bedtime · Ages 6-8

The Mountain That Could Not Stop Counting Sheep

A mountain counts sheep all night until it learns to notice the spaces between them and finally rests under the dawn.

The whole story

1. At dusk, the mountain settled beneath the first stars. Then a flock of sheep climbed onto its grassy slope. “One, two, three,” counted the mountain.

2. The mountain wanted to sleep. But more sheep arrived, and then more. “Four, five, six, seven,” it counted, keeping one eye open.

3. The sheep spread out around the rocks. The mountain counted them again. “One, two, three...” But which sheep had it counted first?

4. At midnight, the mountain tried counting backward. “Ten, nine, eight...” A sheep turned around. The mountain began again.

5. The night grew quiet. The sheep rested in little groups, and the mountain began to see something besides sheep. There was grass between them. There were stones between them.

6. The mountain counted the spaces. One quiet space. Two quiet spaces. Soon it stopped counting the sheep.

7. The spaces did not need counting. They simply stayed there, soft and wide. The mountain let its eyes close.

8. All night, the mountain had counted sheep. Under the dawn, it noticed the spaces between them and finally rested.

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