The Bunny Star

 It was a bright and starry night, as the full moon smiled upon the little house in which Nickle and Maulee lived with their foster Mummy.  All was quiet in the little house.  Everyone was fast asleep, dreaming sweet dreams until they would wake for a brand new day in the morning.  

Slowly and silently big, dark clouds began to gather in the clear night sky.  And just as the first drops of rain began to fall on the roof of the houses below, there was a 'clunk' on the roof of Nickle and Maulee's house.

"Maulee" whispered Nickle, awakened by the noise.

"Mmm... what is it?.... Did you fall out of bed again" mumbled Maulee trying very hard not to wake up from her lovely sleep.

"It wasn't me, it was on the roof" said Nickle "we should go and tell Mummy" but before she could do anything , there was 'tap, tap tap' on her window.

"EEEK!!" yelled Maulee "what is it? Who is it?  Tapping on our window!"

"Arrgh!!" cried Nickle "A ghost!  A monster!! Trying to get in!!"

Both little bunnies bounced out of bed and hopped straight for the door, getting to it just as Mummy opened it.  

"What is all this racket?" Said a very cross Mummy.  "Have you forgotten that you were supposed to be sleeping!"

'Tap, tap, tap' went the window again.

"Oh!" said Mummy.  And without saying a word she walked over to the window, pressed her face against the glass and she began to laugh.

"Ghost?" asked Nickle.

"Monster?" asked Maulee.

"No" laughed Mummy as she opened the window, "star" and she showed the bunny girls the smallest, sparkliest star that they had ever seen.

But the star did not look happy.  He looked very sad, and very scared.

"What are you doing tapping on our window" asked Mummy very kindly.

"I was playing on the tree tops" squeaked the star. "I was dancing and jumping and having such a great time - that I didn't notice the big dark clouds coming.  When it started to rain I realised that I couldn't get back to the other stars.  I got very scared" and the star began to cry.

"Don't cry" said Maulee "you can stay here with us if you like.  Its a very nice place to live"

"Yes" agreed Nickle "I will share my carrots with you and you can sleep on a pillow by the window".

But this just made the little star cry even louder.

"Well now girls" said Mummy "Its very nice that you want to help the little star.  But he cannot live here with us.  He is just a baby, and he needs to live with the other stars in the sky.  His family will be missing him"

The little star just kept on crying "But" he sobbed "I can't get back to them.  I am too little to go through those big angry clouds on my own"

"Those big clouds will not stay there forever" said Mummy as she dried the little star and put him on the chair by the window "and when they are gone you will be able to go home to your Mummy and Daddy"

So everyone went to bed and back to sleep, except for the little star.  He just sat on the chair and sparkled until the sun came up.

The next morning, the sun was out and shining brightly.  Nickle and Maulee awoke early, excited at having a real baby star to play with.  But, they were disapointed to learn that when the sun was out, little baby stars went to sleep.  So they spent the day outside in the sun, while the little star dreamt his sweet dreams.

That night the sky was clear again.

"Time to go" said Mummy.  "I have made you a sandwich for you to take with you"

"Thank you" smiled the little star, much happier now that he was going home.  He picked up his sandwich and he waved to his new friends as he flew out the window.  He went high into the night sky, leaving a trail of sparkles behind him.

"I wonder if he will come back to see us" said Nickle, sad to be saying goodbye to her new friend.

"Well" laughed Maulee "If he does I hope that he checks the weather first!" 

And the two little bunnies hopped into bed, were kissed goodnight by Mummy, and off to dreamland they went.