bedtime · Ages 6-8

The Meadow That Put Its Colors Away

As dusk falls, flowers and grasses fade into shadow, teaching a child that colors can rest and return.

The whole story

1. Late afternoon found Mina kneeling in the meadow. She gathered fallen petals in her green satchel. She wanted to take the meadow’s colors home.

2. Mina found a clear glass jar in her satchel. “A little red, a little gold, and a little blue,” she said. “That should do it.”

3. Mina tipped the jar toward the sun. The colors inside looked pale. Around her, the flowers began to fold their bright faces.

4. She held the jar up higher, but the colors would not stay. The red grew quiet. The gold slipped away. Even the blue seemed to hide.

5. Mina set the empty-looking jar beside her. She sat in the damp grass and watched the meadow turn gray. “You were here a moment ago,” she whispered.

6. Then Mina noticed the flowers were not broken. Their petals were tucked in, and the grasses had folded their green blades. The meadow was putting its colors away.

7. In the morning, Mina returned to the meadow. Red, gold, and blue were waiting in every direction. She smiled and left the jar open on the grass.

8. As dusk fell, Mina did not chase the colors. Flowers and grasses faded into shadow, and she understood at last: colors can rest and return.

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