Toby and the Missing Blanket

High up in the quiet hills, night was beginning to fall. The sky turned deep blue. A big round moon peeked over the mountain.

Toby the little green dinosaur was ready for sleep. He had washed his green toes in the stream. He had brushed his three smooth teeth. But when he looked at his cozy bed of green moss, his eyes opened wide.

"Oh," Toby said softly. "Where is my blanket?"

It was his favorite blanket in the whole wide world. It was bright yellow, fluffy, and smelled just like sweet clover flowers. Toby could not curl up to sleep without it.

Toby stepped out of his nest with quiet dinosaur feet. Tip-tap, tip-tap.

"Blanket?" Toby called out. "Are you out here, blanket?"

He walked down the grassy path toward the clover field. Something furry was wiggling near a big cabbage leaf. It was Clover the bunny, twitching her pink nose.

"Hello, Clover," Toby whispered. "Have you seen my favorite soft yellow blanket?"

Clover stretched her long ears. She looked under her fluffy tail. She looked under a green dandelion leaf.

Clover spoke in a small, sleepy voice. "No, Toby. I see green leaves. I see crunchy carrots. But no yellow blanket here."

Clover gave a big, wide yawn. She settled down into her burrow.

"Goodnight, Clover," Toby said, waving his little green hand.

"Goodnight, Toby," Clover mumbled, and her long ears flopped down in the grass.

Toby walked on toward the shiny pond. Tip-tap, tip-tap went his feet on the smooth stones. Sitting right near the water was Shelly the turtle. Shelly was already pulling her head into her shell.

"Excuse me, Shelly," Toby said gently. "Have you seen my favorite soft yellow blanket?"

Shelly poked her head back out, very slowly. She blinked her shiny dark eyes. She looked to the left side of the pond. She looked to the right side of the pond.

"No, little Toby," Shelly said slowly. "I see smooth gray pebbles. I see cool pond water. But no yellow blanket here."

Shelly gave a very slow, turtle yawn. She tucked her four green feet inside her shell.

"Goodnight, Shelly," said Toby.

"Goodnight, Toby," Shelly whispered from inside her cozy shell.

Where could the yellow blanket be? Toby looked up at the big, friendly oak tree. Up on a low branch sat Willow the little bird, tucking her beak beneath her wing.

"Willow," Toby called upward very softly. "Have you seen my favorite soft yellow blanket?"

Willow flapped her wings once. She hopped along the branch.

"No, Toby," Willow chirped softly. "I see brown acorns. I see green oak leaves. But no yellow blanket here."

Willow tucked her head back down against her tummy.

"Goodnight, Willow," said Toby.

"Goodnight, Toby," Willow peeped from her leafy nest.

Toby sighed a tiny, quiet sigh. He turned around to walk back to his home. Tip-tap, tip-tap went his little green feet. The valley was very, very still. Clover was asleep in the clover patch. Shelly was asleep inside her shell. Willow was asleep in the oak tree.

Toby stepped back into his cozy sleeping spot. He looked down at his green moss bed.

Right beside his mossy pillow, something bright caught his eye. Something bright and yellow.

"Oh!" Toby said happily.

There it was! It had been sitting right beside the big flat rock the whole time, tucked neatly out of the cool breeze. Toby had walked right past it when he started his search.

Toby scooped up the blanket in his little arms. It was warm. It was soft. It smelled just like sweet clover flowers. He hugged it close against his green chest.

"There you are," Toby murmured. "My cozy yellow blanket."

He climbed into his bed of soft green moss. He turned around once, and he turned around twice. He pulled the yellow blanket right up to his chin.

Toby looked out at the peaceful valley.

"Goodnight, Clover," Toby whispered. "Goodnight, Shelly," Toby whispered. "Goodnight, Willow."

And then he looked up at the big silver moon.

"Goodnight, moon," Toby said.

The crickets sang a very quiet song in the grass. The cool breeze rustled the willow leaves. Toby closed his eyes. He held his soft yellow blanket tight, and Toby fell fast asleep.