumin said to the river. If someone wanted 304 00:31:23.960 --> 00:31:28.599 to temporarily hold the moon, how might they go about that? 305 00:31:30.440 --> 00:31:35.759 The river burbled thoughtfully, which was its way of laughing 306 00:31:36.119 --> 00:31:41.720 without being rude. It swirled around a rock and sent 307 00:31:41.799 --> 00:31:46.799 a ripple tapping against the bank. Then it kept going 308 00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:53.279 because rivers are very good at continuing. That's not a no, 309 00:31:54.119 --> 00:31:58.559 Lumin decided. He wandered into the meadow, where the sheep 310 00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:04.519 slept in puffy clusters like misplaced clouds. An old you 311 00:32:04.920 --> 00:32:08.119 had one eye open and was counting stars instead of 312 00:32:08.200 --> 00:32:14.759 sheep for a change. Pardon me, Lumin whispered, Would you 313 00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:19.440 happen to know whether the moon can be borrowed? The 314 00:32:19.640 --> 00:32:26.400 You blinked slowly. She blinked again. Then she sighed the 315 00:32:26.519 --> 00:32:30.599 kind of sigh that comes from carrying wool and wisdom 316 00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:36.160 at the same time. Everything that shines belongs to the night, 317 00:32:36.880 --> 00:32:41.319 she said, and the night is not known for lending 318 00:32:41.440 --> 00:32:51.920 things out. Lumin nodded, politely, of course, just checking. Next, 319 00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:55.799 he visited the oak tree on the hill, whose roots 320 00:32:55.960 --> 00:32:59.319 gripped the ground as though the planet might try to 321 00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:05.079 wander off without warning. The oak creaked when the breeze 322 00:33:05.240 --> 00:33:12.079 touched it, which Lumin interpreted as a greeting, Oh, very 323 00:33:12.359 --> 00:33:16.200 tall one. He said, if I were to reach for 324 00:33:16.279 --> 00:33:20.559 the moon, do you think it would mind? The oak 325 00:33:21.079 --> 00:33:26.160 thought for a long time, which sounded like leaves rubbing 326 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:33.920 together and branches stretching. Then an acorn dropped and bonked 327 00:33:34.160 --> 00:33:40.200 Lumin gently on the head. I will take that as uncertain, 328 00:33:40.759 --> 00:33:45.400 Lumin said, rubbing his ears. He looked back up at 329 00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:50.920 the moon. It was drifting higher, now, serene and bright, 330 00:33:51.359 --> 00:33:55.400 and absolutely not behaving like something that expected to be 331 00:33:55.519 --> 00:34:01.759 picked up. Still, I could ask it dive directly, Lumin said. 332 00:34:02.359 --> 00:34:06.200 So he climbed the tallest rock he could find, which 333 00:34:06.240 --> 00:34:10.159 was not very tall but was doing its best. He 334 00:34:10.280 --> 00:34:15.280 stood on his hind legs, stretched his front paws into 335 00:34:15.360 --> 00:34:21.480 the air, and cleared his throat with great formality. Dear Moon, 336 00:34:22.119 --> 00:34:27.679 he called softly. I don't suppose you would mind terribly 337 00:34:27.760 --> 00:34:31.599 if I borrowed you for just a short while. The 338 00:34:31.599 --> 00:34:36.480 moon did not answer out loud, but a thin cloud 339 00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:44.840 drifted across its face, which Lumian took as a thoughtful expression. Encouraged, 340 00:34:45.280 --> 00:34:50.119 he climbed a little higher onto the rock, wobbled, regained 341 00:34:50.159 --> 00:34:55.679 his dignity, and stretched again. I promise I would put 342 00:34:55.760 --> 00:35:01.480 you back, he added, probably in exactly the same spot, 343 00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:10.639 or very close. The cloud slid away, the moon shone brighter. 344 00:35:11.320 --> 00:35:19.559 Lumin gasped. That feels like permission, he whispered. He leapt. Now. 345 00:35:19.760 --> 00:35:26.440 Foxes are excellent jumpers. They can spring over logs, fences, puddles, 346 00:35:26.599 --> 00:35:31.840 and the occasional unfortunate bucket, but the distance between a 347 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:39.679 fox and the moon is generally considered ambitious. Nevertheless, something 348 00:35:39.840 --> 00:35:47.920 peculiar happened. Instead of falling back down, Lumin floated, not fast, 349 00:35:48.679 --> 00:35:55.199 not slow, just up. The valley shrank beneath him. The 350 00:35:55.320 --> 00:36:01.079 oak became a broccoly shaped idea, the