Childrens Short Stories
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Free Childrens Stories by Leading Authors
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Author: Sheila Helliwell Age guide: 4 to 6
Cedrick the owl sat on the branch of a tree and watched all the other birds flying around. He knew he should be tucked up fast asleep in the old barn where he lived, but for weeks now no matter what he did he just couldn't fall asleep. He was so tired and hungry but lack of sleep was affecting his hunting skills and he hadn't caught any food for days. He watched as other birds swooped down and easily caught their food which they took back to the nests for their young. With a big sigh Cedrick flew back to his barn and settled down on a big beam hoping that today he might be able to sleep. Hours later Cedrick was still wide awake but he was so tired he fell off his perch and landed in a pile of straw. Unfortunately a little field mouse saw him fall and laughed gleefully. Normally he had to hide from the owl otherwise he would have been the owl's dinner. The mouse scurried out of the barn eager to spread the word about the owl. It didn't take long before nearly every animal and bird in the area knew about Cedrick. That night as Cedrick was flying out of the barn the starlings were settling down in a nearby tree for the night. "Hey dopey," they taunted. "Need a parachute?" With the sound of dozens of birds laughing at him, he didn't see the big oak tree looming up before him. CRASH he went, straight into the tree. He lay on the ground stunned by the impact. If he had thought things couldn't get any worse, he was wrong. Spiders, beetles, mice and even ants surrounded him. "Don't think there is much chance he will have us for his supper," they taunted. "Why don't you stay there and then we can have you for our supper." With that they all started to laugh cruelly. Cedrick sat up and with a final effort flapped his wings until he was flying away as fast as his tired wings would carry him. Back in the barn he sat on his beam and hung his head in shame. He was an owl, and all the smaller creatures were supposed to be frightened of him, but here he sat too scared to leave the barn because of their taunts. As Cedrick sat big tears fell from his eyes. "Hey, be careful," a little voice shouted up at him. "If you wet my wings I won't be able to fly." Cedrick looked down and there sitting on a bale of hay was a tiny fairy. "Sorry, I didn't know there was anyone here." Cedrick said sadly. "I don't think I have ever seen an owl cry before," the fairy said, looking at Cedrick with pity. "They don't, it's just me." With that he cried even more. "Hey, it's like sitting under a waterfall down here." The fairy said laughingly. "Then move." Cedrick said grumpily. The fairy flew up to the beam and sat down next to Cedrick. "OK, tell me your story." "Story?" Cedrick asked. "There isn't a story, it's just that I am so tired." He told the fairy about falling from the beam, then hitting the tree and the cruel taunts from the other creatures. "Why can't you sleep?" the fairy asked. "How do I know?" Cedrick answered rudely. The fairy looked at Cedrick and smiled to herself. She thought she knew what the problem was but it was up to him to realise it for himself. "Oh well, I had better go, it's the fairy ball tonight." With that she flew away leaving Cedrick feeling even lonelier than before. Sometime in the early hours of the morning, just as the sun was about to rise, Cedrick heard what he thought was a soft humming sound. He was trying to figure out what it was, but before he could, he found his eyelids were drooping and he couldn't keep awake any longer. Cedrick went into the deepest sleep he had known for ages. Seeing his eyes closed and hearing little snores coming from him, several hundred fairies flew around him satisfied with their good deed of the night. The sound of so many pairs of beating wings had created a soft humming sound which had sent Cedrick into a deep sleep. Cedrick slept all day and most of the evening but once the moon shone its light into the barn Cedrick woke up and stretched his wings yawning loudly. "I did it." He shouted. "I slept." Feeling refreshed and very hungry Cedrick flew out of the barn and into the night sky. The little field mouse in the barn knew he had to go back to hiding again and the news spread that Cedrick the owl was back to his normal eagle eyed self. Cedrick stayed out all night hunting as he had many meals to catch up on. On his return he was angry to find another owl had made use of his beam and was sitting there preening itself. Cedrick was just about to swoop on it and chase it away when two big beautiful tawny coloured eyes looked at him and blinked. Cedrick flew to an opposite beam and watched as the lady owl preened her feathers and coyly looked at him. Suddenly Cedrick knew why he hadn't been able to sleep. He had needed a lady friend and companion. Cedrick and his life long companion lived in the barn for many years and reared their young there. He never knew just how much he owed the little fairy and her friends. But then, no one ever does. The end. To register for More childrens-stories.net Free Stories please click here |
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