Paula did not like bedtime. She loved daytime more; she could run, paint, build towers, and ask many questions.

At night, her mother would say, “Time for bed, Paula.” Paula worried she might miss an adventure. Her mother smiled and said that sometimes dreams have adventures too.

One night after brushing her teeth, Paula climbed into bed. She looked at the moon outside her window. The room was quiet.

Just as Paula closed her eyes, a soft golden light appeared on the wall. The light grew into the shape of a small door with a silver knob and tiny stars painted around it. Paula blinked. The door opened by itself.

On the other side was a floating island covered in soft grass. Cotton-candy clouds drifted by. Paula stepped through the doorway and gasped.

“Welcome to Dreamland!” said a tiny voice. A fairy with purple wings flew around Paula’s head. Her name was Nima. She told Paula that Dreamland is where children’s dreams come to play.

Paula saw trees that grew jellybean leaves. She saw rivers that sparkled like stars and hills made of soft pillows. Nima asked for help. Some lost toys needed to find the Toymaker.

They soon found a wooden horse with one missing wheel. They met a teddy bear with a loose button eye. A little drum had forgotten how to make music. The toys looked sad.

Paula knelt beside them. She said she knew how it felt to be forgotten when the day ended. She carried the teddy bear. Nima pushed the wooden horse gently. The drum rolled beside them.

They traveled through a starry cave, across a cloud bridge, and past a moonflower field to reach the Toymaker’s workshop. Inside the starry cave the drum was scared. Paula hummed a soft tune. The cave felt less scary and the drum remembered its beat.

On the cloud bridge, the wooden horse trembled. Paula found a round moonstone and tied it with a bit of dream ribbon to make a new wheel. The horse could roll again.

At last they reached the moonflower field. In the middle stood a cozy workshop. Inside was the Toymaker. He had kind eyes and a coat covered in buttons.

The Toymaker fixed the teddy bear’s eye with a shiny blue button. He polished the wooden horse’s new wheel. He gave the drum a golden strap. The toys jumped with joy.

“But will anyone love us again?” asked the teddy bear. Paula looked at them and promised to remember them. She said she would tell other children about Dreamland. The Toymaker smiled.

Soon the golden door began to glow. It was time to go home. Paula hugged the toys and Nima. She stepped through the door and found herself back in bed. Her teddy bear was beside her pillow, just where she had left it.

Morning came and Paula ran to her mother. She told her about the adventure. Her mother smiled and said, “I told you dreams can be wonderful.” Paula realized that bedtime is not the end of fun. It is the start of a different kind of adventure.

After that, she looked forward to sleeping. Some nights the golden door appeared. Other nights she simply dreamed of stars. Paula learned that rest could hold magic and that she didn’t need to fight sleep.

She still ran, painted, built towers, and asked questions by day. By night she visited the Toymaker, Nima, or new friends in Dreamland. She learned to help others in her dreams. She found that even lost toys and forgotten corners needed love.

At school, Paula told her friends that bedtime could be exciting. They laughed, but maybe they would find Dreamland too. Paula knew each dream was different and special.

On rainy afternoons, Paula drew pictures of Dreamland. She drew jellybean trees, cotton-candy clouds, and the Toymaker’s workshop. She hung the drawings by her bed.

Sometimes when the moon was bright, her teddy bear felt extra warm. Paula smiled and wondered if toys remember dreams too.

She learned to listen to bedtime. She breathed slowly. She let her body rest and her mind explore gentle adventures.

When she grew older, Paula told younger children stories about Dreamland. They listened with wide eyes. She told them about the golden door, Nima, and the kind Toymaker.

She always ended with a promise: when you close your eyes with a kind heart, you might find a place where dreams and adventures meet.

For more stories go to: Bedtime Stories