sheep into puffs 351 00:36:01.119 --> 00:36:06.719 of cream. The river became a silver thread, sowing the 352 00:36:06.800 --> 00:36:14.480 land together well, Lumin said, calmly, because panicking seemed impolite 353 00:36:14.599 --> 00:36:21.039 at this altitude. This is new up. He drifted, paws 354 00:36:21.320 --> 00:36:27.480 tucked close, tail streaming behind him like a banner. The 355 00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:34.440 air grew cooler and quieter. The stars leaned away politely 356 00:36:34.760 --> 00:36:41.119 to let him pass, and then bump. He collided with 357 00:36:41.239 --> 00:36:45.320 the moon in the gentlest way possible, as though two 358 00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:49.679 thoughtful thoughts had run into each other. The moon was 359 00:36:49.719 --> 00:36:54.480 not hot, it was not cold. It felt like smooth 360 00:36:54.760 --> 00:36:58.599 stone that had been sitting in starlight for a very 361 00:36:58.840 --> 00:37:05.920 long time. Oh, Loomin breathed, You're heavier than you look. 362 00:37:06.719 --> 00:37:11.360 He wrapped his paws around it. The glow dimmed just 363 00:37:11.480 --> 00:37:16.280 a little, the way lantern light dims when someone cups 364 00:37:16.320 --> 00:37:22.440 it in their hands. Below the valley side, owls blinked, 365 00:37:23.079 --> 00:37:30.119 crickets missed a note, Fireflies hovered in confusion. The night 366 00:37:30.400 --> 00:37:37.599 felt suddenly shorter. Lumin did not notice. He was busy 367 00:37:37.719 --> 00:37:44.079 admiring faint shadows inside the moon's glow, like secrets drawn 368 00:37:44.239 --> 00:37:48.559 in chalk. I'll just take you down for a moment, 369 00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:56.320 he said, show you around, stretch your horizons. The floating 370 00:37:56.480 --> 00:38:04.440 sensation reversed down. He drifted moon and fox together, glowing 371 00:38:04.679 --> 00:38:10.440 softly like a wandering bedtime thought. When he landed in 372 00:38:10.519 --> 00:38:15.280 the meadow, the sheep woke all at once. Is that 373 00:38:15.920 --> 00:38:24.039 one began there another tried. Moon finished the old yew yes, 374 00:38:24.559 --> 00:38:31.679 Loomin said proudly, but only borrowed. The meadow was dim, 375 00:38:31.800 --> 00:38:37.199 now lit only by stars that suddenly felt underprepared for 376 00:38:37.280 --> 00:38:44.880 the job. Shadows grew longer, the hills shuffled closer together. 377 00:38:45.679 --> 00:38:51.679 The owls swooped low, put it back. One hissed gently, 378 00:38:52.400 --> 00:38:57.039 The frogs have lost their rhythm, croaked another. The river 379 00:38:57.400 --> 00:39:05.159 is bumping into things. Third, Lumin looked around. He noticed 380 00:39:05.239 --> 00:39:10.519 the softer darkness pooling at the edges of everything. He 381 00:39:10.719 --> 00:39:17.519 noticed the way the stars seemed nervous. Oh, he said. 382 00:39:18.159 --> 00:39:22.599 The moon pulsed faintly in his paws, as though clearing 383 00:39:22.639 --> 00:39:28.800 its throat. I didn't mean to inconvenience anyone, Lumin murmured. 384 00:39:29.400 --> 00:39:35.480 The old you stepped forward. Light is not just for 385 00:39:35.559 --> 00:39:40.400 looking at, she said, It tells the night how to behave. 386 00:39:41.760 --> 00:39:46.800 Lumin hugged the moon a little closer. I think I 387 00:39:46.920 --> 00:39:52.400 may have borrowed too much, he admitted. A hedgehog waddled 388 00:39:52.480 --> 00:39:57.239 up with a lantern that looked deeply inadequate. A bat 389 00:39:57.559 --> 00:40:02.000 flew in circles, trying to find a landmark that had 390 00:40:02.039 --> 00:40:09.800 gone missing. The fox swallowed. I'll put it back, he said. Immediately, 391 00:40:11.280 --> 00:40:16.480 He climbed the rock again, balancing the moon carefully like 392 00:40:16.519 --> 00:40:22.000 a glowing bowl of milk. He did not wish to spill. Sorry, 393 00:40:22.639 --> 00:40:26.280 he whispered to it. I just wanted to see what 394 00:40:26.440 --> 00:40:32.360 you were like. The moon shimmered up. He floated once more, 395 00:40:33.360 --> 00:40:38.239 slower this time, as though the sky itself was helping. 396 00:40:39.239 --> 00:40:46.320 Stars scooted aside, clouds bowed. When he reached the moon's 397 00:40:46.480 --> 00:40:52.119 old place, he nudged it gently. It slid into the 398 00:40:52.239 --> 00:40:57.199 darkness with a soft, invisible click, like a puzzle piece 399 00:40:57.400 --> 00:41:03.760 finding home. Lie poured back into the valley. The river 400 00:41:04.239 --> 00:41:09.880 sighed in relief. The frogs found their beat. The fireflies 401 00:41:10.199 --> 00:41:16.639