The Purr That Said Goodnight

Lulu had a little gray kitten named Mimi.

Mimi had four white paws, two pink ears, and one very quiet secret. When Mimi gave a special, rumbling purr, lights went to sleep.

Click! Did the light switches go? No. Mimi just purred, and the lights went out.

It was bedtime in the cozy house.

Lulu put on her yellow pajamas with the ducklings on the front. Mimi rubbed right against Lulu's socks.

"Time for bed, Mimi," whispered Lulu. "Let's turn out the lights."

First, they walked into the big, bright kitchen. The round ceiling light was shining down on the table.

Mimi sat on the kitchen rug. She closed her eyes. She went, purr, purr, purr.

Quietly, the bright kitchen light blinked and went dark.

Lulu smiled and waved. "Night-night, kitchen light," Lulu said.

Next, Mimi trotted into the long hallway. The hall lamp was glowing on the wooden table.

Mimi sat on the hallway floor. She tucked in her white paws. She went, purr, purr, purr.

The glowing hall lamp blinked and went dark.

Lulu waved her hand again. "Night-night, hallway light," Lulu said.

Then came the stairs. Halfway up the stairs, a small lamp sat on a step, casting a golden patch on the wall.

Mimi climbed up, step by step, and sat right next to it. She went, purr, purr, purr.

That golden stair lamp blinked and went dark.

Lulu patted the wooden banister. "Night-night, stair light," Lulu said.

Lulu and Mimi went into the bedroom. Lulu climbed onto the big, soft bed and looked out the window.

Outside in the backyard, the light was still shining in Daddy's work shed.

Mimi jumped up onto the windowsill. Her cold nose touched the glass. She went, purr, purr, purr.

Across the dark yard, the light in the shed blinked and went dark.

Lulu waved through the windowpane. "Night-night, shed light," Lulu said.

Down on the street corner, the tall streetlamp stood, making a circle of yellow light on the sidewalk.

Mimi stayed on the windowsill. She looked right down at it. She went, purr, purr, purr.

The tall streetlamp blinked and went dark.

Lulu pressed her cheek against the glass. "Night-night, streetlamp," Lulu said.

Up above the roof, the stars were awake in the dark blue sky. One star. Two stars. Three stars.

Mimi looked up high into the night. She went, purr, purr, purr.

High up in the sky, the stars blinked shut, one by one, just like sleepy eyes closing for a nap.

Lulu looked up and blew them a kiss. "Night-night, stars," Lulu said.

Now the whole world was nice and dark.

But wait!

Beside Lulu's pillow, plugged into the wall, was a night-light shaped like a smiling crescent moon. It glowed with a sweet, sunny glow. It was friendly and yellow.

Mimi hopped down from the windowsill. Mimi stepped onto the blanket.

She looked at the little moon night-light. Then Mimi looked at Lulu.

Lulu pulled the blanket up to her chin. "That one is for me," Lulu whispered.

Mimi understood. Mimi did not want that light to go out.

Mimi curled her tail around her nose. She curled into a neat circle right under the little moon night-light.

Mimi started to purr again, but this purr was different. It was not a turn-off purr. It was a cozy-stay-awake purr.

The purr was so deep, and so soft, and so warm.

The little moon night-light stayed right on. Its sunny yellow light kept the corner warm. The room stayed quiet and calm. Nothing went out at all.

Well, almost nothing.

Lulu's eyes blinked once.

Lulu's eyes blinked twice.

And then, softly, Lulu's eyes closed... fast asleep.

"Night-night, Lulu," hummed Mimi's happy purr.

Night-night.